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Shaun Marsh will bat at No. 3 for Australia in place of the absent Ricky Ponting in the second Test in Pallekele

Daniel Brettig in Pallekele06-Sep-2011Shaun Marsh will bat at No. 3 for Australia in place of the absent Ricky Ponting in the second Test in Pallekele, after Michael Clarke confirmed an otherwise unchanged XI to face Sri Lanka.Ponting is at home for the birth of his second child, handing Marsh his chance to wear a baggy green cap. The decision to bat Marsh at No. 3 is a surprise, as it was thought that Usman Khawaja, who made his debut in Ponting’s place at the SCG in January and batted at No. 6 in the first Test in Galle, would be promoted. However, Marsh has played much of his international cricket for Australia at the top of the order, and may be more comfortable starting against the newer ball.The Australians had few other selection questions to answer following a 125-run victory in the first Test, and their level of certainty was increased by the first glimpse of a Pallekele pitch, which looks far more conventional in its preparation and grass coverage than the Galle dustbowl.Brad Haddin, Australia’s wicketkeeper, said Marsh was ready for Test cricket after being on the Australian first-class circuit for nearly a decade. Haddin was behind the stumps for NSW in Newcastle when a 19-year-old Marsh clattered 119. He did not fulfill that promise immediately, but Haddin said he had seen plenty of development from Marsh.”It will be disappointing to lose Ricky, but it’s a good opportunity to give Shaun Marsh a crack at Test cricket,” Haddin said. “He’s going to be a wonderful player I think, Shaun, and I think he’s ready now for Test cricket.”He’s done a lot of growing up, from a cricket point of view, in the last 24 months and we’re really looking forward to him having a crack at Test cricket. I think he can be something pretty special.”Shaun, as a person, he feels a lot more comfortable around the group now, he’s been here the whole tour and I think he’s really starting to understand his game. I think he’s pretty close to doing some special things for Australia.”We’ve seen some glimpses of it in one-day cricket for us. He’s got some pretty important runs and tough runs at times, which has been good, so I’m just looking forward to him having a crack at this because he’s had a long tour here, and he deserves a go.”The single change to the Australian team reflected the quality of its performance in Galle, where the bowling attack excelled in its tightness and planning, and the batsmen showed plenty of fight on a difficult pitch.”I’m very proud of it. I think it also shows small steps forward, we’re trying to move forward as a cricket team and be better cricketers,” Haddin said. “To do that you’ve got to play in different conditions. Whether it’s here, England, South Africa, wherever. You’ve got to make sure you’re trying to get better and better so you can present yourself well on all services.”I think it’s a little tick in the box, the way we did handle ourselves throughout the whole game, and the result came out in the end. From a team point of view I think it was a very good result to get the win, especially on something so foreign to us.”Having played in numerous recent Australian teams that fell back after making a strong start to a series, Haddin was mindful of the need to keep pushing hard in Pallekele.”It does [help our confidence], but the one thing we’ve got to remember too is that on a number of occasions we have started a series well and fallen away,” Haddin said. “I think it is important now for this group that yes, we’ve taken a small step in the first Test, but we’ve got to make sure we keep getting better, not fall back into old habits.”Australia: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Phil Hughes, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Usman Khawaja, 7 Brad Haddin, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Trent Copeland, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Danish Kaneria faces a further wait to gain clearance to play for Pakistan after the Sindh High Court adjourned his case against the PCB till October 20

