West Indies vs India 2016: 5 best bowling performances by Indians in the West Indies

Indian cricket has been a honing ground for world-beating batsmen and match-winning spinners. Traditionally, it has been the spinners who have done wonders for the team, especially in home conditions. However, somewhere in between the seam bowlers too have put their hands up and have dished out noteworthy performances.

Regarded as a cricketing superpower, India has generally under performed in overseas tours barring the series win in Sri Lanka, the record in the recent past is a shambolic one

West Indies were the undisputed leaders of cricket for a long period of time. The fact that the Windies did not lose a Test series from 1980 to 1995 is a testament to their dominance. They had a battery of fast bowlers who were capable of sending tremors down the opposition line-up.

India’s first official tour of West Indies was in the year 1952. Despite the big names the Windies had, India fared reasonably well in the series. Subhash Gupte was the talking point of the series as he bagged 27 wickets.

India lost only a single match in the series and drew the other the remaining 4.

In the preceding tours, India had their ups and downs but the bowlers have stood up and bailed the team out of trouble.

Here in this list, we take a look at the top 5 bowling performances by the Indians on the Caribbean shores.

#5 Harbhajan Singh (5/13 at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica)

Nicknamed ‘The Turbanator’ Harbhajan Singh is famously remembered for his heroics in the home series against Australia in the year 2001. It was a historic Test series which saw India winning a match after following on. Harbhajan Singh became the 1st Indian in this series to pick up a Test hat-trick.

ndia played 4 Tests in their tour of West Indies in 2006. The first 3 matches ended in a draw and the pressure rose for the curators to prepare a sporting wicket which would produce results.

It was a bowling paradise and India were knocked over for 200 in their 1st innings. In reply, Harbhajan Singh was the wrecker-in-chief as he picked up 5 wickets for 13 runs. India skittled out the Windies for 103 in their 1st essay.

He pitched the ball in right areas and allowed the pitch to take over. He generated vicious turn and bounce from the pitch and few of his deliveries were unplayable. He picked up Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin and Pedro Colins. India went on to win the match by 49 runs.

A sweet victory indeed as it came after 35 long years in the West Indies.

#4 Kapil Dev (6/84 at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica)

Kapil Dev is one of the best all-rounders to have played the game

Kapil Dev is hailed as one of the greatest all-rounders to have ever graced the game. He is the 1st Indian captain to win a World Cup. His captaincy was inspirational during the 1983 World Cup which marked the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket history.

During the 1988-89 series in West Indies, India fared very poorly. They lost the first 3 matches of the series and were trailing by an unassailable 3-0 margin before the start of the fourth Test. They narrowly avoided defeat in the 4th Test.

West Indies scored 384 in the first innings in reply to India’s 289 and if it was not for Kapil Dev West Indies would have scored much more. Richie Richardson and Sir Vivian Richards both scored centuries before Kapil Dev’s heroics curtailed the opposition score. From 321-3 West Indies fell apart and could manage only 384.

Kapil went on to dismiss Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Vivian Richards, A.L. Logie and Malcolm Marshal, not a bad list one might say!.

#3 Anil Kumble- ( 6/78, at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica)

Flight, turn and bounce, all in abundance

Anil Kumble, one of India’s biggest match winners during his playing days played a pivotal role in forming the crux of a successful Indian cide through the 1990s.

Kumble was a medium pacer initially and later transformed into a leg break bowler. His natural ability was his bounce, control and variations. He wasn’t a sharp turner of the ball but finished with more than 619 wickets in his Test career.

He was a very dedicated guy and everyone remembers the famous picture of him with a broken jaw and a bandage over his head trapping Brian Lara with his traditional quicker delivery. That was an inspiring moment during the 2002 series.

During India’s 2006 tour of West Indies, India was scheduled to play four Tests. In the last Test which India won by 49 runs, thanks mainly to the ‘Jumbo’ performance.

In a match dominated by bowlers, India posted a meagre 200 in their 1st innings. West Indies scored a paltry 103 in reply, handing India a 97 run lead. Harbhajan picked up 5 wickets in the first innings.

In the 2nd innings, West Indies were set a victory target of 268. Denesh Ramdin and Ramnaresh Sarwan’s valiant effort went in vain as it was Kumble wiped out the Windies middle and lower order picking up the last 6 West Indies batsman.

He finished with 6/78 and his scalps included premier batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Pedro Colins and Corey Collymore.

#2- Ishant Sharma (6/55 at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados)

Ishant will be hoping to replicate his performance from the last tour

After an inspirational start to his Test career, Ishant spent a lot of his years trying to figure out a way in Test cricket. He has found some of his form in the recent past, and Indian cricket will hope that the lanky fast bowler continues to be the leader of the attack in many more years to come.

Regarded as a talented fast bowler, Ishant hasn’t been consistent enough throughout his career. 201 Test wickets in 68 Tests at an average of more than 36 per wicket doesn’t justify his potential.

In 2011, during India’s last Test series in West Indies which India won 1-0 Ishant Sharma was the stand out performer. He picked up 20 wickets in the series. He was at his lethal best in the 2nd Test match.

In a low scoring match, Ishant Sharma was the wrecker-in-chief when he dismantled the West Indies line up for a paltry 190 in their 1st innings in reply to India’s 201.

The Windies batsmen were clueless with the pace and bounce Sharma was generating and found it very difficult to cope up with.

Sharma went on to dismiss opener Adrian Barath, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Sammy, Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards. It was an important lead of 11 runs which India got but the rain gods played spoilsport as the match was disrupted many times which denied the Indian charge to push for a win.

#1- Subhash Gupte (7/162 at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, 1952-53)

Subhash Gupte is considered the greatest leg spinner by Sir Garfield Sobers

The series marked India’s first ever official tour to West Indies. Despite being the overwhelming underdogs, the Indians fared reasonably well throughout the series losing a single match and drawing the other four.

Subhash Gupte by far was the talking point of the series as far as India was concerned. He picked up 27 wickets in the series and even the very best struggled to cope up with his grit and determination. He had a lot of variations up his sleeve .

India won the toss and chose to bat first. Courtesy Polly Umrigar’s 130 India posted a formidable total of 417 in their first innings.

Gupte turned out to be the kingpin for India when they came out to bowl. Despite West Indies posting 438, Subhash Gupte picked up 7 wickets in the innings which is still the highest number of wickets taken by a bowler in an innings in West Indies.

E D Weekes scored a double century and B H Pairaudeau chipped in with a century to propel the Windies total to 438. Gupte dismissed JB Stollymeyer, Frank Worell, Weekes, Pairaudeau, G E Gomez, F M King and A.L. Valentine

Sir Gary Sobers described him as the best leg break bowler ever to have graced the game. According to him,Shane Warne is undoubtedly a great bowler but no one is better than Subhash Gupte as far as the art of leg spin is concerned.