West Indies on improving rankings

Well, it is obvious for any team to gain advantage and in addition gain courage and excitement from that victory to put up a better performance in the days to come. This need not be the case for a team that gets defeated though there goes the saying that "better luck next time" or "losing is the stepping stone for success" for, a defeat takes away the courage most of the times. This is if you have a winning habit and losing really pisses you off. But, neither are the cases with the West Indies. Neither are the West Indies bothered about their losing streak nor about their rankings.

I remember the then West Indies early last year citing a 4-1 win against Australia in the Commonwealth Bank series 2010 at Australia. But, that series didn't even turn out to be 1-4 as far as the West Indies were considered. West Indies lost the series 4-0 to Australia with one match getting blown out due to bad weather. May be no one would have taken Chris Gayle's words so seriously but, a little bit of sense in talking becomes mandatory when things go public and considering one's caliber. Everyone knew the caliber of the West Indies which has only deteriorated since then.

Now that West Indies have won the first test against Pakistan rather unexpectedly by 40 runs, no doubt all their eyes will definitely be on the second test match starting today at Basseterre which the West Indies hardly have a chance looking at their standard. But still, having hopes shouldn't be a problem no matter what. It needs a thorough search through the Internet to see when last did the West Indies win a test match let alone a test series barring the Providence test last week against Pakistan. Of course, they have never met India since 2006 which reduced their burden a little bit.

However, they are bound to meet India later next month for a bilateral series where once again they are termed underdogs. Now, their concern if the West Indies captain-Darren Sammy is to be believed is their rankings which have since the past 8 years or so have been just two behind the bottom. With Zimbabwe losing its test status in 2005, now the West Indies are just behind Bangladesh in the latest ICC test rankings. This has to be the area of concern for the team who once upon a time dominated world cricket. Beating Pakistan this time as well and India in the forthcoming tour can be a possibility with West Indies facing them at home. But..