Grasp the nettle

One of the cast-iron truths of human existence is that you learn from mistakes. At least, some of us do. Others are condemned to repeat their follies, and pay a heavy price. The way West Indies batted this morning, it appeared they had learnt nothing in a decade when Test cricket has changed beyond comprehension.

Two time-zones away, Australia were writing the latest chapter in their manual of excellence. Their successes have been built on a philosophy of all-out aggression, and on a few occasions - as in India last year - they take it a bit too seriously. But their actions and innumerable successes have shown that there is no room at the top for negativity or diffidence.

Diffidence was the catchword for West Indies this morning. In a situation that cried out for sensible counter-attacking cricket, they retreated into a corner and cowered. In no time at all, India had crossed the ring and dealt a hammer blow or two from which they never recovered. Ramnaresh Sarwan triggered the rout, by committing the cardinal sin of playing back to Anil Kumble's turbo-charged top-spinner. And though the doughty Mervyn Dillon showed the way with a crisp six over long-on off Kumble, none of his more illustrious colleagues took up the gauntlet.

The Indian spinners were free to weave pretty much any web they liked because of the almost complete absence of attacking intent from the batsmen. Carl Hooper used his feet on a couple of occasions, but strokes over the infield were at a premium. When Hooper did opt for the aerial route after lunch, it was only to fall prey to the old one-two - man on the fine-leg fence, short ball, batsman suckered. Years ago, Ian Botham used it to make a fool of Andrew Hilditch, but you've come to expect better from Hooper.

You can't give Zaheer enough credit though. On a pitch that had nothing in it for the quick bowlers, he bounded in with real enthusiasm. His quickest ball was clocked at a none-too-slouchy 142kph, and the wicket-to-wicket line and sharp lift discomfited the very best. And with some springy bounce on offer, it was no surprise to see Kumble among the wickets.

Wavell Hinds showed how it should be done second time round, though he will be kicking himself for getting bowled round his legs. Though the Indian bowlers flagged visibly after their heroics earlier in the day, Hinds showed intent and a weight of shot that was noticeably absent earlier. For decades, Caribbean cricket flourished thanks to the cavalier manner in which they backed their natural attacking instincts. Hinds showed the value of going back to those basics, reminding us that batsmen of his ilk aren't cut out for Sunil Gavaskar-like vigils.

Occupation of the crease is a virtue in Test cricket, but without runs on the board, the minutes spent in the middle aren't worth the ink in the column. It's just unfortunate that it took West Indies an innings full of fumbles and mistakes to arrive at the approach that works for them. If they don't learn quicker and abandon the attritional strategy (which may work for South Africa and England), this series will be over in a hurry. They have to grasp the nettle, even if that means a nasty scratch or two.