Quick 5 minute write up preview of First Test in Brisbane! Australia vs West Indies.
The summer test season is upon us and it couldn’t have arrived with less fanfare. In years past with countries like India and England touring the tension and passion was at fever pitch. This year a weakened West Indies side will provide little resistance to Australian dominance followed by a tastier encounter with Pakistan.
Don’t be fooled though, this is going to be an interesting and intriguing summer. However beatable the opposition looks, complacency is not an option. The Australia side that takes the field will be one of the most important in a generation. The future is here, the make-up of the side that has dominated the game over the last 20 years have now be consigned to the history books as a new young group of players step up. The Ashes in July was a young group of Australian’s not used to the big stage against an experienced English side, and as valiant as they were, this is the chance to get into a groove and gel together into a consistent Australian test team. Australian selectors will no doubt receive as much press coverage as the test’s.
As the first test gets under way in at the GABBA in Brisbane, Australia is odds on favourite to clean sweep the three test series against the West Indies. The selectors have done the right thing in keeping the side going out today largely unchanged from the Ashes squad. One key replacement is Doug Bollinger in for Stuart Clarke. Bollinger is a good left arm quick that will look to cement a place in the side over the summer and prove his worth on a pitch before it looks set to turn on the fourth day. Clarke and Haddin have recovered from injuries that saw them miss the one-day international series in India. Unfortunately that same tour claimed Peter Siddle with a side strain injury.
It has been quite a few years since the West Indies toured Australia and their squad is going to be full of fresh new faces for the Australian public to familiarise. After a poor warm up test against the Queensland test side at Allan Border Field, the West Indies will need to have it’s experienced players in form. Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and captain Chris Gayle look set to lead the charge for the away side. After looking like missing the opening test, Gayle has only one day to prepare for the Gabba match after flying in from his sick mother at home in Jamaica.
The biggest weakness for the West Indies and where they will no doubt lose this match is their bowling attack. If the Australian’s come out and bat first today they probably won’t stop for days. The West Indies conceded over 600 runs in an innings to a second string Queensland test side and it seems conceivable that the Australian’s will do the same.
Here’s hoping for a great first test match!
NB: Australia has won the toss and has elected to bat. Blow for the West Indies, Sarwan has been ruled out through injuries. Oh and Siddle was fit enough and Bollinger was taken back out of the side.
