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All to play for in Jamaica

Who's have thought it. After three matches, West Indies and India are still level at 0-0 following three draws and there is still everything to play for going into the final Test, which begins on Friday in Jamaica

Simon Cambers
29-Jun-2006


Brian Lara and Rahul Dravid will pit their wits against each other one more time in Jamaica © Getty Images
Who's have thought it. After three matches, West Indies and India are still level at 0-0 following three draws and there is still everything to play for going into the final Test, which begins on Friday in Jamaica.
West Indies battled really well to save the first two Tests but they were the dominant team for much of the third match in St Kitts, a late rally from India aside.
So now, having won just one of their previous 20 Tests, West Indies now have the chance to win a series against a proper team. With all respect to Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, a win over India would be a huge boost to cricket in the Caribbean.
Bet365 make West Indies the outsiders, still, at 7/2 (4.50) to win the match while India are 13/10 (2.30) and the draw is the 5-4 favourite.
That is no surprise because given their poor form of the past decade, West Indies would almost certainly consider a drawn series a success, even if India have never been the best side overseas.
Brian Lara is also the kind of captain who errs on the conservative side when it comes to declarations and so forth, so don't expect him to go for the jugular.
Lara, it almost goes without saying, is the favourite at 3/1 (4.00) to be his side's top runscorer in the first innings. The West Indies skipper averages a superb 63 at Sabina Park and has to have a good chance of topping his side's scorers.
The good thing for West Indies, though, is that they have been batting well as a team, with Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle all making runs.
Gayle is 7/2 (4.50), Sarwan and Chanderpaul are both 9/2 (5.50), Daren Ganga is 11/2 (6.50) and Marlon Samuels is 13/2 (7.50).
For India, the Wall Rahul Dravid is 3/1 (4.00) favourite, Virender Sehwag is 7/2 (4.50) and VVS Laxman and Wasim Jaffer are both 9/2 (5.50).
Yuvraj Singh is a 6/1 (7.00) chance and Mohammad Kaif is 13/2 (7.50).
Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.

Simon Cambers is Cricinfo's new betting correspondent