Aus vs WI 2nd Test - Australia Eye to Series Victory at Adelaide

Adelaide: Australia fast bowler Doug Bollinger will open the bowling for the Australians in the second Test against the West Indies at Adelaide Oval commencing from Friday.

A Daily Telegraph report said the gregarious left-arm pacer will be given the new ball ahead of Mitchell Johnson despite having played just one Test.

It said Johnson may be the International Cricket Council's player of the year, with 118 wickets in 27 Tests, but Ricky Ponting believes his most experienced paceman is better suited to first change.

Bollinger played his only Test on his home ground at Sydney against South Africa early this year, when he beat Hilfenhaus to the place vacated by an injured Brett Lee.

Australia won the Test after losing the previous two to fail in a home series for the first time in 17 years, but the swing and consistency of Hilfenhaus was preferred in South Africa and England.

Team news

Australia: Hilfenhaus has been rested due to his ongoing knee problem and Bollinger will come into the XI. That is the only change to the successful side.

Squad (likely): Ricky Ponting (capt), Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger.

West Indies: Ramnaresh Sarwan batted at training on Thursday and is likely to return to the side having missed the Gabba Test due to a back injury. Despite providing some much-needed fight in Brisbane, Travis Dowlin is likely to be the man to miss out.

Squad (likely): Chris Gayle (capt), Adrian Barath, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul.

Pitch and conditions
The Adelaide Oval surface holds few demons and good batsmen can play through the line with confidence in the bounce, and pounce on shorter balls knowing the square boundaries are in their favour. "It generally means that there'll be a bit more pace and movement and carry early on in the game, which is always good." The weather throughout the Test is expected to be fine and partly cloudy, with temperatures hovering in the mid 20s. The ground is known to provide a wholesome spectacle for the audience, since it has a true pitch and is amongst the more picturesque grounds in world cricket.

Stats and Trivia

• Australia have lost one Test at Adelaide Oval in the past 14 years - against India in 2003-04
• Despite the Gabba result, don't expect another three-day encounter - not since West Indies beat Australia in 1951 has an Adelaide Test failed to reach a fourth day
• Michael Clarke will be especially looking forward to the Test - three of his past four Test innings at Adelaide Oval have been centuries
• Adrian Barath's 104 on debut at the Gabba made him the youngest West Indian to score a Test century - he was almost exactly a year younger than the next on the list, the great George Headley

Match facts
Friday December 4 to Tuesday December 8, 2009
Start time 10:00 local time (23:30 GMT prev day)