By Rajiv Bisnauth
WEST Indies’s inspirational win against South Africa on Friday evening in the tri-series opener has given the team a much-needed boost ahead of today’s clash against world champions Australia from 13:00hrs at the Providence National Stadium.West Indies may not be the powerhouse of the past, and though the Caribbean side have been listed as underdogs for the series, they remain a threat as they possess a number of players who are potential match-winners.
However, while head coach Phil Simmons acknowledged after the their four-wicket win against South Africa, that there is always room for improvement, his side will hope to sustain the momentum since Australia rarely puts a bad team onto the field these days, and their latest squad should be no exception.
The surface is expected to grip similarly today, and Narine definitely holds the advantage for the hosts.
The off-spinner has enjoyed considerable success against the men from “down under,” as in the 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs) he has played against them he has taken 16 wickets at an impressive average of 20.81.
His record against the Australians in the Caribbean is even more impressive, with 11 wickets from just five matches at an average of 14.45 runs per wicket.The 11 wickets were taken at an economy rate of under 3.4 when Australia last toured in 2012.
On the other hand, Australia’s one-day international success over the last two years has been built around a line-up featuring three all-rounders, four specialist batsmen, three bowlers and one wicket-keeper.
It’s a ratio the side used in every match of its World Cup-winning run in 2015.
It’s also a formula that makes it virtually impossible to play two specialist spinners, but considering 12 of the 16 wickets that fell during the first game were to spin, Australia, the world champions, may be forced to change that formula, and play two spinners.
Adam Zampa, the young leg-spinner, could play a big role for the visiting side alongside Nathan Lyon.
Captain Steve Smith leads a line-up that includes hard-hitting batsman David Warner, fresh off from captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL championship.

West Indies: Jason Holder (capt), Suleiman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor.

Australia: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (wk), Adam Zampa.