Umar Farooq28-Sep-2011Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria’s case against the PCB in the Sindh High Court has been adjourned till October 20. During the September 27 hearing in the case, Kaneria consented to allow the board to ask the British Crown Prosecution Services for the tapes of an investigation by the Essex police. Kaneria had been questioned regarding a case involving spot-fixing allegations during a Pro40 match for his county Essex.Though Kaneria was not charged in the spot-fixing case, in which his Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield faced criminal proceedings, he has not been cleared to play for Pakistan since the incident. Kaneria had filed a petition against the PCB over his non-clearance on July 2. During a hearing on August 18, he had admitted that tapes of the investigation in Essex existed and it was decided that they would be produced before the court on September 27. Kaneria’s lawyer Mohammad Farogh Naseem had said the tapes were in the UK with Kaneria’s British lawyer Steve Haurigan. .During the September 27 hearing it was decided that the PCB would write to the CPS to ask for the tapes or their transcripts. The PCB’s lawyer Taffazul Rizvi argued that though Kaneria was not charge with spot-fixing, his integrity was under the scanner and therefore his clearance would only be possible after scrutiny the of the tapes.The PCB’s integrity committee had asked Kaneria to produce transcripts of the investigation before the case had been filed began but his lawyers had maintained it was not possible as the transcripts were still part of an ongoing investigation in the UK. Before seeking legal recourse, Kaneria had appeared several times before the integrity committee to gain clearance and had submitted various financial records and documents, but had not managed to satisfy its members. He last met the committee on August 15, along with Shoaib Malik, and though Malik got clearance after that meeting and was on Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe, Kaneria’s wait continued.”I am desperate to play and am missing top cricket,” Kaneria told ESPNCricinfo after the September 27 hearing. “Of course I feel frustrated but I am optimistic about my career. I chose the legal path for which I feel no regret as I see it as the only way to get myself clear from the stigma.”

Devendra Bishoo spearheaded West Indies’ victory march on the final day in Mirpur with his maiden five-for, to deliver a confidence-boosting series success ahead of a tougher assignment in India

The Report by Siddhartha Talya02-Nov-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan were dismissed after scoring half-centuries on the fifth morning•AFP

Devendra Bishoo spearheaded West Indies’ victory march on the final day in Mirpur with his maiden five-for, to deliver a confidence-boosting series success ahead of a tougher assignment in India. Mushfiqur Rahim was Bangladesh’s big hope, calmly guiding his team in his first Test series as captain, but was let down by his experienced partners, who succumbed to their attacking instincts instead of controlling them. When Mushfiqur fell shortly before lunch, done in by a ripper of a legbreak from Bishoo, a West Indies win became a formality, and they wrapped it up quickly after the break.

Smart stats

• West Indies’ 229-run win is their fourth victory in eight Tests against Bangladesh. Their two losses came in 2009, when they fielded a weakened side in the home series.

• The defeat is Bangladesh’s 29th in 35 home Tests. Their solitary win was against Zimbabwe in Chittagong in 2005.

• Devendra Bishoo’s 8 for 152 is the best match figures by a West Indian spinner in an away or neutral Test since Lance Gibbs’ 9 for 143 against India in Mumbai in 1975.

• Darren Bravo’s 195 is ninth on the list of top scores by West Indian batsmen in the subcontinent. Chris Gayle is on top, with his 333 against Sri Lanka in 2010.

• Fidel Edwards’ 5 for 63 is his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests. He now has 149 wickets in 48 Tests at an average of 36.47.

