West Indies captain Brian Lara is confident his young team can rebound from their crushing nine-wicket defeat in the first Test against Australia and level the series in the second Test which starts on Saturday in Port of Spain.
Lara, who has vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan back after injury but will be without first-choice wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, was optimistic of a good result against an Australia side who will again field five bowlers.
"Before the series began I said I wanted us to compete and we did that in Guyana, when we lost because of the first session on the first day," he said.
"In Trinidad, we expect to go the distance. We want to play good cricket and compete and if we can do that and get a bit of luck, I think there's a good possibility that we can win the Test match."
"I know we lost the first match but we came out with three centuries and a lot of positive things."
"The team is still fresh, mentally strong and looking forward to the challenge."
West Indies are certainly in a more comfortable situation when they were before the Georgetown Test, when the players had only one practice together after a chaotic build-up.
In the two weeks before the first Test, Carl Hooper was sacked as captain and then pulled out of the side altogether, Lara was hastily reappointed for a second stint in the job and Jamaican opener Chris Gayle was ruled ineligible to play.
Four players were then sent backtracking to Jamaica after playing the final of the Carib Beer International Challenge final in Barbados four days before the start of the first Test instead of making the short hop direct to Guyana.
CHICKEN POX
West Indies are likely to make several changes to the side.
Sarwan, who missed the first Test with a fractured finger, is fit again but Lawson has gone down with a bout of chicken pox and Jacobs is still suffering from the effects of his brave first innings, when he batted on despite tearing a muscle in his groin.
Carlton Baugh is in line to make his debut as Jacobs' replacement while 21-year-old Barbadian Tino Best has been named to take Lawson's place in the squad.
The squad includes 20-year-old off-spinner Omari Banks, the first player from the island of Anguilla to be called up to the senior West Indies side.
The replacements have brought the average age of the squad down to around 25, which Lara says is one of the lowest in West Indies history.
"I think this has to be one of the youngest West Indies sides in a very, very long time," he said.
"As long as we compete and give a good account of ourselves, I think we can say we have won.
"I feel very upbeat and very confident."
Australia, who will go back to the top of the world Test rankings if they win the series, have named an unchanged side for the match with captain Steve Waugh's presence confirmed.
That means they will once again field a five-man bowling attack --- Brad Hogg, Andy Bichel, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Stuart MacGill.
There had been a minor doubt over Waugh, after he had six stitches in a hand injury during the first Test in Georgetown.
Waugh, who made a world record 157th Test appearance in Georgetown, injured the webbing between the fingers of his right hand fielding a shot from Devon Smith.
Australia named an unchanged team on Thursday for the second cricket Test against West Indies starting on Saturday.
Australia won the first Test by nine wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
