Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

West Indies all-rounder and vice-captain Dwayne Bravo addresses the media after the team's final training session at Sabina Park yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

THE FIRST Test between the West Indies and Australia bowls off at Sabina Park this morning and the question on everyone's lips is this: Can the home team defeat the visitors from Down Under?

Looking at both teams, although victory for the West Indies is not impossible, it is highly improbable.

Reason number one is that while the West Indies are at number eight in the ICC's rankings and have been there for a long, long time, Australia, the undisputed champions of the world, have been at number one, and for a long, long time at that.

Reason number two is that despite the promise, or the potential, of the West Indies players, a match-up of the players on both sides shows a huge difference in the quality and performances of the players.

Batsmen for australia

Looking at the batsmen, for example, Australia boast the likes of Phil Jaques and Simon Katich at the top of their order with averages of 53.51 and 36.00, respectively, followed by Ricky Ponting with 58.53, Michael Hussey 78.14, Brad Hodge 58.42, Andrew Symonds 41.24 and newcomer wicketkeeper Brad Haddin with a first-class batting average of 41.56. Meanwhile, the West Indies batting will come from the likes of Devon Smith with 24.84, Brenton Parchment 15.50, Ramnaresh Sarwan 40.12, Runako Morton 21.86, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 47.24 and Dwayne Bravo 32.86. That's not including standby batsman Xavier Marshall and his feeble 4.25, Ryan Hinds with 24.11 and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin with 22.76 and 26.60 in first-class cricket.

And the bowling is no better. While Brett Lee averages 29.97 per wicket, Stuart Clark 21.88, Mitchell Johnson 32.12 and Stuart MacGill 28.14, Jerome Taylor of the West Indies averages 35.41, Bravo 40.00, Fidel Edwards 43.46 and Daren Powell 46.05.

Based on those comparisons, the West Indies do not have a chance of victory. Such is sport, however, such is cricket in particular, that they do have a chance - and especially so if Chanderpaul and Sarwan come off.

Little luck needed

Also, if Morton gets lucky, if Smith and Parchment, who look good on their day, are in good form and if Bravo can come up with his usual solid support. However, most important, if Taylor, Edwards and Powell plus one of left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn or off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth can find a good line, a good length and can maintain some consistency.

It may be too much to expect, but based on the history of the Sabina Park pitch, it could be a master move if the West Indies attack Ponting and company with two spin bowlers - with Benn from one end and Jaggernauth from the other.

An attack of two pacers and two spinners plus the medium-pace of Bravo could, probably, make this Test match at Sabina Park an exciting affair - and especially so on a pitch that has been idle for one year.

Condition of pitch

The pitch also has a fair amount of grass on it - particularly at the southern end, and could provide awkward bounce.

With left-arm batsman Katich sure to play in the absence of Hayden, his left-arm back-of-the hand spin and Symonds' off-spin, added to pacers Lee, Clark and Johnson, plus leg-spinner MacGill, make Australia's attack nicely balanced and probably perfect for a pitch which is hard to forecast.

Can the West Indies win this opening Test match? The odds are definitely against them - especially so with Chris Gayle and, to an extent, Marlon Samuels and Sewnarine Chattergoon out of action.

Lest it be forgotten, however, Michael Clarke and Hayden are out of the Australia team and, as good as Katich and Hodge may be, they would be below their best, and who's to tell, the West Indies could spring a surprise and ambush them.

To do so, however, to even make it close and exciting, the Windies players, and particularly so their batsmen, will have to listen to chairman of selectors Gordon Greenidge and to coach John Dyson.

According to Greenidge, the players will have to be confident and bold. According to Dyson, this is an opportunity and if the players, and particularly so the youngand talented ones, make use of it,it could be interesting, very interesting.