GEORGETOWN, April 8: Brian Lara and Steve Waugh will have contrasting points to prove as West Indies tackle world champions Australia on Thursday at the start of a Test series to relish.

The 33-year-old Lara, back in charge of the team after Carl Hooper’s demotion, will be looking to prove himself as a leader.

Waugh, 37, axed from the one-day side as a front-line player but whose captaincy skills are unquestioned, will be keen to show he can still contribute with the bat in his world-record 157th Test appearance.

Their places in the limelight, following larger-than-life exploits in the past two series in the Caribbean, were already assured, but the absences of Hooper, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have underlined their pivotal roles.

Hooper, sacked as captain last month after West Indies were knocked out of the World Cup in the first round, has left his selectors guessing over whether he will retire.

Warne, meanwhile, is serving a 12-month drugs ban while McGrath will return for the second half of the four-Test series after spending time with his sick wife.

Australia will also have to do without specialist batsman Damien Martyn (broken finger), while the West Indies, in some disarray themselves, are without a full-time coach following Roger Harper’s post World Cup departure.

The Australians, fresh from retaining the World Cup under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting, will be seeking to go back to the top of the world Test standings after being usurped by South Africa.

“I’ve though about it a few times,” said Waugh. “That will be one of the motivating factors.”

Waugh will also be motivated after deciding to soldier on despite his disappointment at being dropped as a one-day player.

In the 1994-5 series, he averaged 107.25 over four Tests, including a double century in the decider at Kingston, Jamaica which effectively ended West Indies’ domination of the world game as well as paving the way for Australia’s emergence as the team to beat.

It was West Indies’ first home defeat in 22 years and Australia’s first series win against them since 1978.—Reuters