The West Indies fell 61 runs short of achieving what would have been a miracle victory against the Englishmen today. No team had ever made as much as 455, the Windies' target, to win a Test match batting last. Shivnarine Chanderpaul's dogged 116 n.o. must be rated his best Test innings as he gave hope to the seemingly impossible victory chase.
Needing a further 154 runs to get at the start of the fifth and final day, and with 5 wickets in hand, the Windies had a decent chance of pulling off the win. They managed to get through to lunch with only the loss of Denesh Ramdin and Darren Sammy, but the tail could not wag enough to get the Windies home. Steve Harmison was the destroyer of the tail enders as his post lunch snorting deliveries that claimed Jerome Taylor's and Fidel Edwards' wickets killed off any hope the Windies had. Monty Panesar again proved to be a handful, taking six wickets in the innings and 10 in the match.
The Windies have regained some pride though, if nothing else. No one would have placed a bet on them making anywhere close to 394. There must have been some nervous individuals in the English dressing room as the Windies crept closer to the target before Harmison and Panesar wrapped up the tail. That though, is little consolidation, as the Windies came agonisingly close to winning a match for the first time in almost two years. What must also be equally agonising is the fact that the West Indies should have won this match. Here are three instances that could have and should have turned the match in the Windies' favour.
(1) On the second morning, the Windies allow the last 3 English wickets to put on 74 runs. That included Taylor dropping a sitter of a catch.
(2) On the second afternoon, with the Windies racing along at 216/4, and with the English bowlers struggling with their line and length, the Windies capitulate, losing their last 6 wickets for 13 runs and handing England a 141 run first innings lead. Most of the wickets that fell were to rash shots rather than good bowling.
(3) Late in the second day's play, umpire Billy Bowden remarkably gives Alastair Cook not out after Cook clearly inside-edged a Corey Collymore delivery into the gloves of Ramdin who caught the ball low down. Cook was 12 at the time and went on to make 106. It didn't help that Collymore also dropped a chance off Cook before he got to his century.
In hindsight, if the Windies had wrapped up the English tail earlier and Taylor not dropped that catch, if the Windies batsmen had enough discipline to bat properly instead of collapsing in their first innings and if Billy Bowden hadn't made such a ridiculous error, then maybe the Windies would be celebrating right now.
Somehow, the Windies have learned the habit of losing and it's going to take a disciplined, consistent team effort if they are going to break that habit and win one for a change.
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