The recklessness of Bangladesh’s top-order batsmen will continue to raise questions about their ability to bat for long durations. Their performances were characterised by bursts of attractive strokeplay, which brought quick runs but also betrayed a lack of responsibility and an inadequate grasp of the situation. Tamim had batted with caution on the fourth day after surviving two close calls and being reprimanded by Raqibul Hasan. In the third over on the fifth day, however, Tamim stepped out to Bishoo, who was turning the ball in from the rough, and tried to drive over extra cover; instead, he edged to slip. With a hundred there for the taking on a largely unthreatening track, and the prospect of a draw still alive, he threw away his wicket.In contrast, Mushfiqur seemed unshakeable at the other end. He worked the ball around, used his wrists, was committed to playing along the ground and was prompt in dispatching the bad deliveries. He reached forward to ease Fidel Edwards through the covers to bring up his half-century and drove a full ball from Bishoo elegantly past mid-off. But, in the dying moments of the morning session, Mushfiqur was bamboozled by Bishoo’s quicker legbreak, which was fired in and spat away to beat his defence and take off stump.West Indies bowled their fair share of tripe, and Shakib’s first three boundaries were all off long hops. But there was also risk in his approach. Too often Shakib tried to sweep from the rough outside off stump, almost holed out while trying to clear mid-off, and while he reached his half-century with a pull off Fidel Edwards, West Indies sensed an opportunity throughout his stay at the crease. It wasn’t too big a surprise then, when an attempt to paddle Darren Sammy produced a top edge and another wicket.Bishoo was expected to play a prominent role on the final day but the turn and bounce was by no means alarming. He managed to derive more turn and bite from the track than any of the other spinners in this game, and his variations in length and pace, together with the googly, proved too much for the lower order. Attacking with four close-in catchers after lunch, he trapped Nasir Hossain lbw with a wrong ‘un, Naeem Islam with a straighter one, and had Suhrawadi Shuvo caught at slip to complete his five-for. Kemar Roach then slipped one past Rubel Hossain’s defences to give West Indies their first away series win since 2003.The win was set up by some significant individual achievements – Kirk Edwards’ century and 86 in this game, Darren Bravo’s maiden hundred, Bishoo’s first five-for and an incisive spell from Fidel Edwards in the first innings. Bangladesh, meanwhile, were left to rue the lack of discipline in their batting, that cost them a Test and a series they could have saved.

Shane Watson has conceded that he is in doubt for the first Test against New Zealand and even if he does play, he will be unable to bowl

Brydon Coverdale at the Wanderers19-Nov-2011Shane Watson has conceded that he is in doubt for the first Test against New Zealand and even if he does play, he will be unable to bowl. Watson left the field on the first day at the Wanderers after he strained his right hamstring while bowling and while he was able to bat and run between the wickets well enough to score 88 in Australia’s first innings, the injury remains a concern.That leaves Australia with three of their best players in danger of missing the Gabba Test against New Zealand, which begins in 11 days. The new No. 3, Shaun Marsh, flew home from South Africa after injuring his back during the loss in Cape Town, while the in-form fast bowler Ryan Harris has also returned to Australia to deal with a hip problem.But neither of those men would be as big a loss as Watson, who is the team’s vice-captain, opening batsman and an important wicket-taking change bowler. Watson said it was important over the next two days that he balanced pushing for a victory to help Australia level the series with ensuring he does no further damage to the hamstring.”With running between wickets it’s [a matter of] not pushing it too hard. I don’t want to make it worse and rule myself out for longer at the start of the summer,” Watson said. “I am trying to find a balance between getting through this Test match and contributing as much as I can, even if it is only with the bat, and not doing too much damage so I give myself a chance of playing in Brisbane.”Most probably bowling will be out in Brisbane but we will just have to wait and see. I am going to get a scan done after this Test to see the extent [of the injury] but hopefully it won’t be a significant one. Hopefully it will only put me out for a little while. When I’ve strained hamstrings in the past it’s taken a little bit of time once it’s healed for me to get back to a full bowling workload, so hopefully it won’t be too long.”Watson was forced to bat without a runner in the first innings – the ICC abolished runners earlier this year – and depending on the target Australia need to chase he could have a heavy responsibility over the final two days at the Wanderers. He said it was important that after this match was over Australia’s medical staff made the right call on whether he should play at the Gabba.”That is going to be a decision that we talk to Alex [Kountouris], our physio, about. Hopefully the worst-case scenario is that I can play as a batsman without any chance of it flaring up and delaying my bowling comeback. I’m very confident we will get the decision right but we need to get it right.”

