'Winning is a fillip to a team going forward' - Lara

Brian Lara was in a relaxed mood ahead of the final against Australia, insisting that the best team in the world would be feeling the pressure just as much as his boys. And while he admitted that West Indies would start as underdogs, he was quietly confident that he had the combination to cause a big upset on Sunday.

"The pressure will be even on both teams," he said. "Both want it very badly. Australia may have tried a lot of rotation, but I'm almost certain they are going to play their best eleven out there tomorrow. Winning any tournament is a fillip to a team going forward. You don't want to come here and lose to anyone."

He confessed that he had fancied India to sneak through to the final, especially once their bowlers kept Australia to 213. "Knowing it was a virtual semi-final, I thought India would have treated it as such and definitely crossed the line," he said. "Again, [it was] early wickets. Now, we have Australia on our hands, and it's of utmost importance for us to win it. Getting here, there weren't a lot of people that thought we would make it. I suppose we were the third favourites in the tournament, and we got there [the final] before everybody else."

According to Lara, the early phase of the West Indian innings would be critical, with Australia certain to play both Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. "They depend a lot on the new ball with Lee and McGrath. McGrath hasn't been among the wickets, but he has been keeping it very tight and creating pressure for the other guys to take the wickets. We've got to watch that very carefully. If we can see out the first ten or fifteen overs without losing a wicket, it's going to be very important."

He backed Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle to give his team the perfect start, akin to the one that they enjoyed against Australia in the opening game of the tournament. "I think we've batted pretty well [at the top]. Shiv hasn't had a go in the last couple of games, but in the first game against Australia he batted pretty well. And 2 for 90 [against Australia, in their second encounter] was also a very good start, with [Ramnaresh] Sarwan and Gayle getting some runs.

"I think it'll be the same approach - you don't want to inhibit Chanderpaul or Gayle if they want to play their natural game. They are both very smart, very professional, and experienced enough to know exactly how to go about it."

He was also satisfied with his own form, with 87 against Australia last Monday being the highlight. "I was a bit worried after the first game, but worked on a few things very quickly," he said. "My confidence is right up. [There's] just one more game in this particular tournament, but we've got two months of cricket left. We've got October in India [Champions Trophy] and November-December in Pakistan. I'm feeling good, and getting to where I want to be. I don't want to peak too early, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a big one tomorrow."

His worries surrounded the form, or lack of it, shown by the middle order. And with that in mind, West Indies had plenty of match-simulation practice at the Turf Club on Saturday morning. "We're getting the guys to bat middle overs, not necessarily new ball or anything like that," he said. "We're setting targets and seeing how we approach it, and getting accustomed to it. They have to value their wickets out there. It seems to be working, but again match time tomorrow will tell."

Lara admitted that Corey Collymore's lack of fitness was a blow, and was unsure of which XI he would play, though he hinted that he might leave out Marlon Samuels. "Looking at yesterday and how Harbhajan bowled, Sehwag didn't complement him," he said. "So I'm not sure if I am going with both [Gayle and Samuels], but it's an option. The pitch has deteriorated a lot, and you saw Hogg bowl, you saw Harbhajan bowl, even Mongia. They [the spinners] are starting to play a very important part. But as you saw against India, the seamers also started putting it in the right areas."

Against a near full-strength Australian side, hitting the right areas will be mandatory. If they do, Lara and his team can nurse hopes of a big upset. But if the radar malfunctions, they could be on a hiding to nothing.