ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Kieron Pollard has praised the character shown by West Indies batsmen after surviving another stringent scrutiny by Sri Lankan spinners to win the last Twenty20 International and take on the three-match series here on Sunday night.
Not for the first time in the series, the home team suffered a rapid batting collapse in pursuit of a modest 132 at Coolidge Cricket Ground but recovered to win by three wickets with a crime to spare.
“Obviously it was difficult. They have three world class spinners in their lineup and I thought they came and bowled excellent, ”noted captain Pollard.
“I thought they had bowled the right lines and the right lengths and yes, they were with us a bit bamboozled at the end of the day. But having said that, I think the belief in the dressing room and within the group is what got us through. ”
Leg spinners Akila Dananjaya and Hasaranga de Silva starred in the first T20 International with three-wicket belts as Sri Lanka strenuously defended 132 before dropping four wickets.
Hasaranga then combined with left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan in another brace of three-wicket hauls to fire Sri Lanka to a convincing 43 run victory in the second game last Friday.
Sunday night, Sandakan grabbed three more wickets and Hasaranga two as the Windies dropped from 37 without losing to 105 for seven before full-rounder Fabian Allen beat 21 unbeaten balls in an eighth wicket stand 29 runs with Jason Holder (14 not out) to see West Indies over the line.
“I can only imagine some of the gossip that would have been happening about what was transformative but I have to give credit to the guys,” Pollard stressed.
“Fabian in the back end holding his nerve but more importantly I thought Jason Holder in that over against Hasaranga, that was the turning point for us. He used his experience, decided he was the one who was going to bat those six balls for the team and gave Fabian the free will to go and continue to hit him so well. ”
The form of veterans Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards has raised question marks, especially after their recall prompted debate among pundits ahead of the series.
Gayle, 41, who hadn’t appeared in the West Indies in nearly two years, looked a shadow of his own and managed just 29 runs from three flyovers while the 39-year-old Edwards took a single wicket of six overs in the first two games of his first appearance for the Caribbean side in a decade, before being dropped for the final.
However, Pollard defended their content, arguing that their off-field contribution had been invaluable.
“You see these guys walking around, you see these guys in the hotel at different times and they chat with the young people, show that kind of unity and share experiences and want to do well, ”Pollard noted.
“It’s something that’s been missing for a while and we’re happy. Again, the doors are open for everyone to come back to play and lend their experience because it will take us all to go to the World Cup and do well.
“We want to win games and win series and this is a start. Yes, in terms of batting some of our boys would not have scored the big runs but it happened on both sides. ”
West Indies are expected to defend their T20 World Cup title at the slate tournament for India next October.