Aus vs WI 3rd Test - Siddle Out & Hauritz Still Doubtful

Perth: Australia and West Indies have both been hit by a series of injuries the day before the third Test in Perth, with Peter Siddle ruled out, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Adrian Barath unlikely, and Nathan Hauritz also in doubt.

The problems have left Australia with one confirmed debutant, the Victoria fast bowler Clint McKay, who will replace his state team-mate Siddle. Steven Smith, the 20-year-old batsman-legspinner, has been put on standby for Hauritz and will fly from Sydney to Perth on Tuesday night.

Hauritz took a blow to his spinning finger while fielding at training on Tuesday and although he did bowl afterwards, he suffered some soreness and will not know his fate until the morning of the match. Smith has starred with the bat for New South Wales this week, scoring a century against Queensland, but not with the ball.

Team news

Australia: They will have a debutant in Clint McKay after Peter Siddle failed to overcome a strain to his left hamstring that troubled him during the Adelaide Test. Brett Geeves is also in the squad and is expected to be 12th man.

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

West Indies: Travis Dowlin will be the one to step in to open if Barath doesn't make it, while Narsingh Deonarine is preparing to bat in Chanderpaul's place.

Squad (likely): Chris Gayle (capt), Travis Dowlin, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine, Dwayne Bravo, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach.

Pitch and conditions
Every year in recent times the WACA pitch has been talked up prior to the Test as being a throwback to the fast and bouncy Perth surfaces of the 1980s. Every year, the pitch fails to live up to the hype. Two seasons ago Australia were sucked in to playing Shaun Tait in a four-man pace attack. The forecast for the next five days in Perth is mostly sunny, with temperatures creeping up to 37 degrees on Saturday.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and West Indies have met in six Perth Tests for five West Indies wins; the only Australian victory came in the most recent game in 2000-01
• Australia have lost their past two Tests at the WACA. The previous time Australia lost two consecutive Tests at a home venue was in 1985-86 and 1986-87, when they went down to New Zealand and England at the Gabba
• Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are the only members of the West Indies team to have played a Test in Perth; Sarwan scored 2 and 1, and Chanderpaul made 3

Match facts
Wednesday December 16 - Sunday December 20, 2009
Start time 10:30 local (02:30 GMT)