Watching the final throes of the England versus New Zealand series, it is apparent there is something particularly unedifying about two-Test contests.
Any narrative that has been started is sawn off before it can gather any pace, and should the protagonists have the audacity to produce a compelling spectacle then you end up feeling somewhat cheated.
Others have made this point and it will continue to be put forward, but maybe it’s too idealistic and my head should come out of the clouds.
Anyway, on to the upcoming skirmish between West Indies and Australia being played over – would you believe it – two matches.
Regardless of the obvious improvements made by the hosts in their recent drawn series with England, it is difficult to see anything other than an Australian victory.
Anyone who values the health of the world game will have been heartened by Denesh Ramdin’s side’s performances, especially with the bat.
Prior to the World Cup, they were comprehensively brushed aside by South Africa and the most worrying aspect was the absence of any real fight. There were a handful of promising individual efforts but not enough to make the games anything other than cakewalks for the Proteas.
Jump forward a few months, with a new coach at the helm, and the difference was marked. The batting had gallons more resilience, the bowling more of a penetrative edge, and a lost sense of pride was evident.
That the English Cricket Board’s chairman to be, Colin Graves, had the nous, or lack of it to be more accurate, to describe England’s opponents as mediocre in the lead-up was pushing it a bit as things turned out.
On surfaces that can become painfully slow and lacking in bounce, a determined and stubborn approach is far easier to maintain. This is true both with the bat, where the attacking nature of the seamers is often negated, and in the field, where scoring rates are easier to restrict.
The omission of Shivnarine Chanderpaul could be viewed as a error in judgement, but I admire the West Indian hierarchy’s lack of sentiment despite the veteran’s two decades of committed service (damned if you do, damned if you don’t). Besides, he has been a fading force since the turn of the year and nothing can last forever.
Marlon Samuels has added a bit of consistency to his obvious ability and the youthful top order duo of Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood have displayed the skill to prosper at this level.
That said, the smart money has to be on a triumph for Michael Clarke’s men.
Even given a relatively lengthy spell away from the five-day format, and not much in the way of a warm-up – hardly anything new these days, especially on truncated tours – the tourists’ quality should show over the two matches.
Losing Chris Rogers isn’t ideal, and not everybody will be a fan of Shaun Marsh filling the vacancy, but that shouldn’t be too much of a hindrance. The bonus is, long in the tooth as he may be, Adam Voges deserves an opportunity.
If anything has been garnered from England’s visit – they’re not the only side to use the much maligned ‘data’ – it should be that a pair of spinners is the way to go. Reverse swing is likely to come into the equation given the arid nature of the pitches, but on balance spin is a far more effective option.
England weren’t inclined to put any faith in leg-spinner Adil Rashid. For Clarke to go down the same route would be a dubious move.
Given the fact both Shane Watson and Mitchell Marsh, or just one of them, are capable of providing the seam bowling support, there is no need to field three frontline quicks.
I am intrigued to see how Fawad Ahemd fares, and a strong attack should be able to accommodate such a bowler for whom the search for wickets may overrule any thoughts of parsimony.
So for a prediction I’ll go for 1-0 to the tourists. Feel free to use this information and share the profits.
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