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WI vs IND | How Kraigg Brathwaite Has a Huge Part to Play in The Trinidad Test?

image-lke018twBrathwaite led West Indies' resistance on day 3 [Twitter]

Not an awful lot has gone right for the West Indies on this tour so far, and especially for their captain Kraigg Brathwaite. 

Thanks to sustaining a hapless defeat in the first Test at Dominica, where the team were 150 and 130 all out, respectively, Kraigg Brathwaite has had to endure a rather challenging past few days. 

His team's middle order has, so far, looked completely out of touch with the lower middle order, despite having the promise of Joshua Da Silva and Rahkeem Cornwall, faltering badly. What may have further hurt Kraigg Brathwaite, who has much to do at the moment, would've been the fact that his own deputy, Jermaine Blackwood didn't contribute as well as he would've liked.

When you are the vice-captain of a team and score a 14 off 34 and a 5 off 8, are you even doing justice to what is truly expected of you? Are you actually supporting the captain in any way with an effort like that?

However, nothing would've come to hurt the talented Bajan than his own failures in the recent Test.

Frankly, it's not everyday where someone like Brathwaite contributes just 27 runs. While surely, he tried to hang in there in the final inning, finding a way to concentrate for 47 deliveries, only three fewer than Holder's 50 ball stay for the West Indies, Dominica spelt only massive disappointment for the West Indies captain.

Having said that, where it stands at the present, then it could be ascertained that the Kraigg Brathwaite of the old has resurfaced. How that has happened can only be pointed to the rather miserable state of affairs surrounding the West Indies batting; toothless on more days than one would desire and often lacking in purpose.

But what's most important, if also credible, is that it is courtesy their captain that the team is offering a dogged resistance to a mountain of runs compiled by India. And few things could be better than that.

Having embraced the embarrassment of witnessing a defeat inside three days to finally participating in a contest that's quite likely to stretch beyond day 3, Kraigg Brathwaite is finding a change in fortunes.

Yet, it isn't some sort of a huge turnaround and one must stay cautioned about that. However, this positive change in the West Indies batting at the back of India's first inning score of 438 sees the right hander in charge of the proceedings.

And lest is forgotten, Kraigg Brathwaite is also the biggest reason for this welcome respite.

For the better part of Day 2, the West Indies team stayed put at the placid Queen's Park Oval wicket. In many ways, it was really ideal to witness some West Indian resistance at the famed land of the one and only Brian Lara.

For a team that was actually bowled out for 130 in just 50 overs at Dominica, it was heartening that the West Indies batted for 41 overs on Day 2. That was largely due to Kraigg Brathwaite's poise and patience at the wicket.

Of the 246 deliveries faced by the three Windies batsmen (including Chanderpaul and newcomer McKenzie), Brathwaite, leading by an example, faced 128 off his own.

Surely, his 37 not out is not some winning effort or an incredible exhibition of batsmanship, yet, in the context of just how poor his team has been, Kraigg Brathwaite has responded bravely at Trinidad.

Day 3, which is such a crucial juncture of any cricketing contest spread over five days, may yet bring the West Indies batting on the back foot.

Who knows, Ashwin, in particular, who was handled doggedly by the batters, may fight back and even claim Brathwaite's wicket.

But the West Indies captain, who thus far has modest returns against India at the Test level, will have played his part to, at least, show some way.

His patience and methodical defying of an attacking Indian line-up, one expects, would've encouraged the rest- Blackwood, Holder and Athanaze- to keep up the fight.

The match is still long. There's another West Indian inning to be played. And Kraigg Brathwaite may well note that his job is not done yet; he must inspire his team and play doggedly in what's to come.