Australia secured their Test series against the West Indies in emphatic style in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne last week and they head to Sydney for the New Year’s Test looking for another whitewash.
West Indies offered a little more fight at the MCG and can still take something from this tour if they can win this match even though they will still have lost the series.
Despite this match being a dead rubber Australia won’t want to take their eye off the ball. Darren Lehmann has been speaking about how he wants his side to improve in all conditions and be the world’s best side so if that is to happen they will need to stay ruthless.
The home side have resisted any temptation to make wholesale changes with the series in the bag. Steve O’Keefe comes into the side on his home ground at the expense of Peter Siddle who disappointed in Melbourne. That means Australia will play two spinners.
West Indies looked to have hit rock bottom in Hobart earlier in this series. They offered a bit of grit and determination with the bat in Melbourne and if they can just add skill and heart with the ball then they might yet begin to turn things around.
It remains to be seen how many changes the West Indies will make in this match but they’ve not looked close to taking 20 wickets in either of the first two matches so you would think the make up of their bowling attack will change. A second spinner can’t be ruled out.
The iconic Sydney Cricket Ground is the venue this series will conclude at. There have been 103 previous matches on this ground with Australia 57-28 in the matches they’ve played. West Indies have just two wins from 14 battles here.
I’m not surprised by the West Indies’ record here because the wicket usually takes plenty of spin and historically the West Indian attack has been formed of an artillery of quick seamers but times change and maybe this wicket will suit the tourists more.
One thing which won’t suit the visitors is the weather where rain is strongly forecast on each of the opening four days. A bit of a storm is heading through the Sydney area this week and the Test looks like being one of its casualties.
In a way that’s no bad thing for me because I’m never the biggest punter in dead rubbers but the forecast makes the betting on this one easier and given that the draw is still a perfectly acceptable price I’m happy to get involved in that given that the match looks like being severely decimated by the weather.
Back the Draw for a 3/10 stake at 2.88 with Sportingbet