Mike Brearley, the former England captain, has said that Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan fast bowler currently in prison for his role in the spot-fixing scandal, should be treated more leniently

Siddhartha Talya20-Dec-2011Mike Brearley, the former England captain, has said that Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan fast bowler currently in prison for his role in the spot-fixing scandal, should be treated more leniently. Brearley said the pressure put on young players to fix spots or matches can be “appalling” and, should they admit their guilt and be willing to play their part in the fight against corruption, they ought to be given a second chance.”We also need to recognise that the pressure put on the young player by criminal bookies or their agents, or by their corrupt team-mates, can be appalling,” Brearley said in his Voice of Cricket Lecture at the Raj Singh Dungarpur World Cricket Summit in Mumbai. “As a result, some of those involved might need to be treated with compassion, especially if they admit their guilt and are willing to be enlisted in the battle against corruption. Deterrent and retributive justice tempered with mercy and discrimination is vital in sentencing and punishing.Mike Brearley has said that Mohammad Amir should be treated with more leniency•AFP

“I don’t think the whole truth has been told yet, or can be told. The 18-year old Mohammad Amir, who was subject to pressure and was, I believe, uninterested in any illegal financial gain, should have been, and I think should now be, treated much more leniently.”Amir was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat during the Lord’s Test in August last year. The case was brought to court following a sting operation by the newspaper, which alleged that player agent Mazhar Majeed had arranged for Pakistan captain Salman Butt to ensure Amir and Mohammad Asif would bowl three pre-determined no balls.Unlike Butt and Asif, who were found guilty after a 21-day trial, Amir had pleaded guilty before the trial began. Justice Cooke, who presided over the trial, said the early admission of guilt played a part in the reduction of Amir’s jail term from nine to six months. Amir’s appeal against his sentence, however, was subsequently dismissed.”Like all secret organisations that recruit the naïve for illegal activities, the criminals linked to gambling draw people in by involving them first in activities that seem of a minor importance,” Brearley said, adding that such activities could include information about the pitch or fitness of players in the dressing room. “And once in, threats against the player or his family may make it extremely difficult to get out. In the strenuous search for exemplary punishment, there has to be room for giving a misguided young player a second chance.”Brearley said cheating was cricket’s most important issue and called for stakeholders to speak out against it. “Whistleblowing should become an absolute duty for everyone in the game.”

Darren Bravo, the West Indies batsman, has been ruled out of the fourth ODI against India in Indore because of a hamstring injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2011Darren Bravo, the West Indies batsman, has been ruled out of the fourth ODI against India in Indore because of a hamstring injury. Bravo injured his left hamstring in the previous game in Ahmedabad and had to retire during his innings.”Darren Bravo is out for the next game,” Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, said on the eve of the match. “Like we showed when Shiv [Shivnarine Chanderpaul] missed a Test [in Mumbai], young [Kieron] Powell came in and took responsibility.”Bravo has been an important part of West Indies’ batting line-up. He scored centuries in the Tests in Kolkata and Mumbai and made 60, 13 and 26* in the first three one-dayers. West Indies trail 1-2 in the five-match series and need to win at the Holkar Stadium to keep the contest alive.”Yes, we will miss Bravo in the line-up. But it gives an opportunity for someone else to come out and make a name for himself. Our team is definitely improving; when we miss guys, the guys come in and perform.”West Indies won the third ODI at Motera – their first victory on the tour of India – to prevent the hosts from taking the series with two games to spare.Sammy said the 16-run victory had boosted the confidence of his team, which had competed but fallen short in the first two matches.”The team’s morale is good, we’ve been coming close. It’s about taking the opportunity, grabbing it and winning,” Sammy said. “We did it in the last game, so the morale is definitely up some more.””It’s two games left and most of the guys have been away from home for two and a half months. We want to finish on a high. We have to believe we can win. It’s an important game for us and hopefully we can win it and take it down to Chennai for the final.”

Haryana and Rajasthan find themselves locked in a struggle of nerve and application, with only two wickets needed on the second morning to complete the first two innings

