Tony Becca

THE FIRST Test match of the 2008 series between the West Indies and Sri Lanka is over. Not surprisingly, Sri Lanka have won it and, in doing so, they have won their first Test match in the West Indies.

They have also taken a 1-0 lead in the series and, with only one more to come, they are at least guaranteed their first draw in the West Indies and are in with a great chance of winning their first contest in these lovely isles, plus mainland Guyana.

According to some West Indians, had Ramnaresh Sarwan got the benefit of what they consider a dubious leg before wicket decision against left-arm pacer Thilan Thushara in the West Indies second innings - in the last innings of the match - the ending could have been different, and they may well be right.

According to other West Indians, however, according to those who are not blinkered, the match may well have ended earlier had Dwayne Bravo not got away with a suicidal stroke early in his innings, in Muttiah Muralitharan's first over in the same innings. He swept across the line of a good delivery and was given the benefit of the doubt in a situation in which, in their opinion, there was never any doubt that the ball was going on to hit the stumps and that Bravo should have been given out leg before.

Outgunned on the pitch

The sad truth, however, is that with Malinda Warnapura and captain Mahela Jayawardene scoring a century each, with left-arm pacer Chaminda Vaas taking three and five wickets in the match and forcing West Indies captain Chris Gayle to run for cover - to surrender, with off-spinner Muralitharan bamboozling the batsmen with his trickery while taking three wickets, with Sri Lanka brilliant in the field, and with Thushara taking a fantastic and memorable catch to dismiss Devon Smith in the West Indies' second innings, the hosts were outgunned in batting, bowling and fielding.

According to West Indies board president, Dr Julian Hunte, going into the match, the West Indies were not only good enough to win the match, but were so good that if they believe in themselves the way he believed in them, they could beat any team in the world. And, according to Australian coach John Dyson, going into the last day's play the West Indies, set 437 to win and on 96 for one, were not only capable of drawing the match but of beating the odds, going all the way, and winning it.

Talk about wishful thinking.

Jerome Taylor's bowling in the first innings, Bravo's batting in the second innings, Sarwan's batting in both innings and Gayle's batting in the second innings were little gems for the West Indies.

Batted like novices

On a pitch that was described as a featherbed and made for batting, however, on a pitch that was supposed to be dead and a heart-breaker for bowlers, the West Indies' performance, on the whole, was pathetic - and especially so, the way in which a number of their batsmen appeared to give their wickets away.

With so many of them edging catches behind the wicket, with a few of them chasing wide, totally harmless deliveries and nicking catches behind the wicket, most of the West Indies batsmen batted like novices - as if they were playing in a Twenty20 hit-or-miss game.

While the West Indies were dismissed for 280 and 315 on a placid pitch, Sri Lanka, batting carefully and sensibly, piled up 476 for eight declared and 240 for seven, and lest their second innings score is seen as good bowling by the West Indies bowlers, Sri Lanka lost so many wickets simply because they were hunting a total at which they could call the declaration and, apart from setting the West Indies a formidable target, leave themselves with enough overs to dismiss the West Indies a second time.

In the first innings of the match, for example, and while they were building, Sri Lanka scored at 2.93 runs an over, in the West Indies first innings, they scored at 2.50 runs an over and in the West Indies second innings, in the fourth and last innings of the match, they scored at 2.96 runs an over.

In their second innings, however, in the third innings of the match, with a lead of 196 runs, Sri Lanka, going for runs, scored at 4.21 runs an over and then called the declaration.

While it may be unfair, and is unfair in terms of skill and experience to compare any two, or three, or four of the West Indies bowlers with Vaas and Murali-tharan, the two Sri Lankans, bowling on the same pitch, the pitch which, as far as many West Indians are concerned or, up to Tuesday afternoon, were con-cerned, should be dug up and dumped into the sea, bowled their team to victory - and by 121 runs at that.

Well played, Sri Lanka. In cricket, one never knows what will happen and with one like Taylor, like Sarwan, like Chanderpaul and, despite Vaas, with one like Gayle in the West Indies team, things may be, just may be, different in Port-of-Spain.

In Georgetown, however, your batsmen made use of a pitch good for batting, your fielders were brilliant and, despite the pitch, your bowlers were simply marvellous.