Walsh and the Indian connection

India will always have a special place in Courtney Walsh's heart. For one thing, he has always had a faithful fan following here. And secondly, some of his best performances have been notched up against India.

Three years after making his Test debut, Walsh came to India as a member of the 1987-88 team led by Vivian Richards. Actually he was already in the sub continent for a month prior to the tour, during which he played in the 1987 World Cup. By then he had acquired the image of a gentleman fast bowler (could anyone forget his gesture in the World Cup match against Pakistan when he refused to run out last man Salim Jaffer?) and also had the reputation of being a worthy successor to Michael Holding in as far as his smooth action and the ability to generate long spells of genuine pace was concerned.

Cricket followers in India were quick to appreciate Walsh's fast bowling skills, which brought him 26 wickets in the four Tests played during that tour. He took six wickets at New Delhi, nine at Bombay, four in the only innings at Calcutta and seven at Madras. With Patrick Patterson, who had 17 wickets, he formed one of the most fearsome pace partnerships to visit this country. And Walsh took his place as the latest in the long line of outstanding West Indian speed merchants - Wesley Hall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall - to have visited this country.

By the time the Indians toured West Indies in 1989, Walsh was part of a formidable quartet of pace bowlers _ the others were Marshall, Ambrose and Bishop. Together they gave the Indian batsmen no respite, with Marshall taking 19 wickets and Walsh 18. This included his best innings analysis (6 for 62) and match figures (ten for 101) in the final Test in his hometown Kingston. He displayed the entire gamut of the fast bowler's art and by now had become the complete fast bowler.

Walsh was in India again at the end of 1989 to play in the MRF World Series. He played a notable part in West Indies reaching the final of the tournament. His best performance was against India in the semifinal when he took the wickets of Lamba, Amarnath and Vengsarkar to break the back of the innings and pave the way for an easy West Indian victory.

Walsh returned to India again in 1994-95 and this time he was very much the elder statesman of the team. By now Richards and Richie Richardson had retired and Walsh had been elevated to the leadership. The cares of captaincy however never affected his bowling and he finished with 17 wickets in the three Tests. Besides, he had the satisfaction of seeing his team draw level in the series by coming from behind to score a most satisfying victory at Mohali. This was indeed a creditable feat for the Indians had dominated at home for many years.

When the Indians paid their return visit to the Caribbean in 1997, the West Indians were no longer the outstanding side they had been in the 80s. They still won the five match Test series 1-0 but it was not a very convincing victory. And for Walsh, it was a disappointing series. He was again the captain but he took only four wickets in the four Tests he played. He missed the third Test at Barbados because of an injury, Brian Lara leading the West Indies to their only win in the series.

Besides his feats in the Tests, Walsh has had a splendid record against India in one day internationals, played anywhere from Sharjah to Sydney and Bridgetown to Bombay.