Bravo hopes West Indies' prayers are answered

West Indies have no need to start praying for an outstanding victory over Australia because they have been doing it three times a day already. Dwayne Bravo revealed the method was part of galvanising the team, which needs 241 runs to overcome the world champions in the opening Test.

Bravo took 4 for 47 to finish off Australia's second innings at 167 and West Indies reached 46 for 1 at stumps, giving the hosts confidence of recording an upset success. "We are in a very good position at this time and it is up to us as a team to continue the good work," Bravo said. "Once we ensure that we don't lose early wickets to let the Australians back in the game, and once we have a good first session, I have no doubt that we are going to go on and win the game."

Bravo will have an important role to play with the bat on an up-and-down surface while the team will also look to Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for major contributions. Sarwan was not out 8 while Devon Smith had reached 19.

"Once you apply yourself and be selective in your strokeplay you can get runs," he said. "We have to go out there, be positive and believe we are going to get the runs."

Bravo scored a brisk 46 in the first innings and knows he has been guilty of not going on to make big scores. "That is something I've got to work on," he said. "I've been working on it and I know I will get over it. I'm 24 years old, I started at a young age and I am learning my cricket at the international level, which is a difficult thing."

Over the past year there have been many off-field changes to the West Indies squad and Bravo said the assistant coach David Williams, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, has helped bring more "togetherness". "That wasn't there before," Bravo said. "One thing that stands out is that the team has been praying three times a day and I think that is the most important thing."

The bowlers formed a unified front after Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell started Australia's collapse. After one over of the fourth morning the tourists were 18 for 5 and Edwards and Powell finished with three wickets each.

Australia were thankful for Andrew Symonds' 79 and his partnerships of 52 with Brad Hodge and 74 with Brad Haddin. "He played brilliantly," Hodge, who made 27, told the ABC. "He's such a powerful man, such a dangerous striker, that he really opened the game up straight after lunch when they brought the spinner on. It got the ball rolling again for us."