It's not just the run that has been newsworthy, it's the conduct of the team. Isolated a full month before every season start, the team conducts itself with a seamless camaraderie. No one speaks out of turn, appearances are quite buttoned-down and field performances have been efficient, thoughtful and aggressive when needed. Support for their Captain (Darren Ganga) is absolute and Mr. Khan's consistency re: individual development, selection and demotion has been beyond reproof. This group and their now cemented reputation, in the ongoingcontext of the collapse of discipline in West Indian cricket, have become the conversation of choice amongst cricket fans in the Caribbean.
His selection to manage the current team at the start of the South African tour made perfect sense and perhaps, just perhaps, we are beginning to see his influence. The fight displayed over the last two series, enhanced with an explicit team spirit rarely viewed or heard this decade, suggests a change may be upon us.
Whereas Thursday's game suggested the lunge of a desperate man, Saturday saw a mature performance in every aspect of the game with all strategic boxes ticked off. Duckworth-Lewis attempted to make a game of it but there would be no need for miracles on this gray afternoon.
For once the congratulatory walk-around the ground was slowly paced. There was no need to expend roiling feelings of relief or disbelief with wild flag-waving and body-dives on the turf, the message seemed to be 'here we were with a victory we thought through and played out as we should'. Like Mr. Khan, I like that message and hope to see it a few more times in the next month.
(Click here to know more about Jonathan)