Despite not having the best of records against the world number one team in recent times, the West Indies, having failed to beat Australia in the last six Test series between the teams, which stretches back some 16 years, team captain Ramnaresh Sarwan thinks the team is capable of stepping up a notch.

"The guys are confident because we have done well in our last two tours. We are playing against the number one team in the world and we need to lift our game and play as consistently as we can.

"Against Sri Lanka, we were very consistent in our performance when we batted and bowled. We didn't get the scores we wanted but we were consistent," he said.

Sarwan was reappointed captain in the absence of Jamaican batsman Christopher Gayle, who is recovering from a groin injury. Guyanese left-handed opening batsman, Sewnarine Chattergoon, has also been ruled out with an injury. Also out is Marlon Samuels, who has been slapped with a two-year ban by the West Indies Cricket Board West Indies after he was found guilty of a misconduct charge brought against him because of his involvement with an Indian gambler, Mukesh Kochhar.

Amid talk of the world's top team losing their steel-like grip on the game, following a spate of recent retirements, several new faces will be in the team led by captain Ricky Ponting. In addition to that, the tourists will have to cope with the absence of vice-captain and middle-order batsman, Michael Clarke, who has been given compassionate leave following the death of his fiancée's father. Leading opener Matthew Hayden, who has been struggling with an Achilles injury, is also considered doubtful ahead of tomorrow's game and has been given a 50/50 chance of playing by Ponting.

"He's probably 50/50 at best. He was supposed to be fully tested today, that didn't happen."

"He actually woke up a lot better today (Tuesday) than he has in the last two days, and if he wakes up well tomorrow (Wednesday) they will probably do some sort of testing tomorrow. But you'd have to say not playing last week and having limited preparation for the Test, he's probably 50/50 at best," Ponting said.

In Hayden's absence it is likely that left-hander Simon Katich will open the batting with Phil Jaques, while Brad Hodge will bat at number five. The Australians will still have plenty of firepower, both in batting and bowling, if Hayden does not make it. In addition to Ponting, there is batsman Michael Hussey, all-rounder Andrew Symonds, fiery pace bowler Brett Lee, Stuart Clarke and legspinner Stuart MacGill.

TEAMS: West Indies (from): Brenton Parchment, Runako Morton, Ryan Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan (capt), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Devon Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Amit Jaggernauth, Fidel Edwards.