Tony Becca - FROM THE BOUNDARY MINUTES AFTER the West Indies lost the second Test to go down 2-0 in the four-match series against South Africa, captain Brian Lara, in his usual optimistic style, said that his team would not suffer another whitewash.
According to Lara, although it is a possibility, although it cannot be ruled out, it's not going to happen, and West Indians, at home and abroad, are hoping that he is right. Following the 5-0 humiliation of 1998-99, another whitewash at the hands of South Africa would really be embarrassing.
For the West Indies to prevent it happening, however, they will have to win or draw one of the two remaining matches, and following their losses in Johannesburg and Durban, one by 189 runs and one by an innings and 65 runs, based on what has happened so far, once the rain stays away the odds are against them even drawing one of them.
To win a cricket match, a team has to dismiss the other twice, to draw a match, a team has to bat well twice, right now the West Indies do not appear capable of doing either and, as Lara admitted while making his bold prediction, the bowlers and the fielders have to improve and the batsmen have to be more consistent if the Windies are to escape.
With the third Test set to get under way at Newlands in Cape Town early tomorrow morning (Ja time), and with the problem not only in one area but in all three basic departments of the game, the question is this: can they improve, not only in batting but also in bowling and fielding in so short a time?
The answer to that question, the truth and nothing but the truth, seems to be no - especially as far as the bowling and the fielding are concerned.
As disappointing as it has been, as susceptible as the top order has been to good fast bowling, with Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the line-up, plus Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds despite his problems in knowing when to play at the ball and when not to, and Ridley Jacobs, the batting, especially if Christopher Gayle is fit enough to play, at least offers some hope that with a little luck it can withstand the pace attack of Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel, and this time, probably also the left-arm spin of Paul Adams.
Not so the bowling, however - certainly not if Lara and his co-selectors stick with an attack of four pacers, and definitely not if in doing so, Fidel Edwards is accompanied by Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes and Adam Sanford.
The weakness of the West Indies attack is underlined by the fact that Jacques Kallis, the No. 4 batsman for South Africa, is not only faster than all the West Indies bowlers with the exception of Edwards, but that he is also, with no exception, a better bowler than the West Indies pacers.
As far as the fielding, the catching, is concerned, even if as expected Chanderpaul will be back in action, the West Indies can do nothing but hope.
Can the West Indies, up against batsmen like Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Kallis and Gary Kirsten, plus Jacques Rudolph and Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher and Pollock, win the Test match?
Although nothing in cricket is impossible, their bowling and their fielding make it unlikely.
Can the West Indies, up against Pollock, Ntini, Nel and Kallis and possibly Adams, draw the Test match?
Although the odds are against it, such is Lara's class, apart from his mercurial strokeplay, such is Chanderpaul's grit and determination that it is likely - and on top of that, there is always the possibility of Sarwan, Gayle - if he plays, Hinds and Jacobs coming good.
"There are things we have to work on," said Lara on Monday as he looked towards tomorrow's third Test. He did not say, however, that something needed looking at, and although it may not matter, that something is the team.
According to reports coming out of Cape Town yesterday, although Gayle, Chanderpaul and Corey Collymore were all doubtful, the West Indies were confident that they will be fit enough to play, and if that is so then Gayle will be back and Carlton Baugh Jr., who should never have been selected for the second Test over Dwayne Smith, will be out.
Apart from being at full strength as far as the batting is concerned, what is important if the West Indies are to have a chance, however, is that the selectors stop dreaming, face reality, drop one of the fast bowlers, preferably Sanford, and bring in left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed.
They should also drop Dillon and replace him with either Corey Collymore or Ravi Rampaul - preferably Rampaul.