The Report by Sharda Ugra at Bansi Lal Stadium10-Jan-2012
ScorecardHarshal Patel took 8 for 34, bettering his season best performance from last week•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Eighteen wickets for a measly 171 runs in a single day’s cricket could easily suggest that the track on which this panned out had threatened life and limb. All that the Bansi Lal Stadium surface did on the first day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final was to be itself on a biting winter day and with it test batting skills.Haryana and Rajasthan find themselves locked in a struggle of nerve and application, with only two wickets needed on the second morning to complete the first two innings.Harshal Patel, the former India Under-19 bowler and current flavour of the season, again produced the best Ranji figures this year – 8 for 34 – as Rajasthan unraveled to 89 all out. Then came Rajasthan’s bustling Rituraj Singh taking 5 for 36 and coming close to completely dismantling Haryana’s batting, reducing them to 40 for 7. By stumps, they had inched their way 82 for 8, an obdurate 33-run eighth wicket partnership bringing some voice back to local throats and colour back to Haryana’s cheeks.Harshal was in the centre of things yet again, as one half of that partnership with Mohit Sharma. His lone scoring stroke in 20 minutes of batting sent out its own message to his top order. Two steps out to medium-pacer Rituraj and a whip past square leg for four. When Harshal walked back to the dressing room with Mohit, who had spent close to two hours for 16, the applause from their team-mates sounded more fervent than it had for their bowling efforts in the morning.It was a day when the bowlers on both sides could say they had done all the work. Rajasthan too had come apart at the seams reaching 66 for 9 just after lunch. Gajendra Singh and Sumit Mathur then put up 23 and helped the defending champions reach what only on such an absurd day’s cricket could be called a “respectable” total.Haryana’s decision to field may have appeared sagely and bold but turned out to be simple common sense. The dreaded fog was absent and the sun shone. Underneath all the brightness though were conditions made for seam bowling. The gossamer haze of the morning carried with it moisture and the breeze blowing over the ground, some bites of swing. The Bansi Lal Stadium square is built on a rich water table where it doesn’t take long to find water nor does it dry out enough in the winter to make life easy for batsmen.The ball moved laterally off the wicket and swung in the air. It stopped before coming on to the bat, making batting difficult and run scoring demanding. Harshal for his part made sure it wasn’t going to be easy for Rajasthan. He scythed through the top order, producing a spell that is simple to describe in clichés about good areas and line and length.When witnessed though, it was an impressive demonstration of discipline and lung power. He sent down 15 overs of a probing length and let the winter and his familiarity with Lahli do the rest. He said he had needed two overs to warm up and get started, “the ball was not coming out of my hand but I know what Lahli is like. The wicket’s always like this in the morning, it helps the seamers, when the dew is gone and the sunlight hits the wicket.”Sunlight and dew may make for poetry on paper but to Rajasthan’s most experienced batsmen, Aakash Chopra and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, it spelt a half-hour struggle before they nicked one to the wicketkeeper. Vineet Saxena was the lone frontline batsman for Rajasthan who survived the first session. He had scratched out 32 runs, the day’s highest score, but in the second over after lunch he flicked one to square leg.Until then it had been Haryana’s day driven by Harshal, whose 8-40 versus Karnataka in Bangalore had set them up in the quarter-final. They were going to be batting in the second session, when the wicket had at least dried out from the morning. They did not take into account the damage that the new ball could do.Haryana’s top order was trapped somewhere in no man’s land: unable to find the defence mechanisms needed to wear off the shine of the new ball or brazenly attempt an all-out attack to challenge the bowlers. Five were gone within eight overs of Rituraj and Pankaj Singh bowling at a good clip and with venom; captain Amit Mishra and Priyank Tehlan’s attempts to stitch a stand together fell apart in two overs around tea. Mishra’s leading edge off an expansive on-drive found Robin Bisht at point and Tehlan didn’t reach the pitch of the ball and looped one to mid-on Pankaj Singh’s hands. From 40 for 7, again the bowlers started giving Haryana a chance.Day one of the Ranji semi-final was very much a bowlers’ day. Mohit Sharma had bowled an uninterrupted spell of 15 overs in the Rajasthan innings, Harshal bowled 12 overs on the go. At stumps, Harshal said quite succinctly, “It’s not about the wicket settling, it’s more about the team settling on the wicket.”In conditions such as these, it would take batsmen of exceptional quality to play the match-defining innings. With three days to spare, that is still awaited.

