Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist reacts during an appeal for LBW against West Indies Captain Brian Lara during play on the fourth day of the third Test in Bridgetown, Barbados yesterday. - Reuters BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
BRIAN LARA and Ramnaresh Sarwan defied Australia's tiring bowlers through a long final session on the fourth day yesterday to keep West Indies hopes alive of salvaging a draw on the final day of the Third Cable and Wireless Test in Bridgetown.
Forced to follow-on 277 runs behind the tourists massive first innings total of 605 for nine declared, the captain and vice-captain held on until stumps at 187 for three.
Lara resumes on the final morning on 41 with Sarwan on 58, and though the odds remain heavily stacked against the home side, the Kensington Oval faithful will be looking to the pair to take the West Indies well past the 90 runs still needed to avoid an innings defeat.
The much-maligned pitch actually played better on the fourth day than over the previous two, but the combination of a worn track, variable bounce and a second new ball due in just another eight overs will encourage Steve Waugh's troops into believing that their quest for an historic Caribbean clean sweep of the series will remain on course when they head to Antigua for the final Test starting on Friday.
DOUR DEFIANCE
Sarwan, who scored a painstaking 40 in the first innings on Saturday, was equally watchful the second time around. His 15th Test half-century has so far occupied 230 minutes of dour defiance, with only the occasional flash of attacking brilliance and one slice of luck when missed on 14 to a caught-and-bowled chance by Andy Bichel.
Lara, the victim of an unfortunate LBW verdict the evening before, curbed his natural desire to dominate, playing for two-and-a-half hours with admirable restraint, particularly against the threat of leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.
Their partnership has so far realised 93 runs and was desperately needed after the West Indies lost Chris Gayle to the first delivery after
tea and slipped to 94 for three.
Again mindful of the need to show his commitment to the cause, the opener followed up his first innings 71 with another half-century that mixed fluent strokeplay with great caution.
He brought up his fifty with a boundary off MacGill just before the interval, but seemed unable to regain his concentration upon the resumption, playing completely down the wrong line of a delivery from the slow bowler and being easily stumped by Adam Gilchrist for 56.
Gayle and Devon Smith were unable to replicate the century opening stand of the first innings as Brett Lee, bowling at genuine pace, trapped both Smith (5) and Daren Ganga (6) palpably leg-before to reduce the home side to 31 for two and fuel Australian hopes of a four-day victory.
FATAL LAPSE
Gayle and Sarwan added 63 more runs before the left-hander's fatal lapse of concentration, and it was left to Lara, still hampered by another mystery illness, and his young deputy to steady the listing ship.
The first innings ship was already sinking at 291 for eight at the start of the day, but the few fans who turned up on time were entertained by the hometown pairing of Vasbert Drakes and Tino Best, who defied the Aussies for almost an hour, adding 33 runs for the ninth wicket, before Drakes (11) sliced a drive off MacGill to Lee at backward-point.
Best, in his first Test innings, showed great spirit in reaching an unbeaten 20, but when last man Jermaine Lawson was stumped off the same bowler to end the innings at 328.
Waugh had little hesitation in enforcing the follow-on.
MacGill, who finished with four for 107, looks capable of posing the greatest threat to the West Indies bid for an honourable draw on the final day.
However, with five specialist bowlers in the line-up along with a few part-timers, it will require an heroic rearguard, led by Lara and Sarwan, to halt Australia's march towards a ninth consecutive Test victory against the Caribbean side.
