West Indies desperate to bounce back

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):

SRI LANKA captain Mahela Jayawardene is prepared for a West Indies backlash and conditions more suited to the home team in the second and final Test starting here today.

"I'm sure they are hurt and I'm sure they'll come back really strong and we need to be prepared for that," Jayawardene said yesterday.

"The conditions have definitely changed from Guyana to here. They have been asking for a quicker wicket. Let's see how they go with that," he said.

Jayawardene said he was confident his team could mirror the match-winning performance that sealed a 121-run victory in the opening Test in Guyana a week ago, Sri Lanka's first in three tours to the Caribbean. Sri Lanka have a chance now to win their first series in the region.

Good challenge

"We settled into those conditions and played better cricket than them and it's a very good challenge to do the same here," he said.

"We need to make sure that we are playing at the top of our game, which is the important thing. If we can concentrate on that, we can keep putting pressure on the West Indies guys because we know they are playing at home, they have everything to lose and we have everything to gain."

West Indies captain Chris Gayle said his team was desperate to bounce back.

"We are hurt to lose in that manner. We should have at least come out with a draw there," Gayle said. "Having said that, it's already done and it's just up to us to pick ourselves up now, as individuals as well, so that hopefully we can come back as a team strongly."

Jayawardene said Gayle's demotion from opener to No. 6 in the second innings in Guyana spurred Sri Lanka, despite a half century from Gayle and a top score of 83 from stand-in opener Dwayne Bravo.

"It showed that they were going in a bit of a negative patch. It played into our hands," he said.

Gayle was quick to rebuff that opinion and stressed it was not a matter of avoiding his duty.

"Chris Gayle never shirked from no one or no responsibility. Never," he said. "Whatever the team requires, I will do it."

Gayle said he expected the same from his players in the second Test.

"We're going to play harder because a lot of people have created history against the West Indies but we will try to stop that," Gayle said.

Gayle was encouraged by the look of the pitch and hinted that pacer Fidel Edwards could come into the side for injured batsman Ryan Hinds.

"The wicket looks like it has a bit more grass on it," he said. "I think we're looking at a bit more extra bowling there with a pitch a bit more helpful for us."

Sri Lanka are likely to make two changes from the winning XI from Guyana. Wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, who injured his hamstring during the first Test, is certain to miss out. Right-hander Chamara Silva replaces Jayawardene in the team with Kumar Sangakkara taking up the gloves.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who went wicketless in Guyana, should miss out at the expense of a third seamer with Ishara Amera-singhe in line for a Test debut.

Teams:

West Indies: Chris Gayle (captain), Dwayne Bravo, Sulieman Benn, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Amit Jaggernauth, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Malinda Warnapura, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Rangana Herath, Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera, Ishara Amerasinghe, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedara.