Can the West Indies team now pose a challenge to the Sub-Continental Test teams?

[stevewittry]

West Indies,long considered an inferior test team has lately started to pose some challenges for visiting teams.

They seem to be improving in the longer format with some good young batsmen and their pace attack coupled with pitches have gained some potency.

Starting with the Pakistan team your last year, wherein the Pakistani experienced squad experienced some challenges and had to fight hard for a 2-1 series win, this young WI test team has grown in confidence and stature and is proving to be a challenge for sub continent teams.

The SL team recently and Bangladesh are finding this recently. I have a feeling that even the current Indian team at it's best will find it difficult to win a test here.

Will WI be a major challenge for sub continent teams like South Africa, England or Australia?

 

[cricketindiafan]

Why use Sub continent when all you wanted to say was India will not win a test against this WI side in WI.

Everytime India do well, you sound very hurt. To help you feel better, I will agree we will get whitewashed by this WI side across all formats.

 

[Ab Fan]

India is a very strong test side. So, they will win in Windies. Sri Lanka drew a series and Pak won it. So, tbh, WI are still minnows.

Bangladesh are also minnows. They drew series against Australia and England but they have failed to win a match outside Bangladesh except one in Sri Lanka and generally get hammered everywhere else.

Sri Lanka are just on par with minnows. Won a match in Pakistan(UAE) and Windies but were hammered by India at home.

 

[Markhor]

Top five has to improve. I don't think Devon Smith and Keiran Powell are long term answers at 2 and 3, while Roston Chase has lost form since his performances in 2016 and early 2017.

WI also need one gun spinner and a better pacer than Cummins. I'm interested to see how Alzarri Joseph and another quick in Oshane Thomas develop.

But for sure there's a ton of talent. This is a hard working generation of WI Test cricketers who are showing more promise than I've seen in a WI Test team in years.

 

[Ab Fan]

Top five has to improve. I don't think Devon Smith and Keiran Powell are long term answers at 2 and 3, while Roston Chase has lost form since his performances in 2016 and early 2017.

WI also need one gun spinner and a better pacer than Cummins. I'm interested to see how Alzarri Joseph and another quick in Oshane Thomas develop.

But for sure there's a ton of talent. This is a hard working generation of WI Test cricketers who are showing more promise than I've seen in a WI Test team in years.

And what about Shanon Gabriel?

 

[Markhor]

And what about Shanon Gabriel?

What about him ?

 

[Sanzcool]

West Indies,long considered an inferior test team has lately started to pose some challenges for visiting teams.

They seem to be improving in the longer format with some good young batsmen and their pace attack coupled with pitches have gained some potency.

Starting with the Pakistan team your last year, wherein the Pakistani experienced squad experienced some challenges and had to fight hard for a 2-1 series win, this young WI test team has grown in confidence and stature and is proving to be a challenge for sub continent teams.

The SL team recently and Bangladesh are finding this recently. I have a feeling that even the current Indian team at it's best will find it difficult to win a test here.

Will WI be a major challenge for sub continent teams like South Africa, England or Australia?

Lol what. Now Suddenly WI have turned into the 70s superpowers after drawing vs SL and winning vs a minnow

 

[Hasan123]

This current West Indies test team has potential to be a good team. They will do well at home. They have potential to compete away from home but they need more experience.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Top five has to improve. I don't think Devon Smith and Keiran Powell are long term answers at 2 and 3, while Roston Chase has lost form since his performances in 2016 and early 2017.

WI also need one gun spinner and a better pacer than Cummins. I'm interested to see how Alzarri Joseph and another quick in Oshane Thomas develop.

But for sure there's a ton of talent. This is a hard working generation of WI Test cricketers who are showing more promise than I've seen in a WI Test team in years.

Devon Smith is 36 and even now he has only improved from a downright terrible batsman to simply a mediocre one. West Indies need to open with Brathwaite and Powell like they did before and get Darren Bravo back in the side who is quite clearly their best batsman. Bravo, Hope and Chase would make a good middle-order.

 

[stevewittry]

Lol what. Now Suddenly WI have turned into the 70s superpowers after drawing vs SL and winning vs a minnow

People are critical of SL but they are a good test team. Bangladesh has a decent batting line up, they struggle to get 20 wickets due to their limited bowling resources. Getting the BD team all out for sub 100 scores on a flat deck is some sort of achievement.

Even Pakistan series last year was hard fought and they had to fight it out till last ball.

 

[cricketindiafan]

People are critical of SL but they are a good test team. Bangladesh has a decent batting line up, they struggle to get 20 wickets due to their limited bowling resources. Getting the BD team all out for sub 100 scores on a flat deck is some sort of achievement.

Even Pakistan series last year was hard fought and they had to fight it out till last ball.

Did you actually watch the match or followed it only through scorecards?

 

[ManFan]

I think the WI team is one rise but they still need to drop old heads and improve EVERYTHING else if they want compete against the higher teams.

 

[BlackShadow]

You expect sides like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan to struggle against WI. All these bottom tier teams have been trading blows in Test Cricket for the last couple of years. But comparisons with India based on that is laughable.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Top five has to improve. I don't think Devon Smith and Keiran Powell are long term answers at 2 and 3, while Roston Chase has lost form since his performances in 2016 and early 2017.

WI also need one gun spinner and a better pacer than Cummins. I'm interested to see how Alzarri Joseph and another quick in Oshane Thomas develop.

But for sure there's a ton of talent. This is a hard working generation of WI Test cricketers who are showing more promise than I've seen in a WI Test team in years.

Had heard a lot of hype about Delorn Johnson 5-6 years back, but he still hasn't made his debut yet.

 

[Ab Fan]

What about him ?

How good a talent is he and how much developed you feel he is, leading the WI attack?

 

[happydavy]

It's time for wi to drop Gayle and his IPL entourage even for ODIs. Holder is doing a brilliant job and these young blokes could do some special stuff at next year world cup, Gayle and bravo would do nothing.

 

[Markhor]

How good a talent is he and how much developed you feel he is, leading the WI attack?

Gabriel doesn't get much movement through the air but his pace and bounce is a handful for any batsmen. His speeds are consistent too, even in later spells. WI have lacked an impact bowler like him for years, and it looks like they've done a good job recently of keeping him fit whereas before he was injury prone.

Gabriel and Roach as a new ball pairing complement each other well - one relies on pace and bounce, and the other on accurate swing and seam.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Not a threat to India if that was the only point OP was trying to make. Forget Asia, India are the only team not to lose a test to Windies in 16 years among all teams.

 

[big_gamer007]

Indian players have problems against seam and swing..They are ok with bounce and pace..So no WI will not trouble indian batsmen..