West Indies, Australia face off in first test today
Published:Wednesday | November 25, 2009 | 9:17 AM
Haunted by 15 years of failure against the world champions, West Indies will seek to overcome their recent history of under-achievement when they face Australia in the opening game of the three-Test series, which bowls off this evening Jamaica time at 7:00.
The match will take place at Gabba.
As expected, Australia start the series as heavy favourites with the bookmakers having installed them at heavy odds to win the series, which also sees Tests in Adelaide and Perth later this month.
West Indies, meanwhile, have had their chances virtually written off.
They are coming off a bruising contracts impasse, which decimated the regional side, forcing an inexperienced second string squad to contest the Bangladesh series and travel to the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
The dispute left the top tier players short of international match practice.
West Indies have been boosted by the return of Captain Chris Gayle who touched down on Aussies soil yesterday a mere 24 hours ahead of the game, after rushing back from Jamaica where he was attending to his sick mother.
The Gabba pitch is expected to favour the faster bowlers early in the game and becomes friendlier for batsmen as the match progresses.