wesT inDies...the name was enough to create terror on any cricket field in the 70s. How can one forget the feaRsome fOur...Joel Garner, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Malcom Marshall. The wesT inDian batting boasted of all-time greats like Clive Llyod, Alvis Kalicharan, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes and the flamboyant Sir Vivian Richards in the same era. This was enough to see them thru' the first two editions of the world cUPs(1975 and 1979) with the highest honors. Make no mistake about it, the austRaliAn and the enGlisH teams were equally good in that era but the caRRibean kinGs had the last laugh!
It took an underdog team like India to de-throne the caRRibean kinGs from their world cUP winning streak in '83. Ever since then, the wesT inDian kinGs were never the same! It was only in '96 that the wesT inDians managed to reach the semiS. It is been over 2 decades that the caRRibean kinGs are de-throned from the highest honor of cricket...the coveted world cUP!
The tale of the current wesT inDian team is very different. Here is a talented young brigade building up and playing their best ODI cricket in the last few months under their veteran chief commander Brian Charles Lara. It is a testimony to their improved performance to see them playing the champions trophy finals with the invincible ausTraliAn warriors!
It looks like the captaincy of Lara is doing a lot of good to this young caRRibean team. Lara is out there to prove a point or two before his retirement from this wonderful game of cricket!
The batting is very settled with Chanderpaul and Gayle at the top followed by Samuels, Sarwan, and the great Lara. Then you have the dynamic all rounder Bravo followed by the stable wicketkeeper-batsman Ramdin. The bowling looks in-experienced but shows a lot of potential in the young Jerome Taylor, the consistent Bradshaw, the ever improving Smith and the competent Colleymore. A lot needs to be seen how consistently this young team can perform under the brilliant Lara!
All said and done, I would still rate them 6th favorite in my list to win this 9th edition of the coVeted tropHY!
We will discuss about the 5th favorite team to win the cUP tomorrow...until then goOd eVening and gOoD luCk.
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