Chris Gayle will not arrive in South Africa on Friday, as initially scheduled, to play in the domestic twenty-over competition after sustaining a groin injury in the Bangladesh Premier League

Firdose Moonda16-Feb-2012Chris Gayle will not arrive in South Africa on Friday, as initially scheduled, to play in the domestic 20-over competition after sustaining a groin injury in the Bangladesh Premier League [BPL]. Gayle retired hurt after scoring 30 off 16 balls for Barisal Burners against Chittagong Kings in Dhaka and was found to have damaged a muscle in his groin.”He [Gayle] is going to be assessed by their medical team and they will advise us accordingly,” Jesse Chellan, chief executive of the Dolphins, said. The delay means Gayle will miss the start of Dolphins’ T20 campaign. Their first match is against new franchise, Impi, on Sunday. It was reported that Gayle may need up to three weeks to recover from his injury and could miss nearly half of the T20 tournament, which ends on March 30.Gayle was in explosive form in the BPL, with two centuries in four previous games. He is the second of Dolphins’ two overseas signings to suffer injury in the lead up to the tournament. Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait had to withdraw from the event when he sustained an elbow injury and the Dolphins were unable to sign a replacement player in time for the competition.South African franchises were allowed to contract two overseas players for the event in an attempt to bring the competition in line with other 20-over tournaments around the world. Gayle was the biggest draw of the competition after Shahid Afridi became unavailable due to national commitments and a decision was taken by the Lions side not to pursue the engagement with Abdul Razzaq as a result of his poor recent form.Currently, there are six internationals in the country, including former England captain Paul Collingwood, who leads Impi. Sohail Tanvir and Brad Hogg are due to arrive by the end of the month to represent Lions and Cobras respectively, as well as two other yet to be contracted players who will represent Impi.

Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has joined IPL franchise Pune Warriors

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Mar-2012Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has joined IPL franchise Pune Warriors. On Tuesday, Sourav Ganguly, the Warriors captain and mentor, had said Clarke was close to signing a contract which would be valid for the next two seasons. On Wednesday, the deal was confirmed by the IPL.Ganguly, who was appointed captain for this season in the absence of Yuvraj Singh, said having Clarke on board would bolster the Warriors in all departments of the game.”He can bat and he can bowl. He is a big player,” Ganguly told ESPNcricinfo.Clarke had, in 2009, pulled out of the IPL auction, citing Australia’s busy schedule, and has never played in the competition. In fact the only domestic Twenty20 games he has played were way back in 2004, for Hampshire in England. He also retired from Twenty20 internationals in January 2011 in order to focus on ODIs and Tests. Asked why Warriors were interested in Clarke, despite his lack of T20 experience, Ganguly said Clarke had the talent and was considering a return to Twenty20 cricket.”It is his ability,” Ganguly said. “He also wants to re-start playing Twenty20 cricket.”Clarke had acknowledged that his manager was in talks with the franchise but said a decision would be arrived at in due course. Clarke landed in the Caribbean on Monday to join the Australia squad. He is still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the CB Series, but is expected to play in the warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series against West Indies.Clarke will only feature in the second half of the Warriors’ campaign, as the West Indies tour finishes at the end of the April.Warriors are now left with just one more overseas slot to fill. Ganguly also confirmed that the franchise had opened talks with Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, but it was too early to say anything definitive. “We are still chatting to Tamim,” Ganguly said.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

ESPNcricinfo previews the second West Indies-Australia Test, in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale15-Apr-2012

Match facts

April 15-19, Queen’s Park Oval
Start time 1000 (1400 GMT)If Shivnarine Chanderpaul finds a partner who is willing and able to stay at the crease with him, Australia could face another lengthy stay in the field•AFP

