The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Gayle looking forward to the challenge

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Gayle looking forward to the challenge

— PHOTO: AP

STAYING FOCUSSED: West Indies’s Daren Powell is a picture of concentration during a practice session in Georgetown on Wednesday.

Guyana: West Indies returns to home international action for the first time since last year’s World Cup when it takes on Sri Lanka here from Saturday in the first of a two-Test series.

Since its poor showing at the one-day showpiece, West Indies has shown sparks of a revival only for disappointment to quickly follow.

Following last year’s 3-0 Test defeat by England, the Caribbean side claimed its first-ever Test win in South Africa — its first Test win since May 2005 — but then lost the next two Tests and all five matches in the ODI series.

Spinners Sulieman Benn and Amit Jaggernauth are included in the squad for the first time, while captain Chris Gayle has Barbados all-rounder Ryan Hinds back in the side for the first time in nearly three years.

Sarwan returns

The biggest boost though is the return from injury of Guyanese batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, who will share the top-order challenge with Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

“It is a pretty balanced team, it’s a good all-round team, the expectation is high and we’re looking forward to it,” said Gayle. “Sri Lanka is a good team, they have been playing terrific cricket and it is up to us now to play some good cricket and back our talent,” he added.

Sri Lanka is without two of its most consistent performers of recent years — Sanath Jayasuriya, who has retired from Tests, and explosive pace bowler Lasith Malinga, who is injured.

But with the ability of spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and swing bowling of Chaminda Vaas, Gayle sees no reason to underestimate the Sri Lankan threat with the ball.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara provide the experience in Sri Lankan batting and despite several new faces the captain is hoping for his country’s first Test win in the Caribbean.

The squads (from):

West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt.), Dwayne Bravo, Sulieman Benn, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Amit Jaggernauth, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Ishara Amarashinghe, Rangana Herath, Thilina Thushara Mirando, Chanaka Welegadara, Nuwan Kulasekara. — Agencies

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