IN the aftermath of Sunday's devastating loss to South Africa in the first One-day International in Cape Town, the second at St.George's Park here today presents a collective challenge to the character of the West Indies team.
The collapse to their all-time low 54 all out, and defeat by a record margin of 209 runs, inflicted further damage to the once exalted reputation of West Indies cricket here.
It has not recovered since the 5-0 whitewash in the Tests and the 6-1 loss in the One-day Internationals on the previous, ill-starred tour five years and, unless there is a marked improvement over the remaining four matches, it will stand no higher than it did after that.
Although suitably crestfallen after Sunday night's debacle, captain Brian Lara put it down to an aberration, "a one-off", in which a difficult pitch and inexperienced batsmen were contributory factors.
The South African media saw it differently.
"The reason for the West Indies collapse lay in spineless batting," Peter Robinson wrote in This Day, the nationally-circulated newspaper. "No one could have expected the West Indies batsmen to throw up the white flag quite so readily."
After Jacques Kallis' unbeaten 109 and his partnership with Jacques Rudolph that took 95 off the last 10 overs, "there was simply no stomach for a fight" from the West Indies, Robinson added.
There is no more biting accusation in sport than that. It is derision that Lara, once more at the helm of what has been another difficult South African tour, and his team have a final chance to dispel over the next week.
Much depends on the batting of Lara himself but others must pull their weight.
The collective and individual will and mental strength have been severely tested after three months on the road in Zimbabwe and South Africa with very little to show for it.
Lara's own method of dismissal in his last two innings, lbw, padding away deliveries from fast bowler Andre Nel, indicate physical and psychological weariness after a Test series in which he has been constantly under pressure and yet scored heavily and consistently. His vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who had played every match in both Zimbabwe and South Africa until he was rested against South Africa 'A' last Friday, enjoyed an excellent Test series. But he, too, is showing signs of fatique.
The two bowlers on whom Kallis inflicted the most grievous damage on Sunday were Merv Dillon and Vasbert Drakes, the two most experienced. Unless they can improve their performance in today's match, 19-year-old Ravi Rampaul and Ian Bradshaw, the left-hander despatched specifically for the one-day series, are both fresh, eager for a game and should be given their chance.
The remaining matches are also important for Ricardo Powell, who is yet to fulfil his designation as a short game specialist. It is more than four years since he exploded onto the scene with his 124 off 93 balls against India in Singapore. He has rarely made such a contribution since and his time must be running out.
The West Indies, seeking whatever optimisitic portent they can find, won't be thrilled by their record at St.George's. They have lost every match they have played there - ODIs to South Africa in the Total Series in 1993 and in 1998-99, the Test in 1998-99 (in three days) and the World Cup first round match to New Zealand last year. Their only encouragment yesterday came from the knowledge that Kallis, plunderer of a hundred in each of the four Tests prior to Sunday's innings, was under the weather with a touch of the flu. But only if he is diagnosed with SARS and the entire South African team is quarantined should they take comfort from their chief nemesis' ailment.The report is that he is recovering and will play.