Windies batting duo in doubt for Test

West Indies batsmen Marlon Samuels and Jermaine Blackwood are both in doubt on the eve of the second Test against Australia in Jamaica.

Samuels, who top-scored with 74 in the Windies’ second innings of the first Test, missed the hosts’ final training session on Wednesday at Sabina Park due to illness.

Blackwood was struck in the helmet during the session and failed to complete training.

Windies’ skipper Denesh Ramdin said he wasn’t sure whether either batsman would play the second Test starting on Thursday (0100 Friday AEST).

“He’s just under the weather,” Ramdin said of Samuels.

“The physio will have a look at him later and see how he feels. Hopefully he can play tomorrow.

“(Blackwood) just got a hit on the helmet. He’s just icing it at the moment. We’ll just have to speak to the physio and see where he’s at.”

The news is the last thing the Windies need as they attempt to rebound from a humiliating nine-wicket loss inside three days in the series opener.

Ramdin says the way his team rebounded in a recent series against England was proving an inspiration.

The Windies defeated England by five wickets in the third Test in Barbados to share the three-Test series one-all just days after being humbled by nine wickets in the second Test in Grenada.

“The guys are pretty confident,” Ramdin said.

“We’re hurting from that loss in Dominica. But if you look at the series against England, if you look at the way we came back to win the last Test in Barbados I think that shows the self belief that we have.

“We’ll take that into this Test match.”

Windies (probable): Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Shane Dowrich, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach.

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