BRIDGETOWN: An unbeatable series lead on their mind, a confident India take on a demoralised West Indies in the second Test on Tuesday, hoping to break a 58-year winless streak at the Kensington Oval.
All-conquering Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has made little secret of his desire to win at a venue where India has lost five successive Tests since 1971.
The Indians have in fact never won at the venue since it first played host to them in 1953, losing seven while drawing a game at the venue and that draw came way back in 1971.
Dhoni walked in with his troops at the Kensington Oval on a greyish Sunday afternoon and spent longer time with them in the nets than he usually does.
He also made a departure from his usual practice of not inspecting the pitch and almost shared a conclave on the 22-yard strip with Harbhajan Singh and two selectors presently in the Caribbean — Narendra Hirwani and Surendra Bhave. The Kensington Oval has tested the technique of Indian batsmen — indeed of any visiting batsman — over the years.
However, that’s time bygone and today the hosts lack the firepower almost to the same degree as the visitors are oozing confidence. (PTI)