Australians odds-on for whitewash

Brian Lara will be hoping to score more runs than he managed in the recent Super Series against Australia © Getty Images

For those of us who grew up watching the likes of Holding and Marshall terrify all of the world's best batsmen, the sight of the present West Indies team is a sad one. The Windies have fallen so far over the past decade that they are rated a mammoth 20/1 (21.00) by bet365 to win the three-match series in Australia, which begins in Brisbane on Thursday.

Contract disputes, lack of application and an overall decline have seen West Indies humbled home and away and such is their decline that the series will consist of only three Tests. Australia, who bounced back from their Ashes defeat by hammering a Rest of the World side in Sydney earlier this month, are just 1/16 (1.06) to win the series, while the draw is a 17/2 (9.50) chance.

Even the most optimistic of West Indies fans would not dream of thinking of producing an upset, and staving off an embarrassment is probably the best they can hope for. However, it is no surprise that Australia, who will be ruthless as they look to re-establish themselves as the world's best side, are 4/5 (1.80) to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.

Try as I might, I just can't see West Indies winning any of the Tests and it's equally unlikely that they can stop the Aussie juggernaut for as much as a draw. bet365 clearly agree as they make Australia as long as 17/2 (9.50) to win just 1-0, while it's 13/8 (2.62) for a 2-0 triumph - perhaps a slight possibility if either Brian Lara can hit a huge score or if the weather intervenes. A 2-1 win is 10/1 (11.00) while anyone who fancies West Indies can get some massive prices. They are 80/1 (81.00) to win 1-0, 100/1 (101.00) to win 2-0 and 150/1 (151.00) to complete a whitewash of their own.

Considering that they have not won a series against Australia since 1992-3, and that they have not won an away series (against anyone other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe since they beat New Zealand in 1994/5, the chances of them breaking that run are pretty slim. For the record, a 0-0 draw is a 50/1 (51.00) chance, while a 1-1 draw is a 10/1 (11.00) bet.