KOLKATA: The West Indies will surely draw inspiration from their 2016 triumph when they take on India in the must-win Super Eights match at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. On April 3, 2016, they beat England at this venue to win the T20 World Cup. A decade later, they may not be the same force, but they had shown glimpses of brilliance before coming up against South Africa.The common thread that remains between the team of 2016 and this one is Darren Sammy. The current West Indies coach was the captain then. “It’s a special feeling for me,” Sammy said on his return to the Eden. He might want to relive that moment of triumph, but India this time seem to be holding all the aces.
The team of 2016 had a lot of charismatic players. Apart from Sammy himself, there were Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels. This time too they have some extremely talented players, who can deliver, like Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder. However, they are nowhere near the class of 2016.This West Indies did show their prowess in the league stage, but apart from England, their opponents were the associate nations who are yet to find a foothold in the game. Even England were well below par. The reality check came up against South Africa and there the West Indies came up short by miles.The only advantage they have is that they have played two matches here during the tournament, whereas India are coming here for the first time. The last time India played here was the Test match against South Africa in Oct last year, and they were left second best. But then, white ball cricket is a different game and India are the masters in it.The wicket this time has a green tinge to it, unlike the dry surface for the South Africa Test. Kolkata is as much India’s home as Mumbai or Ahmedabad. With a packed crowd behind them, Suryakumar Yadav will have more adrenaline rushing through his veins than Sammy.
