Having defied the odds to achieve Test cricket’s highest ever run chase, Brian Lara’s reshaped and resurgent West Indian unit with an average age of 24 years, will be seeking to maintain this high standard in the shorter version of the game against a professional bunch of proven Australian One-Day players.

Even though the West Indies hold a superior overall record with 52 wins against 43 defeats in 98 One-Day Internationals between the teams, with two tied matches and a no-result, Australia have won their last seven encounters against the Caribbean cricketers.

The West Indies also have the edge in 23 matches contested in the Caribbean with a 12-10 record with one tie, resulting from the premature crowd evasion in Guyana in the 1999 series when the spoils were shared 3-3.

After that series, the powerful Australians flexed their muscles and swept aside the West Indies 6-0 in the 2000-2001 series ‘Down Under’.

Australia have continued on that path of destruction in limited overs internationals, with a record 17 consecutive One-Day triumphs under the leadership of stylish stroke-making No.3 batsman, Ricky Ponting.

Ponting, who missed the final Test in Antigua, has overcome his viral illness and will be joined by One-Day specialist, Michael Bevan, World Cup star Andrew Symonds and all-rounders Ian Harvey and Nathan Hauritz, who have arrived in the Caribbean specially for the limited overs series.

Whereas Australia will be welcoming their One-Day specialists, West Indies have been hit by the loss of experienced wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and reliable batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul through injury.

Jacobs has been given more time to rest a groin strain while Chanderpaul is nursing a broken middle finger on his left hand, despite scoring a match-winning century in the final Test.

Ponting has made it clear that despite their impressive record over the past year under his leadership after taking over from Test captain Steve Waugh, who has returned to Australia, the seven-match series will be no cakewalk for his troops.

“It will be a good series. The West Indies are always hard to beat when they play at home; there is no doubt about that,” said Ponting, who is just five runs away from 6 000 runs after 168 ODIs.

“Their batting side is very, very good at the moment and as we know, the game of One-Day cricket, actually brings both sides closer together. We will play the best way we can,” added Ponting, who also won the Man-of-the-Series award in the preceding Test rubber when he scored two hundreds and a double century.

Ponting noted that his fast bowlers Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath and Andy Bichel were allowed “as much rest as they can” in over the last few days after their heavy workload in the Test series.

“We got a few change-over players as well as four guys who have just come over this week from Australia that will be fresh and raring to go so we will probably be looking to those guys to drag us through the first few games as much as they can,” Ponting said.

Lara, with 16 centuries in 7 797 runs in 209 ODIs and his young vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan will take on extra responsibility in the batting department in the absence of Chanderpaul.

After passing 8 000 Test runs in the Antigua Test of a series in which he showed signs of brilliance with two centuries and three half-centuries against the Aussies. Lara now needs a further 203 runs to reach a similar milestone in One-Day Internationals.

His deputy Sarwan, despite only playing in 34 ODIs, has been developing a reputation for playing key innings in the middle order, either steering the West Indies to challenging totals or guiding them to victories in similar finishing role to that of Bevan.

Sarwan’s batting average of 55.69 at a strike rate of 81.69 runs every 100 balls, is among the best for contemporary batsmen and after scoring his second Test century against the Australians a few days ago, will be looking to maintain that sparkling form.

The stylish Marlon Samuels and hard-hitting Ricardo Powell, both very clean hitters of the ball when in stride, will be expected to provide support for Lara and Sarwan in the middle order.

At the top, the exciting left-hander Chris Gayle will be hoping to provide the West Indies with the type of electrifying starts he gave them in their 4-3 series victory in India when he smashed three scintillating centuries.

The West Indies have opted for three uncapped all-rounders in Omari Banks and Ryan Hurley, both off-spinners and useful batsmen, along with David Bernard, who bowls medium pace.

Seam bowler Vasbert Drakes, the West Indies’ most successful bowler in the World Cup will lead the pace attack with support from Mervyn Dillon, Corey Collymore and the pacy Jermaine Lawson, who is to have a fitness test on the lower back strain which limited his second innings bowling in the Antigua Test.

With Chanderpaul out, Grenadian left-hander Devon Smith, who played in all four Tests, is likely to make his One-Day debut as the opening partner for the hard-hitting Gayle.

Gayle, with five centuries in 68 ODIs, will be a vital cog in the West Indies set-up, both for his aggressive batting and flat off-spin, especially in the critical closing overs.

Teams:
West Indies (from) - Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ricardo Powell, Carlton Baugh, David Bernard, Ryan Hurley, Omari Banks, Vasbert Drakes, Mervyn Dillon, Jermaine Lawson, Corey Collymore.