Opinion: The West Indies need more than just skills to compete overseas

The West Indies side that lost to India 0-2 in the recently concluded Test series bore no resemblance to the great teams that the group of island nations from the Caribbean had put out in the past. The most number of Tests played by a member of the side was fifty-odd with quite a few yet to play even ten. Experience, or rather the lack of it, was what led them down along with the will to grind it out and take the fight to India. It was convulsive, perhaps almost embarrassing to see them surrender so meekly to the hosts, both in Rajkot and Hyderabad.

Even if we don't consider the greats of the Sir Garfield Sobers or even the Clive Lloyd era, it is hard to imagine that not too long ago, one of the greatest batsmen the world has seen, a certain Brian Charles Lara used to turn up for them. The mantle was taken on by the unsung Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the efficient Ramnaresh Sarwan but after the two of them left, there has been no one to put their hand up and stake a claim for greatness or even a piece of history. It is unsurprising, therefore, that no West Indian batsman or bowler feature in the top ten of the ICC's Test rankings.

The way the West Indies approached India and their attitude towards the series ensured that they were doomed from the start. They were star-struck and in awe of playing in Virat Kohli and his boys' backyard. The lack of quality in their batting line-up is a bit worrying and one wonders if first-class cricket back in the Carribean still produces the players it earlier did. Not everything has stemmed from a lack of proper technique; temperament, mental strength, courage and grit have all played an equal role.

Let us be the first to admit that playing India in India can be daunting. Even England, Australia and South Africa have struggled to compete in these conditions. If the heat doesn't get to you first, then the spin triplets (Ashwin, Jadeja and Kuldeep) surely will, although it was Umesh Yadav who wreaked havoc in Hyderabad. What has been ungratifying, though, is the lack of application or fight shown by the West Indies batsmen. They were meek and too easily gave their self away to India. Only Roston Chase and to an extent, Jason Holder showed how it could be done, that too only in the second Test.

When cricket writer and commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted, "For teams in the dumps, failure is a familiar outcome and becomes an acceptable option too quickly," truer words couldn't have been said. Rifts and miffed relationships with the board back home have rendered world-class players such as Chris Gayle, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo and Sunil Narine's Test careers ineffective. The system must be changed and although these players may or may not be at fault- it is not my place to judge- cricket in the West Indies can only be revived with an infusion of quality, guts and experience. They are wonderful in limited-overs cricket, which is fine, but where it really matters- Test cricket- they seem docile and weak. Physical skills can only take them so far, but mastery over the mind, showing reluctance to throw their wickets and expressing courage will surely give them some equal challenges in the future.