For years, West Indies pace great Michael Holding has been trying to convince people that West Indian kids have not gravitated towards basketball. West Indies’ win — albeit achieved in the last over — against three-time champions India in the under-19 World Cup final yesterday gave more impetus to the fact that cricket is still the heavyweight of sporting pursuits in the Caribbean and the worry is not natural talent, but administration.

To bowl out well-oiled India for 145 took some doing and Indian fans hoped for a repeat of the 1983 World Cup final at Lord’s where India defended 183 to end up winning convincingly. As if to prove fairytale wins are few and far between, the WI batsmen Keacy Carthy and Keemo Paul dug in after the fifth wicket and did not allow left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar’s three- wicket burst to affect them. That they eschewed a familiar, cavalier approach spoke volumes of their grit.