Chris Gayle a force for cricket's survival
FOR someone who believes Test cricket is doomed, Chris Gayle does everything in his power to ensure its future prosperity. And more power to him for that.
The Gayle force makes the traditional game irresistible and he had the committed in the crowd of 12,088 sitting forward in their seats in unrestrained excitement and anticipation yesterday.
Had he made it through the last session the crowd would have been greater today. He simply demands to be watched.
But as so often happens the Gayle force was followed by a low and this young, vulnerable West Indian team was rudely exposed.
For longer than one cares to remember, the West Indies batting has been dependent on the achievements of Gayle and the remarkable Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
These prolific run-scorers know only too well that the fate of an innings rests in their hands and so it came as no surprise when both used the revamped referral system to question leg-before decisions against them. As it happened their judgment had not improved in the seconds following their dismissal and with the decisions upheld the innings was in ruin.
And had not Peter Siddle and Ricky Ponting erred in the execution of skills their predicament would have been worse. Tyro Adrian Barath was brilliantly caught by Brad Haddin from an illegal delivery from Siddle and Ponting at second slip had a rare lapse and put down a straightforward catch offered by an admirable Travis Dowlin.
There was an audible groan of disappointment when Gayle fell to Ben Hilfenhaus. He had begun with such flair and authority with dazzling drives off front and back foot through and in front of point and pulling arrogantly, spectacularly ahead of square.
Much like former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, Gayle has a formidable physical presence at the crease and uses his physique to impose himself on an attack and an innings. In this sense he is an intimidator and when he prevails he can change the course of a match and, indeed, a series.
Clearly for the West Indies to have an impact on this Australian tour he must prosper and quickly.
This is just a three-match series and, as was anticipated, the Australians have quickly asserted their authority.
While it is unlikely he has ever been stressed, surely Gayle must have had some trepidation coming into this match after such a disrupted preparation. Not only had he the worry of his mother's poor health but he spent 44 hours in the air to and from her bedside in Jamaica and returned only on the eve of the match. Furthermore, he has been charged with reuniting a team bitterly divided over contractual matters.
As a collective the West Indies may have lost their lustre but by his bold approach Gayle honours the Calypso cricketers who enthralled crowds everywhere throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
It is all too easy to overlook the fact Gayle has already passed 5500 runs in Test cricket and, indeed, is, along with Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, numbered among the West Indies 12 heaviest run-scorers - Chanderpaul is second to the peerless Brian Lara.
Gayle is fearless and if he is not pinned to the crease and allowed to open his massive shoulders then he is nigh unstoppable. But on this occasion Hilfenhaus, making light of his early flogging, trapped him for 31 after 50 minutes.
Although he had 480 runs in the bank, Ricky Ponting was so unsettled by Gayle's initial assault that he promptly took Shane Watson away from third slip to the deep point region. It was an overreaction from Ponting but indicates the power Gayle can have. It will be fascinating to see how the Australians confront and manage him in the rest of the series.
Unlike Gayle, Ponting is very optimistic about the future of Test cricket and to his considerable credit takes every available opportunity to talk of the joys of the traditional game.
If the opportunity presents itself over the next few weeks, Ponting might like to take Gayle aside and politely point out the importance of promoting Test cricket.
Ponting was good to his word yesterday by closing the Australian innings at 480. Recently he has been critical of the lack of enterprise in Test cricket outside Australia and by his action yesterday he again showed he was prepared to be an aggressive leader in the debate. Despite some uncomfortable series losses and some inexplicable match tactics, he continues to develop as a leader.
To this end it is a great pity his cohorts the world over have steadfastly refused to back his move to accept the player's word in all disputed catches. Regrettably, for a man who never gives up, he has all but given up on them.
