( L - R ) LARA AND MCGRATH
BRISBANE, CMC:
WEST INDIES batting star Brian Lara is urging his teammates to be aggressive against Australia in their three-Test series, opening tonight (Jamaica time) at the Gabba.
Lara is offering his teammates the same advice he gave England ahead of their recent Ashes Test series against the Aussies.
"It is a tough task to come here and win the series, but we can be very competitive, and play the same sort of cricket England played," Lara said.
"Every time they wanted to dominate the English, the English dominated them. The West Indies will do much better than the World XI because we have been playing together for quite some time."
Lara is still protecting a jarred little finger, but is almost certain to play. On Sunday, he stopped many balls with his feet rather than his strapped hand while fielding against Queensland with whom West Indies earned a draw in a four-day match.
Meanwhile, Australian fast bowling ace Glenn McGrath has knocked over Lara more than any other bowler in Tests, and he is looking forward to renewing their rivalry during the three-Test series.
RENEWING RIVALRY
McGrath has captured the wicket 14 times, more than the former West Indies might care to remember, but there have also been instances when Lara has survived an early examinations from the beanpole fast bowler and prospered with devastating results. McGrath said although his natural advantages over left-handers had contributed to his extraordinary success, he had altered his approach to Lara over the years.
"It has modified to some degree," he told the Melbourne Age newspaper. "Early days more so, my stock delivery to the left-hander was hitting the deck, going away. Going away at various degrees is always tougher to play than one that comes on straight or swings a little bit.
"I guess he likes playing the big shots, especially early doors. He plays those big, flashy cover drives. Going away off the wicket and having lots of slips and gullies, that was how I was trying to knock him over all the time.
"I just felt if I built a little bit of pressure, a big shot wasn't too far away. I think he has changed his game a little bit in that respect. I don't think you'd ever say you had the wood on someone like Brian because they'll turn around and get a hundred in real quick time."
McGrath continues to cherish the wicket of Lara, but he reckons there are others in the West Indies line-up that will require some work knocking over.
"They've got plenty of other class players around him - Shiv Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle can do anything," McGrath said. "I don't think they're as reliant as Brian as they were a few years ago, but Brian is definitely the guy I'd like to knock over again."