Big Picture

The teams have moved on to Trinidad and the big question for Darren Sammy’s West Indies side is how they can recover from the disappointment of losing a Test that was there for them to win. For the first three days at Kensington Oval, West Indies were on top. When they dismissed Michael Hussey early on the fourth morning and held a 200-run lead with only four more Australia wickets to take in the first innings, West Indies were in a position from which they simply should not have lost the match. But Australia’s fighting qualities, Michael Clarke’s aggressive declaration and the home side’s fragility combined to create a memorable finale to the Test, as Australia bowled West Indies out cheaply a second time and then chased down 192 with the light fading late on the fifth afternoon.Sammy and the coach Ottis Gibson must find a way to instil belief in West Indies players whose confidence was shot by those last two days in Barbados. The spin-friendly conditions in Trinidad might help them, for Devendra Bishoo bowled well in the first Test without reaping significant rewards. It could boost Nathan Lyon too, who did not have his finest Test and needs to regain his self-confidence. Most importantly, West Indies have to find a way to play out five days of a Test at high quality. In 2008, they matched Australia for a few days of each Test but were always let down by a trough at some point in the game. It happened again in Barbados last week.Australia can take a lot from the way they fought back from a losing position. Theirs is a side with a mixture of experience and youth, and they have now won five Tests in a row, not losing since New Zealand surprised them in Hobart in early December. Clarke’s captaincy credentials were already high and have been boosted further by his declaration when still behind in Bridgetown, in an effort to force a result. His confidence appears to be rubbing off on his men. If they win in Trinidad they will retain the Frank Worrell Trophy and will win the series, so West Indies cannot afford to be slow out of the blocks in this match.

Form guide

West Indies LDLLW (Most recent first)
Australia WWWWW

In the spotlight

How do you solve a problem like Shivnarine Chanderpaul? Eventually Australia managed to do so in the second innings in Bridgetown, when he was squared up by Ryan Harris, but he had already made an unbeaten first-innings century. It was the fifth hundred Chanderpaul had made in the seven home Tests he has played against Australia. His last nine home innings against them read 104, 118, 11, 107 not out, 77 not out, 79 not out, 50, 103 not out, 12. If Chanderpaul finds a partner who is willing and able to stick with him, Australia could face a long, long time in the field.Ricky Ponting is the only member of this Australia squad who has played a Test in Trinidad, and it was one of his very best. Back in 2003, Ponting scored 206 and 45 at Queen’s Park Oval, and it was his first Test double-century. Last week in Barbados he was the unfortunate victim of a Shane Watson-scripted run-out and in the second innings was bowled when a ball stayed very low. However, he is coming off one of his finest Test series, against India, and will be keen for a long stay in the middle.

Team news

West Indies have included the offspinner Shane Shillingford in a 14-man squad and given the nature of the pitch they will consider a two-man spin attack in Shillingford and Devendra Bishoo, with Narsingh Deonarine as a backup. Should they include Shillingford, Fidel Edwards might be the man to miss out, for Kemar Roach was more of a threat in Barbados.West Indies (possible) 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Kirk Edwards, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Narsingh Deonarine, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Shane Shillingford, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Devendra Bishoo.Australia will consider two spinners as well, but including Michael Beer at the expense of one of three in-form fast bowlers would be a big call. Were they to make that decision, Ben Hilfenhaus might be the unlucky one to miss out, given that the pitch will also help fast men who attack the stumps, but the more likely scenario is that no change will be made from the side that won at Kensington Oval.Australia (possible) 1 Ed Cowan, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Pitch and conditions

The Trinidad pitch was very dry on the day before the Test and is expected to provide significant assistance to the spinners, so much so that it even drew comparisons to Kanpur from Australia coach Mickey Arthur. Rain is expected to affect every day of the Test.

Stats and trivia

• Shivnarine Chanderpaul needs 176 runs to become the second West Indies player to reach 10,000 in Tests. Given that he averages 81.40 per innings in home Tests against Australia, it is not out of the question he could reach the milestone in this match
• Of the five home venues at which West Indies have played the most Tests, their record is the worst at Queen’s Park Oval, where they have won only 18 of 57 Tests

Quotes

“We spoke about it, we just need to be mentally prepared to bat in two innings of a Test match.”
“I think in [sharply spinning] conditions you just have to have a plan and stick with it through thick and thin, and that’s probably been my attitude towards spin bowling my whole career. I do get out to spin bowling but I do find I have a plan against spin bowling and I’m going to back that.”