Injured West Indies skipper Chris Gayle (right) speaks with his coach, John Dyson (left) and team physiotherapist C.J. Clarke during yesterday's training session at Sabina Park. Gayle is struggling with a groin injury and is not available for the first Test which starts today. - AP

KINGSTON, JAMAICA:

WEST INDIES vice captain and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has warned that the new-look Australian bowling attack must not be taken lightly in the first Digicel Test, starting today at Sabina Park.

"They have an inexperienced attack compared to the normal Australian team, but they are very good players and we have to give respect to them," Bravo told journalists after the West Indies training session yesterday at the ground.

"We are not going to take them lightly because they have lost five or six key players over the last year or so. We know how good a team they are, they still have world-class players in their set-up," Bravo said. "Our aim is to continue to play the game we have been playing for the last year or so, just try to enjoy our cricket and try to be a better team and move forward," he said.

Bravo is also confident that the West Indies batting line up, missing the retired master batsman Brian Lara and injured opener Chris Gayle along with the banned Marlon Samuels, is capable of acquitting itself well.

"We have a lot of good players on our team as well, they are young but they are maturing," the 24-year-old said.

Difficult time

It's difficult at the beginning of an important series such as this one to have our captain (Gayle) out due to injury and also losing Marlon. There is an opportunity for other players like Devon Smith, Brenton Parchment, Ryan Hinds and Runako Morton (who are) the guys who have been in and out of the team," Bravo said.

"Once you do well against a team like Australia everyone will stand up and your name will be counted," he said.

"There is no other team in the world you would want to make your name against. We should all use this as an opportunity to make a name for ourselves and continue the good showing over the last five Test matches." Bravo, who recently returned to the Caribbean from India after playing in the Indian Premier League for the Mumbai Indians, said he is very confident going into the opening Digicel Test match and does not think it will be difficult to adjust from the shortest form of the game to Test cricket. "I don't see it as a problem. I am mentally prepared for it and I know what I have to do to get out of it (Twenty20 mode). I am not the only one coming out of a Twenty20 tournament. I'm excited and looking forward to it. I did well against them (Australia) in 2005 and I'm looking to better my performance this time," Bravo said.

After winning a Man-of-the-Match award in his final IPL match on Sunday in Hyderabad, Bravo was flown by private jet to Jamaica to join the West Indies team. The trip was compliments of Mumbai Indians team owner Mukesh Ambani.