BRIDGETOWN (Barbados), June 6: Both Australia and West Indies appear willing to take chances to win the third and final Test, starting next Thursday here at the Kensington Oval.

Australia could risk left-arm wrist spinner Beau Casson for the series decider, and West Indies seem willing to put Chris Gayle into their line-up.

Australia coach Tim Nielsen is confident of Casson fitting into his side’s plans if he is chosen in the final 11, after Stuart MacGill surprisingly announced his retirement in the middle of the drawn second Test in Antigua.

“Casson is a young player with a lot of talent with both the bat and the ball, and if he’s given the opportunity, I’m sure he’ll do well,” Nielsen said.

Apart from winning the series, Nielsen also hopes Casson does well as it would help to emphasise the depth of Australian cricket, following the departure of such celebrated cricketers like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, and Justin Langer.

“We’ve won all the Test series we’ve played in so far without those guys so that’s very positive for us,” stated Nielsen.

“We felt [in the second Test] without the rain on the third day, we probably would have been in with a good chance, with the extra three hours of cricket to win that Test match in Antigua also.

“We feel as if we are very competitive. We are playing good, hard cricket, and the new players that have come into the side have all stepped up very well.”

Gayle missed the first two Tests in Jamaica and Antigua with a groin injury. He has not played since he sustained the injury in the third and final One-day International against Sri Lanka in April in St Lucia.West Indies coach John Dyson noted that Gayle will play once he feels his groin will not be further damaged throughout the Test.

“He might have to put up with a little bit of discomfort, and we’ll get the opinion from the medical team,” Dyson said.

“If they say ‘look, we don’t think it will be damaged and he is able to play’, it’s worth the risk then.”

West Indies have failed to gain proper starts to their innings without Gayle, and Dyson hopes his return would help to solidify the top-order.

“He’s been in the nets,” Dyson said.

“Even during the injury in the rehabilitation phase of the injury, he’s been in the nets and has been hitting the ball very well in the nets.

“It’s not ideal, but that’s the way it is, and we’ll make sure he gets some extra good practice next week.”

Dyson also hopes the Kensington Oval pitch will offer much more than the strip used for the second Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

“I hope for a good cricket pitch,” he expressed. “My definition of a good cricket pitch is that for a Test match on the first day, if you are a genuinely quick bowler, and you’re prepared to try hard, you’ll get some assistance.

“You’ll get some bounce, you get some pace, and you might even get a little bit of seam. That will flatten out for days two and three, and it will be a good pitch for batting.

“Day four it might start to spin, and day five, who knows, it might spin a lot. It might help the medium pacers if it cracks a bit.

“I like cricket pitches that have got something in it for all skills at some stage of the game.”

In the Meantime, the West Indies team was fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second Test.

Match referee Roshan Mahanama imposed the fine after Ramnaresh Sarwan’s side was ruled to be one over short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, Sarwan will be fined 10 per cent of his match fee, while each of his players received five per cent fines.—AFP