Voges, Marsh tons put Australia in command

More pink-ball matches are planned after the success at Adelaide, with Cricket Australia keen to schedule day-night Tests when South Africa and Pakistan visit late next year. “They know the conditions better than us we”, said fast bowling legend Sir Curtly Ambrose, now bowling consultant to the Windies.

They came. They saw.

A number of potential West Indies stars, including Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, will feature in this southern summer’s Twenty20 Big Bash League in Australia as their struggling Test team tours the country. “Not just to compete but to win and, being the underdogs, sometimes it’s good to be that way”.

The tourists say they have identified weaknesses to exploit in the Australian batting lineup for their own bowlers, led by Jerome Taylor, Holder and Roach.

But their defeat has forced former players and commentators to question their confidence going into the opening test at Hobart.

Their stocks of pace bowlers have been sorely tested by the loss of leftarmers Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, to retirement and injury respectively, during the 2-0 series win over New Zealand.

“We have nothing to lose”.

But he was far from the form that returned 6-47 against Australia in June in Jamaica.

“We have got unbelievable facilities here now, world class facilities with the stands and the lights, everything is what you would expect for an worldwide cricket venue”.

There were times when they found a little movement or kept the runs tight for an over or two, but the pressure was always released.

But for all the West Indies being overwhelmed by the occasion and ineffectual with the ball and in the field, it was a day that belonged to the two West Australian veterans whose path to Test cricket has often been rugged and strewn with difficulties.

“They have some in-form batsmen like David Warner and Steven Smith, so it’s important we put pressure on the middle order”, said Holder.

“I don’t think we will stray too much away from the team we had in the practice game, ” Holder said.

“The reality is you’ve got an offer of $2 million here, and $100,000 there – I mean what decision are you going to make?” “These guys have all left the game in a quite recent period of time”. For Ponting, the unveiling of his statue was thus a moment of bittersweet duality – on one hand the acknowledgement of his many achievements and Tasmania’s role in shaping them, on the other a very desperate battle to keep Hobart on the Test match roster.

The odds are heavily stacked against Jason Holder’s men as they attempt to defy expectations by retrieving the Frank Worrell Trophy, which has eluded them for more than 20 years.

It looks a tall order for the once-mighty Caribbeans to turn things around when the first of three Tests gets underway on Thursday (today).