Sport - Cricket

‘We will keep pushing Australia’

Bridgetown (Barbados): Captain Chris Gayle returns to West Indies’ lineup against Australia for the final cricket Test and he hopes his presence gives the Caribbean side the boost it needs.

Gayle hasn’t appeared in the series because of groin injury sustained six weeks ago. But the 28-year-old said he was certain to take his spot and lift his team at the top of the order.

“Not 100 per cent fit, about 90 per cent, but I can cope,” the powerful left-hander said.

“We have been playing good cricket,” Gayle said. “At the end there, we have fallen short in the batting department.

“All in all, it’s getting there, but hopefully we can get better and build on whatever start we get and keep pushing them to the limit.” Gayle takes over the reins from Ramnaresh Sarwan and will replace opener Devon Smith, who was dropped.

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting was encouraged by the pitch at Kensington Oval. Ponting said it would likely produce more pace and bounce than the other two pitches in the series.

“I know some of their bowlers have been talking to some of our batsmen in the middle about, ’Oh, we can’t wait until we get you guys down to Barbados where there’s a bit more pace and bounce,”’ Ponting said.

“We’ve been brought up on those (types of) wickets. We get that every day at home. I don’t think there’s going to be too many Aussie batsmen having sleepless nights going into the game.” — AP

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