Gayle determined to beat Australia by 4-1 margin

February 7th, 2010

By DC Correspondent , ANI

Melbourne, Feb. 6: West Indies skipper Chris Gayle has boldly predicted a 4-1 win over Australia for his side in the five-match ODI series, starting at the MCG on Sunday.

Despite having lost the three-Test series against Australia late last year, Gayle said his side is motivated for series against the hosts. “It’s not intimidating to be honest with you, we’re going to beat them 4-1. So, not to worry,” the Courier Mail quoted Gayle as saying. The Windies are missing some experienced players due to injury, but Gayle said this series will provide the chance for the region’s young players to shine. “We are without two key batsmen — Shiv (Chanderpaul) and (Ramnaresh) Sarwan — but this is a chance for other players to grab the opportunity and make a name. It will be a challenging tour, but I know we are capable of winning,” Gayle said.

The team is without Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Dwayne Bravo and the suspended Sulieman Benn. However, Gayle believes the unit has enough quality and backs them to perform against the in-form Australians. “The Aussies are a good team and they played well against Pakistan, but they are beatable,” Gayle said.

Meanwhile, Australian pacer Shaun Tait’s focus is on short, sharp spells — the factor behind his speed — and is confident of pushing the radar gun further.

Tait thrilled a crowd of 60,054 at the MCG during Australia’s Twenty20 match against Pakistan on Friday, when he notched the fastest delivery recorded in Australia — 160.7kmph.

The 26-year-old said that he was keen to surpass the record set by Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who unleashed a 161.3kmph delivery in the 2003 World Cup. “You have probably only got two balls in a game where you can do it ... and then after that it’s hard to get back up to that pace,” the Age quoted Tait, as saying.

“It is a pretty hard task, that’s an amazing record, so we’ll see how I go. Keep pushing. I’m not sure how Shoaib bowled whatever he bowled. That’s amazing,” he added.