Australia v West Indies - 3rd Test: Adelaide - 25-29 November

[Occasional Fan]

The third test starts at the Adelaide Oval tomorrow at 0030 GMT, 1100 in South Australia. As far as the series is concerned, the match is a dead rubber, with Australia having taken the series 2-0 with one to go. But in their most recent innings in Hobart, the West Indian batsmen finally posted something like a respectable total, with Dwayne Bravo scoring a century, Ramdin 71 and Brian Lara a respectable 45. And there's plenty of West Indian pride at stake, of course. Against that, in the Ponting era Australia have lost only one dead rubber, so we can be sure that the Aussies will not lie down in Adelaide.

Please place your thoughts on the game in this thread.

[Teatime FatCat]

How many runs is Lara off the world test record? That's worth him playing for.

[Zainub]

No idea Teatime. But he's reportedly due some luck, been on the wrong end of some harsh umpiring of late. When Lara bats in full flow he is great to watch, for the sake of entertaintment and the pride of West Indian cricket, I hope he makes a big one here in Adelaide.

[Teatime FatCat]

I found out it's about 200 runs. what price him doing it in this test - probably his last abroad, and maybe one of his last ever? (Although I think he's got another season in him)

[Zainub]

I think he's got loads of cricket left in him. Although I do think he'll hang up his one-day boots very shortly, to try and prolong his test career.

[Vrock]

I agree that Lara will eventually stop ODI cricket, if my memory serves me he missed a couple against SA. I think to rest him which shows that he is not physically up to cricket like the demand is now. He could get another season IMO if he stopped ODI's.

Aus. will be up for it although Warney should rest himself with his slight injury so he's prepared for SA IMO, MacGill always seems to take more wickets than he does, although arguably Warne usually gets the breakthroughs and those special wickets.

Who do you think will open the batting seen as Gayle is out of the test after a(n) heart operation?

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by Zainub

I think he's got loads of cricket left in him. Although I do think he'll hang up his one-day boots very shortly, to try and prolong his test career.

I agree Zainub! I've seen no sign of injury proneness, and the only limitation in my eyes to him continuing is whether he is still enjoying it. There's certainly no one who could replace him at the moment, so no pressure for him to step down. Gooch continued playing test cricket to 40, that would give Lara another 4 years if he wanted to! I haven't heard any hearsay about his 'eyes failing' which dogged Graham Thorpe!

[Ninjaman]

39 more for 11000 runs.

214 to break Border's total.

Weirdly enough, even if he scored just 1 for his next 39 innings, he'd still be the fastest to 11000 runs.

[Irish Left Armer]

Well his luck has sure changed. Survived a very close shout for lbw and scratched around for ages before getting himself in today.

But he's starting to look menacing now.

166/4 by the way. WI are depressingly bad these days.

[Occasional Fan]

Splendid day for West Indies in general and Brian Lara in particular. With just over eight overs to go - and presumably with light not an issue in the South Australian mid-summer - West Indies are 302-6 and Lara is 172 not out. Slightly worryingly, Lara is the only batsman to have fired today, however, with the second highest score being Bravo, out for 34, and everyone else, including the top three, in the also rans. Anyway, good to see some spirit being shown by the West Indies at last.