From Garth Wattley
In Kingston
Even without the retired, the missing and the injured, world champions Australia will still be the side expected to set the pace at the start of this Digicel Test series against the West Indies here at Sabina Park this morning.
Having won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the teams, Ricky Ponting’s re-shaped 2008 unit have history and form on their side.
The prospects for the home team look as daunting as the Blue Mountains looming behind Sabina.Chris Gayle, team leader and one of the principal batsmen, will be missing because of his injured groin. And a two-year ban has removed potential match-winner Marlon Samuels from the middle order.
On paper, they seem critical losses for a squad lacking strength.
But just lately, the West Indians have been making light of conventional wisdom.
Their First Test win over South Africa last December in Port Elizabeth and the Second Test triumph to level the series against Sri Lanka at the Queen’s Park Oval this April, were good team victories in a short space of time. But since he was officially given the job, West Indies are yet to win without Gayle in any form of the game.
Dwayne Bravo, who took over when injury removed Gayle in South Africa and will be vice-captain to Ramnaresh Sarwan in this match, yesterday acknowledged the less than ideal backdrop to this contest for the home side.
“It’s difficult at the beginning of an important series such as this one to have our captain out due to injury and also losing Marlon.”
“We have to make use of what we have,” he told the media.
What the West Indies will have, by way of an opening pair, is Brenton Parchment, a veteran of one Test and Devon Smith, still to establish himself after 22.
But Bravo sees opportunity instead of deficiency.
“There are a lot of opportunities for players to grab and they want to make the best use of it,” he said. “There is no other team in the world you would want to make your name against.”
Getting the balance right will be key for Sarwan and the Windies think tank.
The brown, surface on show at Sabina yesterday, with merely a sprinkling of grass, could be reminiscent of the one for the Carib Beer Series final between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The case for playing either Sulieman Benn or Amit Jaggernauth as a genuine spinner therefore is strong. To do so the Windies will have to resist their habit of trying to play safe with the extra batsman.
While the Australians are formidable, they are still fallible, if only because of the recent changes in established personnel.
Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist are a major quartet for any side to lose in the space of a year.
And the Achilles injury which threatens to keep champion opener Matthew Hayden—averaging over 51 in 15 Tests against the Windies—out of the opening Test, would further erode the strength of a batting line-up already missing vice-captain Michael Clarke on compassionate leave.
Left-hander Simon Katich, who got 97 against a Jamaica Select XI in the warm-up match will opening the innings with Phil Jacques in Hayden’s likely absence.
Gilchrist’s place will be taken by Brad Haddin, playing in his first Test.
Haddin and allrounder Andrew Symonds both got half-centuries against Jamaica, while leg-spinner Stuart MacGill got four wickets in the first innings.
Such has been the quality of the Aussies’ reserves in this era of dominance, that the available players still look like providing a stern test for Sarwan both as captain and principal batsman.
“We know how good a team they are and they still have world class players in their set-up. Our aim is just to continue to play the game that we’ve been playing over a year or so, just try to enjoy our cricket and try to be a better team and move forward,” said Bravo.
And like him, Sarwan is taking hope from the recent past.
“We have done well in our last two tours, and it is important that we continue to play that way and try and improve as much as we can, especially against Australia,” he told reporters.
Sarwan was classy and consistent in the series against Sri Lanka.
However, he had a quiet time in the Twenty20 fast lane of the Indian Premier League. Having rejoined the squad along with Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul just this week, he will need to make an instant, smooth transition to the longer game. The Windies’ success or failure in this match could well depend on how the IPL three go.
Bravo, however, is not worried about making the switch.
“I don’t see it as a problem,” he said. “I’ve been in this situation before and I got myself out of it. I’m mentally prepared for it so I know what I have to do to get out of it.”
The salaries of IPL stars would be worthy a reward if the Windies survive at Sabina.
Squads: WEST INDIES (from): Ramnaresh Sarwan (Capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Amit Jaggernauth, Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton, Brenton Parchment, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.
AUSTRALIA (from): Ricky Ponting (Capt), Mike Hussey (vice captain), Doug Bollinger, Beau Casson, Stuart Clark, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Phil Jaques, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, Ashley Noffke, Andrew Symonds.
