AFP/Melbourne


The much-maligned West Indies have the resilience and ability to be a match for Australia in this week’s second Test in Melbourne, star batsman Darren Bravo said yesterday.
Bravo was one of the Caribbean tourists’ few shining lights to come out of the shattering innings and 212 run hammering inside three days by Australia in the first Test in Hobart.
He top scored with 108 in the West Indies’ first innings, while opener Kraigg Brathwaite contributed 94 after Australia skipper Steve Smith enforced the follow-on.
While the West Indies were pilloried for their listless approach to the Test, Bravo said his side will be much better prepared for the Melbourne Cricket Ground showpiece and other batsmen were capable of stepping up.
“When you’re not scoring runs it’s always difficult to pick yourself up,” Bravo told reporters. “But I believe the guys have that sort of resilience in them.
“We’ve scored international hundreds already, we’ve proven we are definitely capable of playing at this level. The guys are really up for it. We’re really pumped up ... we’re much better prepared and we’re looking forward to it.”
Bravo said his teammates had trouble adapting to the Australian conditions in Hobart, but said the team was ready to back itself in the second match of the three-Test series.
“Conditions are very foreign to us ... yes they’re a very good team but at the end of the day they’re still humans,” Bravo said.
“They’re going to present bad balls, it’s just a matter of putting them away. I don’t think you should be bogged down that much. Don’t be intimidated by the Australian bowlers.”
Despite his fighting words, the West Indies have continued to struggle on tour and failed to impress in a two-day match last weekend against a low-key Victorian XI in Geelong.
They managed 303 for eight without Bravo and were only able to reduce the inexperienced locals to 169 for three before rain washed out play on Sunday’s final day.
Much was also made of distracted Jerome Taylor missing a catch at fine leg because he had his back to play and was staring into a vacant grandstand.
“It’s just a mishap. I don’t want to dwell on that too much,” Bravo said of the Taylor incident. “It’s very important that we look at the positives.”
Bravo praised the knocks of Jermaine Blackwood (69) and Brathwaite (78) in Geelong, while he pointed to the fact Australia were 121 for three on day one of the first Test as another source of optimism.
“We were in the driver’s seat,” he said. “We need to maintain the momentum ... we need to stay focused.”
The West Indies have won just four of their last 21 Tests and are ranked above only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. They last won a Test in Australia in 1997.

Boland replaces injured Coulter-Nile in Australia squad

Uncapped pace bowler Scott Boland has been called up to the Australia squad for the second Test against West Indies after Nathan Coulter-Nile dislocated his shoulder in a domestic Twenty20 match, Cricket Australia said yesterday.
Boland joins Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson as the pace options for the Boxing Day match, which begins on Saturday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Coulter-Nile dislocated his right shoulder when he fell awkwardly while fielding for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League on Monday, dashing his hopes of making his test debut at the MCG.  
“Although the extent of the injury and rehabilitation period will not be fully known until we receive the results of scans later today, we can confirm that Nathan will not be available for the Boxing Day Test,” team physio David Beakley said in a news release. Boland has taken 72 wickets in 27 first class matches and took 7-31 in the second innings to bowl Victoria to victory over Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield match in Perth last month. Australia have also lost left-arm pacemen Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson, to ankle surgery and retirement respectively, since the start of the season. The hosts won the first Test against West Indies by an innings and 212 runs in Hobart to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Burns frets on Test spot as Khawaja set to return
Australia opening batsman Joe Burns said yesterday he is unsure where he sits in the Test selection showdown against Shaun Marsh following the likely recall of Usman Khawaja to the side. Khawaja showed no ill-effects of a hamstring injury which sidelined him from Australia’s previous two Tests when he hammered 109 off 70 balls for Big Bash League Twenty20 franchise Sydney Thunder on Sunday. Khawaja is set to be recalled by Australia for Saturday’s second Test against the West Indies, leaving Burns and Marsh battling for the remaining batting spot. Burns said he had yet to told by chairman of selectors Rod Marsh what the team’s plans were for the Boxing Day showpiece at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. “No contact, everyone’s been busy with the Big Bash and their different franchises,” Burns told reporters.
“It’s not until you all get together that you catch up again. I’m just focused on getting to each day, training as hard as I can with a view to making sure I’m ready to play.”
Australia will train on Wednesday, when the selectors are likely to discuss their batting options.
“It’s going to be a tough call,” Burns said. “All the players will understand selection is part of the game... it’s not the end of the world.” Burns has played in all four Tests this season, opening the batting alongside David Warner following the retirement of Chris Rogers after this year’s Ashes series in England. The 26-year-old celebrated his maiden Test hundred in Brisbane but since then has scored 40, 0, 14, 11 and 33 for Australia. “It’s been frustrating,” Burns said.
“Because as an opening batter the hardest thing to do is probably getting a start. “To go on and waste it, to make some 30s and 40s—it doesn’t really count for much. “The satisfying thing is I am getting a start... but the frustrating part is that with those starts you should be making 50s at least and 100s ideally.” Marsh scored 182 as Australia crushed the West Indies in Hobart, while his 49 helped steer the hosts home in the inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide.