Tony Becca

After surprising the world by winning the first Test in Port Elizabeth, the West Indies lost the second in Cape Town, and instead of leading the series, they are now locked at one-one with South Africa with one to go - starting on Thursday in Durban.

With the first two Test matches finishing in four days, the batting on both sides, despite the presence of Shivnarine Chanderpaul on one and Jacques Kallis on the other, suggests that the third and final one will not end in a draw but in victory for one or the other.

The question, therefore, is who will it be?

Although South Africa must remain favourites - as they were not only for the second Test but also when they were beaten in the first Test, even if Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards are absent the odds would then be heavily stacked against them, it could be the West Indies.

And it could be the West Indies for two reasons.

One reason is that as strong as they are, South Africa have not been playing well, they have not been batting well and on top of that, they must still be nursing the wounds suffered in Port Elizabeth.

The second reason, however, is probably the most important of the two an it is nothing new, even though it has been there before as underlined by the performance of the team on many occasions in the absence of the senior pros and especially so in the absence of Brian Lara, it is the spirit of the West Indies.

Team spirit evident

Although the run-making ability of the team still lies with Gayle and most important to Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and even though the West Indies lost the second Test, the spirit of the team was again evident in Cape Town.

In the first Test, in terms of taking on responsibility, putting some value on his wicket and batting for the team, Samuels batted brilliantly an he never got near to a century as he did in Port Elizabeth, he again batted well in Cape Town.

Although I do not agree with an injured man playing in a first-class match - and unless his name is Gary Sobers, definitely not in a Test match at the highest level of the game, the spirit of the team was also, and once again, evidenced in the fact that despite his injury, Gayle was prepared to fight for the cause, and that he came to bat at number 11 in his team's hunt for a few more runs.

Once again, an it is not the first time they had fought the fight with the bat, it was also good to see the likes of Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards refusing to surrender towards the end of the West Indies innings, and especially so in the second innings.

Although it appeared that only something out of the ordinary could have saved the West Indies once Gayle could not have opened the batting in the second innings and when he had to retire hurt after joining the action at number six, obviously the likes of Taylor and Edwards believed that anything was possible once they got a few more runs and ended up with a lead of 150 or so.

May be they believed so because, along with Daren Powell and Dwayne Bravo, they were the ones who were going to bowl, and because of what they did to South Africa's batsmen in Port Elizabeth, because of the fact that they had South Africa reeling at 131 for five in the first innings, because of their confidence in the catching of their colleagues, they also believed that with a few more runs, they had a chance.

Chanderpaul, with 65 not out and 70 not out, was his usual self, but the spirit of the other players, and more so Gayle, Samuels, Bravo and the fast bowlers was once again refreshing. In fact, it was so refreshing and they fought so hard that it did not matter, certainly not to me, that the West Indies lost the second Test match.

It did not matter for the simple reason that I have seen the West Indies lost matches and played so poorly because of the lack of team spirit and pride, and I am now so happy to see the West Indies giving it everything they have and behaving as if they want to win.

Victory possible

Despite the difference in the two teams at this stage, the West Indies won the first match and they can win the third and final one and, therefore, the series. They won the first because of their team spirit the odds are against them, they can win the last and if they do, it will not be because of talent - of which they are blessed, despite the presence of batsmen like Gayle and Chanderpaul, it will not be because of skill - which they are developing, and with their disappointing career batting and bowling averages, it will not be because of performance, which will hopefully improve over time.

Apart from their consistency and particularly so in their bowling and their fielding, if the West Indies beat the odds and win this decisive Test match, and especially so if Gayle and Edwards are absent, it simply will be because of their team spirit - the kind of team spirit which can, hopefully in the near future, lift them into the top echelons of world cricket.