Against the most formidable bowling attack in the world the West Indies managed to pass the Australians’ mammoth 417-run score on the strength of centuries from Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan but with thanks owed, in no small measure, to both Drakes and Omari Banks, the 20-year-old Anguillan picked mostly for his bowling but, on the day, batting with the maturity of a veteran.

Of all the epic West Indian victories this may rank as the greatest. Already down by three Tests in the four-match series, the embattled West Indies faced the ignominy of a home whitewash, and when set that huge Australian total with so much time left as to make a draw all but impossible, it seemed to be all over bar the celebratory shouting from “Down Under”.

Instead it was West Indian applause that was heard all around the Caribbean not least from the once-again and, some say, born-again, captain Brian Lara who averred that it was “the greatest cricketing moment” of his life the Caribbean’s second highest scorer in Test cricket ranking the all-round team effort above the individual 375 and 501 that he struck to hold the record in both the Test and First Class versions of the game and above, as well, his celebrated “Sydney” 277 in 1991 and his unbeaten 153 that saw the West Indies to a one-wicket victory in Barbados against the very Australians in 1994. 

Lara, himself, might well have been disappointed by the way he got out when seemingly having mastered the Australian bowling in both innings of the match. But perhaps the real importance of this game, whatever its historic status, lies in the fact that whereas the team has typically relied on Lara to seal victories, other players took the spotlight while the skipper watched this one from the pavilion. 

Lara apparently believes that for the West Indies this match, in particular, and the series in general, will turn out to be a psychological turnaround. 

“Achieving this is going to fast forward us to greater things in the future,” he predicted and went so far as to say that he has told one of the West Indian selectors that he didn’t think we were going to lose another Test match for the year because “we have improved in every single” game. It is difficult to dispute his assessment that yesterday’s victory “showed ... character and ... showed the progression” of the players “mentally and physically”. 

We join him in his commendation for them even as we note Steve Waugh, the Australian captain’s prediction that the West Indies have been stepping up to the Australian challenge and are “an emerging side” as seen from “the last two Tests” in that we have gone “a bit further, raised the bar and it’s up to other sides to try and do the same”.