Nothing to shout about

Adelaide-It was, said Jimmy Adams, "an improvement on some of the cricket we've played since we've been here".

The captain's comment was a self-evident truth, for the West Indies pressed Australia hard, made them bat for a second time and carried the match past the third day for the first time in the series before losing the third Test by five wickets 38 minutes into the last day.

Yet, in many ways, it was even more frustrating than the first two heavy defeats, if not as humiliating.

At Brisbane and Perth, the West Indies were utterly outplayed and never given a chance to regroup after the all-out 82 and the 22 for five on the respective opening days.

Here, they had the advantage of the toss on a dry pitch initially ideal for batting that progressively deteriorated into cracked and dusty unpredictability.

A first innings total of 391, set up by Brian Lara's masterly 182, and a minimal deficit of 12 was a potentially winning position against opponents having to bat last.

Adams said the aim was for a second innings total of "somewhere in the region of 230 to 260". As it turned out, 200 might have been enough but the eventual 141 certainly wasn't.

"We sort of mucked up in the second innings," he said. "This is the difference between the top teams in the world and those who aren't: the fact that they can go for five days.

"We've got to get to the level where we can press, not for one or two days, but for five days."

This is what made the West Indies of the 1980s so invincible.

Amass 420 in the first innings and they would still beat you by ten wickets, as they did to Australia at Bridgetown in 1984. Declare and set them 312 to win against the clock and they would breeze through for the loss of one wicket with 11 overs to spare, as they did against England at Lord's in the same year.

It is how Australia have surpassed the record of Clive q's West Indies and were now chalking up their 13th consecutive victory.

When Pakistan gave them 369 for victory in Hobart a year ago, they were 126 for five and still got home by four wickets.

In spite of Lara's first innings blitz and the absence of the injured captain Steve Waugh and fast bowler Brett Lee, they never thought they were out of it.

"The belief is there," victorious stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist said. "That's the strength in our team."

And lack of it is the weakness in a West Indies team that is never certain of itself, no matter how strong their position.

In the first Test in New Zealand a year ago, they were 281 for one at the end of the first day and somehow contrived to lose by nine wickets. At Lord's in June, they let a first innings lead of 133 evaporate into incredible defeat.

Every defeat can be sourced to the unreliable batting, as was the case here. It depends almost entirely on Brian Lara, even more so in the absence of Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

By the time, South Africa arrive in the Caribbean in March, Chanderpaul will hopefully be back and perhaps Carl Hooper as well.

It is now clear that experience is needed in the middle-order while the talented young batsmen recently introduced-Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle-are given more time to be properly prepared.

Adams' tactics have been predicated by his fear of the kind of batting collapses that have been regular occurrences for four years now.

Monday's 141 was the 19th total below 200 in the last 18 overseas Tests and it's difficult for any captain to plan properly with such a background.

Yet Adams has carried his policy that defence is the best form of attack to extremes.

Even with the sizeable first innings total here, he seldom supported his fast bowlers with more than two slips and a gully. Usually, it was one slip with the other fielders dispersed in run-saving positions. Deep backward square-leg, a location to deal with a long-hop, has become almost obligatory.

Even yesterday morning, when Australia's target was a mere 32 and six wickets remained, Adams could not break the habit. A slip and a gully were the only close fielders at a time when only quick wickets would keep the West Indies in contention.

Dillon's third ball leapt at Damien Martyn's body and he fended it off. Shortleg would have had the chance of a catch but he wasn't there. In Dillon's second over, another lifter took Martyn on the glove and lobbed behind square. Only then did Adams himself station the short-leg. It was too late.

When Adams and his planning team of vice-captain Sherwin Campbell, coach Roger Harper and assistant coach Jeffrey Dujon determine tactics for the remaining Tests-in Melbourne, December 26-30, and in Sydney, January 2-6-they need to be more adventurous.