Tony Becca, Contributor

THE WEST Indies are one down in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, they cannot now win it and in order to draw it, they have to win the second and final one starting at Queen's Park Oval on Thursday.

So, the question is this: can they, despite the faith of people like president Dr Julian Hunte, CEO Dr. Donald Peters, coach John Dyson and captain Chris Gayle, outdo themselves, rise top the occasion, and do it?

According to Gayle it is possible. According to the big left-hander, all the West Indies need to do is to "go to the drawing board and come back really prepared, focussed and ready to play a tough Test match".

Maybe there is something special about this Test match why the West Indies, despite their performances in recent years, did not go to the drawingboard, did not really prepare themselves, did not get focussed and were not ready to play a tough Test match in the first Test, but are now willing to do so.

Something is strange about this West Indies team. Based on their own words after a Test match, they are hardly ever prepared to play.

Hope for Port of Spain

Be that as it may, the West Indies have to win this Test match in Port of Spain, I am still hoping, and praying, that they can do so, and apart from the fact the pitch should be different in comparison to the one in Providence, although Sri Lanka boast left-arm pacer Chaminda Vaas and offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan - two bowlers who are good on any kind of pitch and deadly on some, I am hoping, and praying, because of the presence of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, plus Dwayne Bravo and possibly Marlon Samuels, in the Windies' batting line-up and Jerome Taylor and hopefully Fidel Edwards in the bowling attack.

I am hoping, and praying, that the West Indies make two changes.

Based on their performances in South Africa and Devon Smith's failure once again, I would like to see Smith replaced by Sewnarine Chattergoon and, as one who believes that bowling wins matches and therefore supports a full complement of bowlers, as one who believes that quantity is no substitute for quality and that if five or six cannot do the job, seven or eight cannot, as one who also believes that pace could upset Sri Lanka's batsmen, I also would love to see fast bowler Edwards in for Ryan Hinds - the specialist batsman who batted at number seven in the first Test.

Although he swung wildly, carelessly and recklessly at a wide delivery in the first innings of the first Test, edged a catch, and should pay the penalty, Samuels batted so well in South Africa that he deserves another chance - unless his mind is on his problems with the ICC and is simply not concentrating on the job at hand.

It would be difficult, very difficult, to find a replacement, but if it is that Samuels is distracted, then, in the interest of the West Indies team, he should be rested.

Pathetic record

Gayle's record against Vaas - seven dismissals out of 10 confrontations, with five consecutive zeros and an average of 1.43, is not only embarrassing, it is pathetic.

In spite of that, I expect him to open the innings. He can be dangerous, really dangerous, if he gets going and he is one of the reasons why I am hoping, and praying.

Based on the history of the West Indies selectors, even though I do not believe that he is as good as left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed, I sincerely hope, and pray, that they do not drop Sulieman Benn.

The orthodox left-arm spin bowler did not get a wicket in the first innings of his first Test match although he bowled 40 overs, and he went for over four runs an over in the second innings. He did bowl well on a shirt-front of a pitch, however, he did pick up three wickets in the second innings, and hopefully he will be treated better, much better, not so much better than Rawl Lewis, but definitely better than the likes of Rajindra Dhanraj - four matches in three against three different teams, Dinanath Ramnarine - 12 matches in five years against five different teams, Omari Banks - 10 matches in three years against five different teams and Mohammed, who played five Test matches in three years against four different teams.

Make no bones about it: it will be difficult, very difficult, for a team like the West Indies to defeat a team like Sri Lanka - a team with bowlers like Vaas and Muralitharan and especially so on a pitch like the one at Queen's Park Oval.

Nothing beats a try, however, and hopefully the West Indies, this time around, will have prepared themselves - will have gone to the drawingboard, will have been really prepared, focussed and ready to play.