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| April 19, 2003 | Saturday | Safar 16, 1424 |
West Indies need victory to keep series alive
PORT-OF-SPAIN (Trinidad), April 18: Steve Waugh’s Australians will retain the Frank Worrell Trophy with victory over the West Indies in the second cricket Test starting at Queen’s Park Oval here on Saturday.
Australia downed the West Indies by nine wickets inside four days in the opening Test at Georgetown five days ago and can defend the trophy by winning here to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-Test series.
The pressure is on Brian Lara’s team to take away the initiative from the Australians on a Port-of-Spain pitch which is grassier than the lifeless one at Bourda in the first match.
Australia has stayed true to its winning lineup, meaning that the tourists will go into the second Test again with five specialist bowlers and sacrificing a batsman to force a win.
“I’m not at all concerned about our batting. If we don’t get enough runs with that order, I don’t think it’s anything to do with the make-up of the order, it’s just the guys haven’t done the job,” Waugh said on Friday.
“We’ve got Adam Gilchrist (batting) at six, who averages 59 in Test cricket.
“That’s pretty good. I’m confident in Brad Hogg, Andy Bichel, who’s much improved, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie — they’re four very good lower order batsmen.
“And five bowlers obviously gives you options.”
The West Indies have strengthened their batting with the return of vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan from a finger injury, while wicket-keeper/batsman Carlton Baugh and off-spinner Omari Banks are vying for their Test debuts.
Tino Best, the leading wicket-taker in the major Caribbean domestic competition this season with 39 wickets at an average of 18.25, has come into the 13-man squad as a replacement for fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, who has chicken pox.
Australia have won their last seven Tests against the West Indies since winning the fourth Test in Antigua by 176 runs to draw the last Caribbean series 2-2 in 1999.
The West Indies’ task will be to take 20 wickets. It was beyond them at Georgetown, where they only snapped up 11, but the inclusion of 21-year-old Banks from the tiny Leewards Islands offers the home side a spinning option which they did not have in Guyana.
In the corresponding series four years ago, the West Indies lost the first Test in Port-of-Spain by a massive 312 runs after being routed for 51 in their second innings — the lowest West Indian total in Tests.
But spearheaded by a magnificent 213 by Lara, the West Indies roared back winning the second Test at Kingston by 10 wickets and the next in Bridgetown by one wicket.
Lara was sublime in the second innings in Georgetown last week, coming to the crease to boos from the Guyanese supporters blaming him for their hero Carl Hooper’s loss of the Test captaincy, but subsequently cheering him to a glorious 110,
Lara will be playing before his adoring home audience in this Test and without facing his nemesis Glenn McGrath and champion leg-spinner Shane Warne, he gets his chance to firmly make his mark on the Port-of-Spain Test in a bid to keep the series alive to the third match in Bridgetown (May 1-5).
Australia and the West Indies have three wins each at Queen’s Park Oval with five drawn.
Head groundsman Curtis Roberts said he has prepared a “testing track” for the second Test.
“It will be very competitive. It will be very challenging for the batsmen, and if the bowlers keep to their task, they will be rewarded,” Roberts said on Friday.
“Since, it is the highest level of the sport, the players will have to rise to the occasion on this testing track.”
Teams:
West Indies (from): Brian Lara (captain), Wavell Hinds, Devon Smith, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Carlton Baugh, Omari Banks, Vasbert Drakes, Mervyn Dillon, Pedro Collins, Tino Banks.
Australia: Steve Waugh (captain), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann, Adam Gilchrist, Brad Hogg, Andrew Bichel, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Stuart MacGill. 12th man: Martin Love.
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) and Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka).
Match referee: Mike Procter (South Africa).—AFP
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