PRESENT painful reality is counterbalanced by the encouragement of history as the West Indies try to avoid another dismal record in the fourth and final Test against Australia, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) this morning.
The Australians have already convincingly won the first three matches, a sequence never before achieved by any visiting team to the Caribbean.
Their superiority over their young, inexperienced opponents is such that captain Brian Lara's publicly expressed expectation does not extend beyond the draw that would deny them the first whitewash ever inflicted on the West Indies a home series.
Two factors to give Lara hope that the West Indies won't endure their second whitewash under his captaincy, after 1998-99 in South Africa, and their second in successive series against Australia, after 2000-01 under Jimmy Adams in Australia.
They are Australia's ledger in last Tests of series they have already secured and the ARG's status as one of the most prolific scoring grounds in international cricket.
In five of their past 13 triumphant series, Australia have been beaten in the final Test, the most recent by England at Sydney in the Ashes series they won 4-0.
It is not an uncommon trait.
At the height of their dominance of the game, the West Indies lost the last Test in three consecutive series against Australia (in 1984-85, 1988-89 and 1991) with the Frank Worrell Trophy already retained and the pressure off.
The roles were reversed when Australia, 3-1 ahead, went under in the last Test in Perth in 1996-97.
Steve Waugh, who, on this tour, has become Test cricket's most capped player, Australia's most prolific century-maker and equalled Clive Lloyd's 36 record of victories as captain, said he had "just got a feeling it won't happen this time".
"I don't know why, it's just a gut feeling," he said. "I reckon we'll be full-on for this Test match."
"This is a great opportunity to win 4-0," he noted. "We may be at the peak as a side. You just never know what might be around the corner, so you've got to make the most of what you've got."
Waugh was also at the helm in the 5-0 clean sweep of the series in Australia in 2000-01 and in the victory in the last Test at the ARG four years ago that levelled matters 2-2 and retained Australia the Worrell Trophy.
In spite of two defeats by nine wickets and another by 118 runs, Lara, reinstated as captain for the series three years after quitting the post, has taken consolation from the fact that his young team has twice held on to tea on the final day.
Their average total from six innings is 323 from 102 overs. Against lesser teams and with stronger bowling such figures should be enough to guarantee at least a draw but the Australians have scored so heavily (average total 764) and so quickly (4.02 runs an over) that they have won with time to spare.
If the ARG lives up to its reputation, the overworked bowlers can expect no relief.
They have already been hammered for one double and 11 single centuries on docile pitches and now have to deal with the venue for Test cricket's highest score, Brian Lara's 375 against England nine years ago, and its fastest hundred, Viv Richards' off 56 balls, also against England in 1986.
In addition to Lara's triple, there have been one double and 36 single hundreds.
Richards and Richie Richardson put on 308 before their home town crowd against Australia in 1984. Mike Atherton and Robin Smith added 303 for England 10 years later.
The two highest first wicket partnerships for the West Indies, 298 against England in 1990 and 296 against India in 1983, were shared there by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.
The ARG is where even Courtney Walsh, the duck king of Test cricket, was the second man in a West Indies record last wicket partnership of 106 with Carl Hooper, against Pakistan in 1993. His 30 equals his personal best.
In last year's Test on the ground, Carl Hooper, then West Indies captain, won the toss and decided to bowl. India amassed 513 for nine declared to which the West Indies responded with 629 for nine declared, the ARG's highest total.
Only 18 wickets fell and the third innings wasn't even started.
A repeat would suit the West Indies purposes just fine even if it would send everyone to sleep, including hundreds of Australian supporters who have come on from Barbados confident of their team completing the clean sweep.
The West Indies are expected to make two changes that would at least boost their experience.
Established wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs has recovered from the pulled groin muscle that kept him out of the second and third Tests and should come back for his 50th Test on his home ground in place of his 20-year-old stand-in Carlton Baugh.
Fast bowler Merv Dillon would return for his 33rd Test after the difficult, wicketless debut of Tino Best, who replaced him in the Bridgetown Test.
Australia's only concern is over the virus that has affected vice-captain Ricky Ponting since the last day of the third Test. If he opts out, Martin Love who has had only one match on tour, would take his place.
Teams (expected): West Indies: Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ridley Jacobs, Omari Banks, Vasbert Drakes, Merv Dillon, Jermaine Lawson.
Australia: Steve Waugh (captain), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting or Martin Love, Adam Gilchrist, Andy Bichel, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Stuart MacGill, Glenn McGrath.
Umpires: David Shepherd (England), Srinivasa Venkataragahavan.