'I don't like to lose'
Sunday, March 2 2003
GIVEN the presence of Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Carl Hooper, it was a big call but Michael Holding's assertion on television that Ramaresh Sarwan is presently the West Indies' best batsman stands up to statistical scrutiny.
After Friday night's key World Cup match against Sri Lanka, courageous is another flattering adjective to add to the many associated with his name since he was identified as a cricketer of such rare potential he was picked for Guyana aged 15.
His effort to secure an incredible victory for the West Indies after resuming an innings cut short by a fearful blow to the helmet and a visit to nearby Claremont Hospital failed by six runs. But it will be long remembered for its brave defiance by the 20,000 who witnessed the drama live and the millions of others watching on television.
Sarwan had made 10 from 25 balls when he was startled by the steep lift of a delivery from the tall, heavy-set Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka's fastest bowler. He turned his head and took such a blow on the side of the helmet that the ball rebounded more than 20 yards to be caught, on the full, at backward point.
He immediately slumped onto the pitch and lay there motionless for nearly 10 minutes while he was examined by a doctor and paramedics, who had sprinted to his aid.
Eventually, he was carefully lifted onto a stretcher, covered in a blanket and wheeled off to a waiting ambulance that sped him to hospital.
Once there, according to team manager Ricky Skerritt, he was clinically examined by a neurologist, had several x-rays taken from different angles and two stitches inserted into a small cut above his left eye.
His involvement in the contest seemed surely over but the x-rays showed no serious damage and the specialist was convinced he was "medically fine". Fully conscious and anxious to resume his innings, he returned.
When he arrived in the team's dressing room, the West Indies were six wickets down and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Vasbert Drakes were trying to stem the advance towards defeat with a dogged partnership.
Within half-hour, Chanderpaul hoisted a catch to long-on after topscoring with 65 and Sarwan re-entered the battle to a standing ovation from around the stadium that echoed from the nearby Table Mountain.
He even chose a cap instead of a helmet, only replacing one with the other after a couple of overs.
It seemed a futile, if bold, gesture at the time for the West Indies were 169 for seven, still 60 away from their winning goal with only 7.5 overs remaining and the Nos. 9, 10 and 11 fast bowlers to help him.
In quick time, the neat, 22-year-old Guyanese changed the course of the match, stroking two sixes and two fours in adding 37 off 19 balls as the tension grew. His unbeaten 47 would prove insufficient and Sarwan had to return to teammates inspired by his daring but distressed by the result.
No one was more upset than Sarwan himself.
"I don't like to lose," he said afterwards. "None of us wants to lose and I am a very proud person."
"When I saw what was happening, I had to come to the crease," he added. "Cricket is about heart. There'll be occasions when you're struck down by someone or something but you have to be man enough to fight to the bitter end."
He explained that he "basically misread" the ball that hit him.
"Once I got checked and I realised that I was okay, I decided that I wanted to come out and fight for the West Indies," he explained. "The game was very important for us. We had to win to go into the Super Sixes and I was determined to try my best."
"It was always going to be difficult to score eight to 10 runs per over in the last couple of overs with the bowlers at the crease but I gave it a shot," he noted. "With a little luck we could have got the runs."
The situation of seeing the West Indies home in one-day internationals - if not the blow to the head - has become all too familiar for Sarwan in the past few months.
In the series of seven in India last November, in which he scored 436 runs at an average of 109 and a strike rate of 84.66, his last ball four won the first match.
His unbeaten 99, off 104 balls, helped boost the total to 324 for four in the fourth match but did not ensure a West Indies victory. In the decisive victory in the last match, he scored 83 off 101 balls, setting the stage of Marlon Samuels' breathtaking, unbeaten 108 off 75 balls.
He has again been the leading batsman for the West Indies in the World Cup.
His 32 off 15 balls and his grand, unbeaten finale of 63 off 28 balls with Ricardo Powell powered the total to a match-winning 278 for five against South Africa.
His more measured 75 off 99 balls against New Zealand began in a crisis at 46 for five and, in a partnership of 98 with Ridley Jacobs, almost clinched an unlikely victory. But, like Friday's, it was not enough and, as such, it meant nothing to Sarwan.
Unlike the power-hitters, like Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Powell, Sarwan's sixes and fours are based on technique, timing and placement.
At the start of the World Cup, he had an average of 51.04 and a strike-rate of 79.4 in 29 one-day internationals. He has boosted that with a present average of 101 at a strike rate of 95.87 after five matches.
Skerritt said yesterday Sarwan was understandably nursing "a slight headache" but was in good spirits.
He'll have further neurological tests in Kimberley tomorrow prior to Tuesday's match against Kenya, just to be sure that he can continue the consistent scoring that, in the opinion of at least one highly respected former West Indies player, makes him the best West Indies batsman at present.
Posted by Orin
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