Despite losing to New Zealand last year here, the West Indies have enjoyed a great deal of success at Kensington Oval with 20 wins against four defeats and 15 draws in 39 matches.

In addition, the miraculous one-wicket victory in 1999 against Steve Waugh’s Australians should serve as a psychological boost for Lara’s West Indians, who trail 2-0 in the four-match series.

“We got to play good cricket. We’ve got to win a little bit more sessions.

What we’ve been doing is we’ve winning one session and they’ve been winning two sessions,” Lara told reporters on the eve of the match after a final practice session at the 3Ws Oval, Cave Hill Campus.

“What we have to do now is command a day’s cricket, win a day’s cricket, put them on the back foot,” Lara reasoned.

“One thing I know for sure, the Australians are professionals. You saw it on the fifth day in Trinidad where they didn’t know what happened before lunch but immediately they stepped up a gear after lunch on the final day and you saw West Indies collapse,” Lara said.

“We are playing against the world’s best in both Test and One-Day Internationals and they are not going to let up. Not much loopholes in their cricket,” Lara warned.

“We’ve got to play good, consistent, hard cricket, each and every single session and I think that it is going to do the job,” added Lara.

After suffering heavy losses in Guyana (nine wickets) and Trinidad and Tobago (118 runs), the West Indies have now assembled their strongest line-up for the first time in the series.

Experienced wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and dependable middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who missed the second Test through leg injuries, are back as well as young fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, whose forced absence had been caused by chicken pox.

Another welcome addition is the recall of dashing left-handed opener Chris Gayle in place of his unfortunate compatriot Wavell Hinds.

The left-handed Gayle warmed up for the Test with a stroke-filled 129 for the Vice-Chancellor XI against the Aussies in a three-day practice match ahead of the Test.

His inclusion could result in a reshuffling of the West Indies batting order as Daren Ganga, who hit back-to-back centuries in the first two Tests at No.3, may move up to the opening slot to partner Gayle after young Grenadian Devon Smith bagged a ‘pair’ in the last Test.

“We had a bit of a problem with opening partnerships in the first four innings that we played, so the addition of Chris is going to be vital, coming in with a hundred against the Australians especially, is going to be good for him and good for the team,” Lara said.

But Lara said whether Ganga partner him at the top is a decision the entire selection panel would have to make.

“That will be a collective decision. I don’t know what is going to be the thinking but so far, he has batted pretty well at No.3, scoring two centuries and the individual’s state of mind also got to be taken into consideration,” Lara remarked.

In the bowling department, the West Indies, who have dropped left-arm pacer Pedro Collins, may opt for a four-pronged pace attack with the return of Lawson and the likely inclusion of rookie Barbadian fire-brand Tino Best.

The short but muscular Best, who was the leading wicket-taker in the Carib Beer Series with 39 scalps, has an excellent strike rate of a wicket every 35 deliveries.

West Indians will therefore be hoping that he and Lawson could create some problems for the Australians on what may be the fastest pitch in the series.

Once Jacobs is fully fit, the diminutive 20-year-old Jamaican Carlton Baugh, who made his debut in Trinidad, will give way behind the stumps while Anguillan off-spinner Omari Banks may have to wait yet again for his maiden Test cap.

Lara said Chanderpaul’s return to bolster the batting, will also provide for the selection of four specialist bowlers instead of playing an all-rounder to compensate, as was the case in Trinidad when David Bernard made his debut.

“I think with Chanderpaul back, who is one of our top batsmen, it will certainly give us the luxury of having four bowlers and of course in a position of two-nil down, you’ll need as much armoury as possible to get the Australian out,” Lara said.

On the other hand, Australia are expected to make only one change to the eleven which was victorious in both Tests.

The arrival of ace fast bowler Glenn McGrath in the Caribbean is almost sure to put an end to the Australian policy of three pacers and two specialist spinners.

It could now see the Australians, who have secured the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy with an unbeatable 2-0 lead, reverting to their long established strategy of three fast bowlers and a spinner.

Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill virtually clinched the spinning slot with a ten-wicket haul against the Vice-Chancellor XI, ahead of left-arm spinner Brad Hogg.

The Aussies may be tempted to keep faith with the hard-working seamer Andy Bichel, who took three vital second innings wickets in Trinidad to trigger the West Indies’ batting collapse.

However, his retention leaves the Australian lower order batting looking fairly thin even though the West Indian bowlers have been unable to penetrate the top-order on the placid pitches.

But with the likelihood that the Kensington pitch may be more bowler-friendly, and recognising the West Indies will no doubt bolster their attack, Australia may play it safe by including either Martin Love or Michael Clarke for the first time.