11.6.2008

West Indies coach John Dyson is upbeat about Chris Gayle’s chances of being fit to play in the third Test against Australia, which starts at the Kensington oval on Thursday.

A groin injury as kept Gayle out of action since April, but the skipper has been included in the squad and Dyson is optimistic that Gayle’s progress in the nets will be sufficient for him to lead the side come match day.

"He’s been in the nets," Dyson said. "Even during the rehabilitation phase of the injury, he’s been in the nets and has been hitting the ball very well in the nets. It’s not ideal, but that’s the way it is, and we’ll make sure he gets some extra good practice next week.

"He might have to put up with a little bit of discomfort, and we’ll get the opinion from the medical team. If they say ‘look, we don’t think it will be damaged and he is able to play’, it’s worth the risk then."

Dyson feels that there were positives to be taken from the drawn second Test in Antigua.

"I was happy with the result of the second Test," he revealed. "I thought we played some good cricket.

"I think players like Shiv [Shivnarine Chanderpaul] and Sars [Ramnaresh Sarwan] and [Dwayne] Bravo batted well, and Xavier Marshall as well.They all put in good performances with the bat. The bowlers worked hard on an unresponsive wicket and we lifted our fielding in the second innings so they were some good things happening in the Tests."

A placid pitch resulted in the second Test petering out to a draw, and Dyson will be hoping that the pitch for the third Test will provide more assistance to the quick bowlers than the Antigua pitch did.

West Indies squad: Chris Gayle (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan (vice captain), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Fidel Edwards, Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor.

"I hope for a good cricket wicket," he said.

"My definition of a good cricket wicket is that for a Test match on the first day, if you are a genuinely quick bowler and you’re prepared to try hard, you’ll get some assistance.

That will flatten out for days two and three and be a good batting wicket. On day four, it might start to spin and on day five, who knows, it might spin a lot. It might help the medium-pacers if it cracks a bit."

Opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon makes his return from a shoulder injury as West Indies chase a series-levelling victory, consequently there is no place for Devon Smith.

Uncapped seamer Kemar Roach, a veteran of just four first-class matches, has been included in the squad, although there appears little prospect of him making the starting XI.

The Island