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Australia are set to go for the jugular as they gun for a series victory against the West Indies with Ricky Ponting warning the hosts to expect some early chin music in this week’s third Test.
Beau Casson was today named to make his debut in the final Test against the Windies starting Thursday (Friday 0001 AEST) at Kensington Oval.
But before the young left-arm wrist spinner bowls his first ball in Test cricket, Australia’s pace bowlers are set to give the Windies top order, led by opposition skipper Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan, a thorough work over.
The Kensington deck is expected to provide plenty of bounce and pace for the quicks.
The Windies have spent the first two Tests taunting the Australian batsman about a Barbados bounce-a-thon, with Ponting today returning serve – saying it was the home side’s batsmen who should be most worried of Brett Lee and company on a lively pitch.
“I know some of their bowlers have been talking to some of our batsmen out in the middle (in the first two Tests), saying ‘we can’t wait until we get you guys down to Barbados where there’s a bit more pace and bounce’, but we’ve grown up on those wickets,” Ponting said.
“We get that every day at home. I don’t think there are going to be too many Aussie batsmen having sleepless nights going into the game.
“Their bowlers will enjoy it … our bowlers are going to enjoy it, but I think our batsmen will probably enjoy it a bit more than theirs.”
Ponting baulked at suggestions Australia could expose the in-form Shivnarine Chanderpaul against the short ball, but had no reservations about singling out returning opener Gayle and No.3 Sarwan.
“Gayle’s probably someone we can test out and Sarwan’s probably someone we can test out early on,” Ponting said.
“Most of their top order (are susceptible to a bit of extra bounce).
“We’ve done that in fits and spurts in the first couple of games, but it’s generally been when our bowlers have been a little bit tired and we haven’t had a very hard ball at different times as well to expose them.
“Hopefully we can get that in this game.”
Australia retained the Frank Worrell Trophy with a draw in the second Test on a lifeless Antigua wicket, but with a 1-0 lead remain determined to celebrate a series triumph with victory in Barbados at the venue Ponting last year hoisted a third-straight World Cup in darkness.
Casson’s inclusion for the retired Stuart MacGill was the only change to Australia’s XI, with wicketkeeper Brad Haddin set to again play with a broken right ring finger suffered on day two of the first Test.
The Windies will not name their final XI until the morning of the match, but Gayle is confident of playing after missing six weeks with a groin injury.
Fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon is also expected to return from a shoulder injury, with either Xavier Marshall or Runako Morton possibly facing the axe.
The Windies may also play lanky left-arm finger spinner Sulieman Benn after they took just 13 wickets in Antigua with a five-pronged pace attack.
TEAMS:
Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke (v-c), Phil Jaques, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Beau Casson, Stuart Clark.West Indies: (possible) Chris Gayle (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan (v-c), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Xavier Marshall, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Sulieman Benn, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel Ed
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