After a summer of one-sided duels with India, Australia are facing a drag ’em out scrap against the West Indies in their Test series in the Caribbean.
Across Australia, Michael Clarke’s men battered an Indian team big on experience but low on fight with both bat and ball as they cruised to a 4-0 series win.
But Darren Sammy’s rising Windies outfit is already looking a much sterner prospect despite possessing nowhere near the experience of the Indians.
In Saturday’s opening day of the Test series at Kensington Oval no-one epitomised the fighting qualities of the Windies team better than 19-year-old opener Kraigg Braithwaite and seven-Test player Kirk Edwards.
Brathwaite denied Australia in a 199-ball vigil on his way to 57 while Edwards, already the team’s vice-captain despite his relative lack of international cricket, continued his fine start in Test cricket with a composed 61.
The two Barbadians, playing in the shadows of stands adorned with names of greats they would have grown up adoring, gave nothing away to Australia’s bowlers and Windies under-19 captain Brathwaite in particular showed patience beyond his years in a 104-run stand that helped their team to 3-179 at stumps on a rain-affected day.
It all points to a much sterner examination of Australia’s qualities under Clarke than they received from the Indians.
“We started out saying we’re not going to back down,” Brathwaite told reporters.
“Australia was going to come hard, the pitch wasn’t that easy, as the ball got older it was a little harder to score and they were bowling good lines so we just decided we were going to work hard and not give our wickets away.”
In five one-dayers, two Twenty20s and now the Test series, Sammy’s Windies are yet to be cracked by Australia.
But opener David Warner still believes if he and his batting cohorts can get on top the resistance will start to crumble.
“We know they’re a very good fielding unit and when they take one or two wickets they’re always up in your face,” Warner said.
“The thing we’ve got to do is, when we bat, we’ve got to try and get partnerships.
“That’s the key and we know if we get one good partnership and have the guys out there for an hour to two hours, we know they’re going to have to play boring cricket then as well.”