The match ended in just over two days and the pre-match favourites WI won comfortably. Nothing to complain, though Zim captain Taylor, who was batting so well in BPL a few days back, forgetting batting on this tour of WI, may make one raise eye-brows. But in international cricket, one may always so easily lose form or gain/regain form, at one's whims.
Let us see something more concrete. Before start of match, odds in f/o WI were a meager 1.22 or so. At the end of first day's play WI were 18/2 in reply to 211 scored by Zim, with odds of about 1.1. With a strong batting line-up comprising Gayle, Darren Bravo, Samuels, and Chanderpaul still there, probably this could be justified. When Gayle fell at 81 for 4, the odds were almost same at about 90/4. Being 1.1 at fall of Gayle's wicket. And remained same with further 50 runs scored! Not able to think of any rational in cricketing terms, With fall of 5th wicket at 144, the odds were 1.12, rising to 1.13 just before fall of 6th wicket. With Chanderpaul gone at 151 for 6, the odds rightly shot up to 1.19 or 1.20. But very briefly. Just 10 more runs scored, and the odds came down to 1.14. Incongruous both in relative and absolute terms. With all illustrious batsmen of WI back in the hut and WI having to bat last on a deteriorating pitch.
Surely, the biggest partnership of the match, a match-clinching one, was to follow for the 7th wicket between Ramdin and Sammy, and Zim were to lose badly without coming into reckoning thereafter at any stage.
Certainly cricket is the game of glorious uncertainties. For the public. But a game of glorious certainties for the fixers and/or bookies.
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