BRIDGETOWN, Bridgetown, CMC – West Indies will go in search of a series-levelling victory against South Africa when the third and final Test bowls off here today.
Soundly whipped in the first Test but managing to draw the second last week, West Indies will hope for a dramatic transformation of their fortunes when the encounter gets going at the historic Kensington Oval.
Clean swept in the two-match Twenty20 International and the five-match One-Day International series, captain Chris Gayle said his embattled side needed to be positive and focused on getting things right against the Proteas.
“From the first session, whether we bat or bowl we just have to try and do the basic things right and get a start, then try to capitalize on that as much as possible,” the Jamaican told reporters.
“Because if we get a sniff we don’t want to let South Africa back into the game so we have to be mindful of that.
“We need to block out their two key bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel as they do most of the damage for their team.
“In the batting department if one doesn’t get a score there is always someone to step up for their team but hopefully they can crumble because they are all humans and anything can happen out there in the middle.”
Morkel has been the main destroyer with 10 wickets while Steyn has taken nine, in handing South Africa a 1-0 lead. Steyn was on fire in the opening Test at the Queen’s Park Oval, snatching a nine-wicket match haul to spur South Africa to a 163-run victory.
Gayle contended that the first Test pitch was suited to South Africa’s attack and said he believed the Kensington Oval track would also favour the visitors’ pace-based bowling line-up.
However, the left-hander pointed out that with the Windies attack boasting two spinners, they needed more pitches to be in their favour.
“It is going to be a bouncy track again and that might be suitable for South Africa’s quicks as well but at the same time it is our hometown and we should be accustomed to these conditions and try to adapt and execute out there properly,” Gayle said.
“When you look at the way that the games have been played especially in Trinidad, the conditions suited the South Africans when you look at their experienced attack.
“We have two capable spinners in our team. Maybe a wicket like Guyana would play a part for us. These things (preparing pitches to suit our bowling) we need to take on board more seriously. If we want to win more games we need to allow the home advantage to suit us more.”
Selectors have drafted in Barbadian opener Dale Richards for the out-of-form Travis Dowlin, and he will partner Gayle at the top of the order.
West Indies have lost fast bowler Ravi Rampaul to a side strain and was hit with another injury blow on Thursday when all-rounder Darren Sammy was also ruled out with an injury to his right thigh.
It means fast bowler Nelon Pascal, who made his debut in Trinidad but was dropped for the second Test, will make an appearance to partner Roach in the attack.
West Indies have not beaten South Africa in a series since the one-off Test in 1992, the year the Proteas were re-admitted to international cricket. Their captain Graeme Smith said he was hoping to close out the series with a win at the Oval and backed the pitch to offer assistance to his faster bowlers.
“We have had an excellent tour of the West Indies so far, and it would be a pity not to finish it off on a high note,” Smith said.
“We did not have an even contest between bat and ball in (St. Kitts), which made it very difficult to get a result.
“Judging from what we have seen in Barbados during the recent Twenty20 World Cup, there is a good chance of having a surface with reasonable bounce there.”
SQUADS:WEST INDIES (from): Chris Gayle (captain), Dwayne Bravo (vice captain), Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Dale Richards, Brendan Nash, Nelon Pascal, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Shane Shillingford.
SOUTH AFRICA (from): Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis (vice captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, Abraham deVilliers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Paul Harris, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Peterson, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
