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The truth is that with Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds at No. 1 and No. 2, Marlon Samuels and Ramnaresh Sarwan at No. 3 and No. 5, there are four young and inexperienced batsmen in the first five in the Windies order.

Four rookies at the top of the order is always begging for trouble, and regardless of where he prefers to bat, although he failed to score on Wednesday (last week), next time around Brian Lara should bat at No. 3 with Carl Hooper at No. 4 certainly not lower than No. 5.

It is only right that the senior batsmen lead the way and set the stage for the younger ones. It certainly is not right for the two senior batsmen, the best and most experienced, to hide behind their juniors with the hope that they can preen themselves when the ball has lost its sheen and when it is not as hard when it is unlikely to swing as much or bounce as high as when it is new.

The questions which should be asked after the second Test are these: If No. 4 is special for Lara? If he is best at No. 4? Why did he not go to bat at No. 4 (instead of No. 5)? and If No. 6 is special for Hooper? If he is at his best at No. 6 why did he not go to bat at No. 6 (instead of No.7)?

Lara instead of Samuels when Dinanath Ramnarine was dismissed, followed by Hooper at the fall of the next wicket but certainly instead of Sarwan at the fall of the fourth would probably have changed the result of the match.

Instead of facing the task of propping up the batting, instead of Hooper, despite batting so well, finding himself stranded in a losing cause, they probably would have set the stage for Samuels, Sarwan and Ridley Jacobs and in doing so, led the West Indies to victory with a few wickets to spare.

© The Barbados Nation