by Abhai Sawkar The West Indies took the early advantage against England following a tense victory. It’s been quite the eventful match, with plenty of momentum shifts. But ultimately, quality bowling from Shannon Gabriel and a vital 95 from Jermaine Blackwood helped chase down 200, after a nervous top-order collapse.
It was definitely a different scene with the game happening behind closed doors without a crowd of spectators, but at the end of the day, every win counts. Today’s guest is a proud Windies fan and fellow Bowled Through the Gate contributor, Umar Mohammed. AS: For starters, tell us a bit about yourself as a cricket fan. UM: I’m from Trinidad and I’m a West Indies cricket supporter since I could remember. Cricket’s pretty much been in my blood since birth. I’ve grown up around cricket with my dad playing plenty of local club cricket and my grandfather being an umpire. I’ve had the privilege of seeing the likes of the classic greats like Brian Lara and Mervyn Dillon to modern-day heroes such as Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, and Kieron Pollard, to name a few. AS: That’s really amazing - in fact it makes me a bit envious. Now let’s get right into it: how did it feel to see your team clinch the first Test? UM: From a fan’s point of view, it’s great to see the guys make it over the line. It makes me feel immensely proud to see a lot of hard work go down to this win, especially with the coronavirus situation, we have a lot of work to do in order to overcome the other matches but again it’s a fantastic win and a fantastic start. AS: It’s 1-0 and the Windies have the early lead. Is there anything you’re most looking forward to in the next game? And if any, what do you feel the Windies should watch out for? UM: I’m hoping to see the West Indies hold their composure and level headedness to bag another win but also to see England to give a good fight. I think with Root re-entering, that would definitely boost the batting line up and I think our bowlers should be wary of him coming back in both his batting and tactics on the field. AS: That makes sense, plus there’s a good chance Stuart Broad will get a game too. Going back to the first Test, it was great to see Shane Dowrich and Jermaine Blackwood perform well in the middle order. Do you feel there’s anyone who’s under the spotlight for the rest of this series? UM: Probably one of the two openers but Kraigg has proven himself now and again but the batsman who needs to cement himself and perform for me is John Campbell he seems a bit under par so far judging from the first game of this series and the last couple of series. I think with Root coming back in the fray would definitely boost the batting line up and I think the wi bowlers should be wary of him coming back in both in his batting and tactics on the field AS: Last, but not least, what’s your suggested playing XI for next game? UM: There’s no need to change a winning combination, so for me, it’s the same team. For England, the second Test will be for all the marbles, since it's the make-or-break game. A win will set up a decider, while the Windies will look to maintain the momentum throughout the rest of the series. There have been signs of improvement in the Windies batting lineup, but there's plenty of cricket to go. It sounds very cliche, but it can be anyone's game.
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