WI to make three changes for Test

THERE are likely to be three changes to the West Indies team for the second Cable & Wireless Test against Australia starting at the Queen’s Park Oval tomorrow.

A source close to the team said yesterday the trio coming in will be wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh jr for the injured Ridley Jacobs, vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan for out of form Marlon Samuels and spinner Omari Banks for Jermaine Lawson who has been struck down with chicken pox.

Meanwhile, the West Indies team practiced in the sweltering midday heat at Queen’s Royal College again yesterday and skipper Brian Lara was a confident man with one day to go before the match. “The boys are really all geared up for this match and we are looking forward to getting a good result at the Queen’s Park Oval. “I have had a look at the Oval pitch and it looks a good cricket wicket. Once our players show up ready to fight we are going to do well against this Australian team.” He was non-committal on the composition of his team however, but said that the pitch will determine the final squad. “When we take a final look at the pitch then we will be able to name the right team for that track.”

Lara who has never scored a Test century at the Queen’s Park Oval in front of his home crowd is very keen to correct that statistic. “I really would like to score a Test hundred in Trinidad but more importantly I want the team to do well. It is all about the West Indies team and not about Brian Lara or any single member of the team.” Lara started off the current tour well with a century in the second innings of the first Test in Guyana, after 26 in the first before falling to a dubious leg before decision.  Also getting hundreds in the nine-wicket defeat were Daren Ganga and Shivnarine Chanderpual who scored the third fastest hundred in Test cricket history off only 69 balls. The Australians leading the series 1-0, took in a light training session at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday and will again turn up today to fine-tune their skills.

They are expected to play an unchanged team for the Test with five bowlers and six batsmen in the line-up. Skipper Steve Waugh is fit again after his hand injury in the first Test and sent down a few balls just to show his readiness. Both teams will take in their final training session this morning at the Queen’s Park Oval.