After 21 years a Shivnarine Chanderpaul-less West Indies Test will head into battle today against the visiting Australians with a fairly young but hungry side seeking to conquer their world number two rated opponents on home soil at Roseau, Dominica.
The West Indies Cricket Board selectors recently dumped the 40-year-old bating legend, a move which has caused a huge ripple effect around the region and rest of the cricket world.
However, the young contenders for Chanderpaul’s middle order position recently showed that they were more than capable of seeing off top quality Australian bowling in the recent tour match between the WICB President XI and the Aussies.
In that match, the young Windies batsmen stepped up to the plate despite the Aussies not playing their top bowlers Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Ryan Harris.
The performances led the selectors to select Rajindra Chandrika and Shane Dowrich after the two scored fifties in the first inning of the tour match, knocks that would help the young side to a confidence gaining draw.
The West Indies team has not beaten the Aussies in a series for 23 years. Neither has the team won a Test in 12 matches. The last time Australia tasted defeat at the hands of the Caribbean side was back in 2000 when the Windies pulled off a record breaking heist as they chased down a monumental 418 for a win in Antigua.
The Aussies still managed to however hold onto the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy as successive Australia captains, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and current Test skipper Michael Clarke, ensuring the trophy remain in Australia’s grasp.
West Indies batting
With no Chanderpaul in the team and maybe for the future, the West Indies will quickly look to fill the void left by the veteran batsman who averages 80 from nine Tests played at home against Australia.
In this two match series, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder and Jermain Blackwood will form the nucleus of the team’s batting.
Talented batsman Shai Hope has been given another chance after failing against England in the previous series while the newcomers, Chandrika and Dowrich will be hoping for successful debuts.
For Chandrika, the Guyanese right-handed opener, it could be his first Test against a team which he had previously missed out on scoring a century in the tour match. The Guyana Jaguars batsman pressed his case with a polished 74 in the tour game.
While the selectors have decided to drop opener Devon Smith and Chris Gayle is creating fireworks in the English T20 circuit, Chandrika could possibly find himself playing in today’s first match.
Blackwood too, remains a key player in the side and with his confidence level high after his maiden ton and a second inning score of 80 odd against England, which helped him to move up on the ICC Test rankings, the Jamaican will looked upon as a possible mainstay in the middle/lower order.
Bowling
The Caribbean side will enter this series with a decent crop of bowlers who will be led by pacer Jerome Taylor who has more than 100 Test scalps. Once the home team sticks to their usual plan of playing three quicks and one spinner, Holder and Shannon Gabriel should occupy the other two fast-bowler spots while it will be a tussle between the Guyanese pair of Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo for the spinner’s slot.
Both spinner were recalled to the Test team after some time in the wilderness due to their performance in the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) 4-day tournament where they combined to take a total of 128 wickets.
The visitors will be keen on getting themselves settled with their new-look team as well especially mere months before the Ashes. Shaun Marsh, who scored a century in the tour match and Josh Hazelwood, who picked up wickets are a few of the youngsters who will be keen on making a case ahead of the England series.
The batting will revolve around the skipper Clarke, Steve Smith who has been in a god-like form over the past year, veteran wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, pugnacious opener David Warner and all-rounder Shane Watson.
It will be a keen contest, the West Indies looking to rebuild with a youthful, hungry side the Aussies who will be on the path of rebuilding sooner than later.
