West Indies fights back

By Malcolm Conn

SYDNEY, JAN 5.Glenn McGrath's inexcusable petulance during a surprisingly vigorous West Indian fight back in the fifth Test is exactly what Australia cannot afford if it is to win a series in India for the first time in 31 years.

His behaviour was such a contrast to the guard of honour the Australian players later formed for Courtney Walsh, who arrived to bat for the last time on Australian soil as the West Indies set an unexpectedly large victory target of 173.

Faced with the greatest challenge of a lopsided summer, Australia will resume on Saturday a little uncertainly at 2-44 needing a further 129 for a 5-0 sweep of the series that would extend the unprecedented winning sequence to 15.

What should have been the ideal preparation for a three-Test tour of India beginning next month turned sour when, not for the first time, McGrath reacted badly to a middle and lower order revival. The snarly sulking by one of Australia's most experienced and successful cricketers in playing conditions more like India than anywhere else in this country was both sobering and disappointing. Friday's drama unfolded the instant umpire Darrell Hair rejected a very close leg before wicket appeal against young allrounder Mahendra Nagamootoo when he was just two. McGrath's body language could not be dismissed simply as disappointment and it continued after virtually every ball as Nagamootoo, in just his second Test and his first this series, flayed the bowling in uninhibited fashion on a wicket which has become increasingly benign.

Hair was clearly not impressed and spoke to McGrath at length after the end of an over. At tea McGrath approached Hair as he was leaving the field and was quite animated in his discussions with the umpire. McGrath's fast-bowling mate Jason Gillespie remained on the ground and they walked off together in contemplative fashion.

And a good game this Test is too after Ramnaresh Sarwan (51) lifted his average past one for the first time in the summer, Ridley Jacobs (62) continued his whole- hearted approach and Nagamootoo, a leg-spinner of sorts batting at number eight, breezed to 68.

Nagamootoo was annoyed when he skied a Miller delivery to mid- off, prompting the last three wickets to fall for five runs. The West Indies resumed at 1-98 on Thursday, still needing a further 82 to force Australia to bat a second time. On 112 the tourists lost three wickets in five balls as struggling captain Jimmy Adams (5), opening batsman Sherwin Campbell (54) and teenager Robert Samuels (0) all departed.

Then Brian Lara set out after Stuart MacGill again, smashing the leg-spinner for three successive boundaries. A full toss which should have made it four in a row was skied to Colin Miller at deep mid-on. Lara was so annoyed with himself he banged his bat on the ground and headed for the dressing rooms only to find, from the roar of the crowd, that Miller, the people's hero, dropped what Test players should claim.

It was difficult to know who was more upset by the miss - MacGill or Miller. As it was Lara completely changed his mind set and, in his confusion, was caught behind off Miller just two runs later for 28 deciding too late to leave a delivery outside off stump.For once the tail wagged.

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