THE West Indies had one question of selection answered by the opposition yesterday, two days before the third Test here.
After a lengthy inspection of the pitch and intelligence from the ground authorities, England's selectors decided to release off-spinner Gareth Batty from their squad.
Batty was included in the 13 over the weekend on the strength of reports that the pitch at Old Trafford has favoured spin all season.
But they were not sufficiently convinced that he was needed to partner Ashley Giles, the left-arm spinner who, with more than a little help from defective umpiring decisions, has been the most effective bowler with nine wickets in each of England's victories in the first two Tests.
The only choice they have to make come tomorrow morning is between the young fast bowlers, James Anderson, who played in the second Test at Edgbaston, and Simon Jones, who was in the first at Lord's.
England's exclusion of Batty would have ended whatever fleeting thoughts the West Indies had of choosing both their specialist spinners, Omari Banks and Dave Mohammed, at the expense of a fast bowler.
Banks has managed only three expensive wickets with his off-spin in the two Tests so far and is likely to make way for Mohammed's left-arm chinamen and googlies.
Such a switch would do nothing to enhance the brittle lower order in which the last five batsmen have scraped together a total of 57 runs between them in the last five innings.
Nor would the certain return of Fidel Edwards in place of one of the three fast bowlers who were used in the second Test - his brother, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore and Jermaine Lawson.
The lower-order problems have been caused by the failures of Dwayne Bravo at No.6 and Ridley Jacobs at No7.
Bravo's sharp medium- pace has gained him seven wickets and he has looked the bowler most likely to take a wicket, strong enough claims to retain his place.
But he has been bemused by Giles, who has removed him in his last three innings, playing across the line of balls turning from the rough outside the leg-stump.
He was dismissed for three and five in the intervening match against a weak Derbyshire team and his emergence at the fall of the fourth wicket won't prompt confidence.
Yet he remains a promising young cricketer capable of coming to terms with his present difficulties.
He and Jacobs have worked hard over the past few days and both are virtually assured of their places.
The change in the weather that has brought torrential rain to much of England once more confined the team to indoor practice and training yesterday.
The forecast is for more of the same today and into the weekend.
Whatever they do with their bowling, the West Indies' best chance of turning things round - even of earning a draw - rests with success at the toss and of amassing a total in excess of 400 batting first.
That chance was wasted when Brian Lara chose to bowl after calling the coin correctly in the first Test at Lord's and the die was cast when England compiled 391 for two, of their eventual 568, on the first day.
Michael Vaughan won the toss in the second Test at Edgbaston and his batsmen once more raised a formidable total - 566 for nine declared - that left the West Indies with an unequal struggle on a wearing pitch.
So far, umpiring decisions have reduced the chances of Lara's batting having it usual impact by half.
It cannot last. The captain has been under as much pressure as he has ever been for his uninspiring tactics and overall leadership.
But it is the type of challenge that twice in the past has somehow energised him to phenomenal personal feats which, in turn, have revived his team's broken spirit, even if temporarily.
As was the case against Australia in the Caribbean in 1999, when his 213 at Sabina and unbeaten 153 at Kensington, all but single-handedly claimed victories, and once more against England three months ago, when his unbeaten, Test- record 400 denied England the whitewash all West Indians feared, the stage is set for such a response to his latest crisis.
Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul have been in prime form and Ramnaresh Sarwan's 139 at Edgbaston was a timely return to his best.
Lara has had only one notable innings, 95 at Edgbaston. In each of his previous Tests at Old Trafford, in 1995 and 2000, he has scored hundreds. One is now overdue and essential.