WI coach wants players to take responsibility

For the West Indies, all that is left is the past romance of batsmen piling on the runs in some style and fast bowlers knocking over rival batsmen. But the current reality doesn't make a pretty picture.

The present team dismissed India for 246 on a first day's pitch only to fritter away the advantage with woeful batting.

In the one-day series, the hosts did not touch 250 till the final inconsequential tie where they successfully chased 252. There is both young talent — opener Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo — and the experience of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. And the batting coach is the former great Desmond Haynes.

Barath appeared to pull the team towards a good total until he fell for 64, and the rest crumbled against the pace and swing of a second-string India attack, as well as spin.

Coach Ottis Gibson was clearly frustrated, and said skipper Darren Sammy dropping Rahul Dravid on 6, left the hosts waging a grim fight on a Sabina Park pitch that was slowly deteriorating.

"Dravid is looking solid as ever. We managed to get his edge and dropped him. That could be crucial as well." But he was upset with another batting collapse that handed India the advantage with three days left.

"Not just in this series, even in the Pakistan series, batting has been our real problem," said Gibson. "We managed to get 20 wickets against Pakistan and win a Test match, but not really put together big scores."

Against Pakistan last month, the West Indies failed to touch 250 in either of the two Tests, and owed their narrow first Test win to Sammy's five-wicket haul. The series ended 1-1.

"People are working hard in the nets but it's down to people having the mindset to bat for long time. We put out a very good eleven, but we need people to take responsibility," he said.

"It is all about opportunity. Barath had a good opportunity and he did well. Again, it is not the greatest India attack, especially with the likes of Zaheer Khan missing. It's a good opportunity for some of our players to make bigger scores."