KOLKATA: West Indies will surely take inspiration from their 2016 victory as they take on India in a must-win Super Eight clash at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. On April 3, 2016, they defeated England at this venue to win the T20 World Cup. They may not be the same team a decade later, but they were on display before they faced South Africa.
The common denominator between the 2016 team and this year’s team is Darren Sammy. The current West Indies coach was the captain at the time. “It’s a special feeling for me,” Sammy said on his return to Eden. He may want to relive that moment of victory, but this time India seems to hold all the aces.
The 2016 team had a lot of attractive players. In addition to Sammy himself, there are also Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels. They also have some very talented players this time around who can make a difference, like Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder. However, they are a far cry from the Class of 2016.
This West Indies team has indeed shown its strength on the league stage, but their opponents, except for England, are all quasi-countries that have not yet established themselves in the competition. Even England finished well below par. The reality check came against South Africa, with West Indies trailing by miles.
Their only advantage is that they have played two games here during this World Cup while India is coming here for the first time. The last time India played here was the Test match against South Africa in October last year, in which they finished second. But white-ball cricket is a different game and India are the masters of it.
The wicket this time was green, unlike the dry surface used in the South Africa Test. Kolkata is as much the home of India as Mumbai or Ahmedabad. With the crowd behind him, Suryakumar Yadav will have more adrenaline coursing through his veins than Sammy.
