WIs have their task cut out against Australia

Mumbai, Oct 17 (UNI) The West Indies will start as the clear underdogs when they take on the world champions Australia in their Group 'A' ICC Champions Trophy match, which will be played at the Brabourne stadium here tomorrow.

However, the one thing in favour of the former world champs is that they have already played a match at the Brabourne stadium when they were routed by the Lankans in the last qualifying match and would have a better idea on how to counter a slow and unpredictable track.

The Australians--yet to win the tournament in the past--stand head and shoulders above the defending champions in all departments of the game and will be keen to launch their campaign on a triumphant note tomorrow.

WIs hope of providing a tough challenge rests on the form of their top four batsmen--Chris Gayle, Chanderpaul, Sarvan and captain Brian Lara.

At least two of these four will have to fire as the rest of the batting line-up does not inspire any hope of putting up a fight against a quality bowling line up which includes Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath.

The heat and humidity factor may also work against the Aussies who, however, have made it a point to practice extensively in the mid-day sun whenever the chance has come their way.

While WI would bank on their non-regular slow bowlers Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, if selected, and Ramnaresh Sarwan if the pitch shows signs of aiding the spin bowlers, Australia have left arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg, off-break exponent Andrew Symonds and left arm orthodox slow bowler Michael Clarke to do the needful. The players from the land of the kangaroos have a pretty good past record against the Caribbeans, recording 14 wins in 19 encounters between the two sides in this decade.

The Australians, towering over the other sides for the last few years, have an enviable ODI success percentage of 78 right through the 2000s, with a 138-39 win-loss record in 187 matches.

They possess a star-studded batting line-up with skipper Ricky Ponting giving it the necessary thrust at number three after the opening fireworks from the swashbuckling Adam Gilchrist and either Shane Watson or Matthew Hayden.

The presence of the classy Damien Martyn, big-hitting Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke and late bloomer Michael Hussey make the Aussies a difficult proposition for any bowling side in the globe.

The likes of Ian Bradshaw, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Bravo whichever is the Caribbeans combination tomorrow--will have to be at their best to escape being belted all around the park.

The WIs will miss the services of Corey Collymore for this tie. The pace bowler has returned home for a short break to be with his wife Dionne for the birth of their first child. He is set to rejoin the team after the birth. In bowling, the Aussies have the redoubtable Glenn McGrath and the fiery Brett Lee, who had sent WI packing with a haul of 4 for 24 in their last meeting that came soon after his searing 5 for 38 show against India in the DLF Cup ties in Malaysia late last month, and the gangling left-arm quick Nathan Bracken add to the potency of the attack.

For WIs, Gayle's importance at the top of the order cannot be underestimated. Whenever the 27-year-old Jamaican powerhouse has fired on all cylinders, invariably the West Indies have set up a daunting target in recent times.

And on the flip side, whenever Gayle falls early, the WI batting line-up folds up too in an abject manner as was seen in their qualifying tie against Lanka when the left hander deaprted in the very first over from Chaminda Vaas.

Where the WIs hold a slight upper hand is the fact that they had already played four matches in the competition, while the Kangaroos had not featured in any tie so far and had to be content with playing practice ties in Mumbai against India's domestic teams which lacked the arsenal to pose any real threat.

The teams: Australia: Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (wk), Nathan Bracken, Dan Cullen, Michael Clarke, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds.

West Indies: Brian Lara (c), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Carlton Baugh (wk), Fidel Edwards, Ian Bradshaw, Jerome Taylor, Marlon Samuels, Wavell Hinds.

On-field umpires: Rudi Koertzen and Mark Benson.

Third umpire: Aleem Dar

UNI