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 It’s all in the mind - this is how skipper Sourav Ganguly sought to analyse India’s repeated failures outside the subcontinent after losing the fifth Test and series against West Indies here today. "We have been close on a couple of occasions - we were 1-0 up in Zimbabwe, and 1-1 in Sri Lanka before losing the deciding matches.... there’s something up in the mind than in the ability,” a disappointed Ganguly said referring to India’s 16-year drought.
But the skipper said achieving a Test series victory abroad was "not impossible. Everyday, you wake up and hope for the best”. Ganguly also stressed on the need for match-winning efforts rather than just good performances. "We have had good performances but that is just not enough. We need match-winning performances especially under pressure.”
The Indian skipper admitted their efforts were not up to the mark in the Test which his side went on to lose by 155 runs. "We could have bowled better (in West Indian first innings) but then we could have also batted well.” The series was closely contested, nevertheless.
"West Indies played well in Barbados and Jamaica. We did well in Trinidad but we could not sustain it... All credit to Carl Hooper and his boys,” said Ganguly. Hooper, in turn, attributed the victory to "total team effort”. "There were contributions from almost every player - Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle and, of course, Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Chanderpaul played out of his skin.”
Hooper, however, downplayed suggestions that West Indies proved to be the better side in the end. "I think we just played better cricket over the last three weeks.” Man-of-the-Match Hinds, who scored 113 to be the only centurion in the match, thanked God for the victory and so did Man-of-the-Series,
Chanderpaul.
"Thanks to the Lord who made it all happen,” the shy Chanderpaul said as he took the keys of the brand new Suzuki car for his efforts that saw him aggregate 562 runs.
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