Thaindian News

Mumbai, Nov 21 (IANS) India will be looking for a clean sweep of the three Test series against the West Indies when the last match gets underway at the Wankhede Stadium here Tuesday.

Also, the focus will be on the long-awaited 100th international century of Sachin Tendulkar. The batting maestro has the best opportunity in seven months to achieve the milestone at his home ground.

Tendulkar missed out on an opportunity, scoring just 18, in the World Cup final at the Wankhede earlier this year even though he achieved his childhood dream of winning the Cup. He got his 99th century against South Africa during the group stages of the World Cup.

Tendulkar fell nine short of the milestone at the Oval in the last of the four Tests against England.

After failing to achieve the milestone in the first two Tests against West Indies, Tendulkar is now geared up to achieve it at his home turf.

The Test match also offers a chance to India to prepare the squad for the next month’s tour of Australia. With Yuvraj Singh left out of the squad due to poor form, it would be a toss-up between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. For Kohli it would be a good chance to cement his place in the team for the series Down Under.

India will again depend on a quick start from Virender Shewag and Gautam Gambhir.

The track at the Wankhede will be sporting as promised by curator Sudhir Naik.

“It is a sporting track. There is some grass on it. On the first three days it will assist the seamers and will help the spinners on the fourth and fifth day. Even the West Indies bowlers would love bowling here,” he said, adding that there will be a nip in the morning and the breeze is also likely to help bowlers in the post-tea session.

Much will depend on the new pace attack of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav as spinners are not expected to get purchase from the wicket in the first three days. Spinners Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin, who have 13 apiece in the first two matches, will have to work hard for their wickets.

West Indies batsmen have proved that they are capable of scoring runs on Indian pitches. It depends a lot on the application. The visitors need a good start but a lot will depend on the trio of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels.

Chanderpaul scored a classy century in the first Test in Delhi while knocks from Bravo, who struck his career’s second century in Kolkata, and Samuels were crucial behind West Indies fight-back in the Eden Test. The 37-year-old Chanderpaul has recovered from the calf muscle strain and is fit for the match.

Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain/wicketkeeper), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron.

West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Kragg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh (wicketkeeper), Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo, Denesh Ramdin, Shane Shillingford.

Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Tony Hill
Third Umpire: Shavir Tarapore
Match Referee: David Boon.