West Indies facing mission impossible

Get ready for Mission Impossible. While England and Australia finish off the NatWest Challenge, Sri Lanka and West Indies begin a two-Test series in Colombo on Wednesday.

The West Indies have had enough problems in recent times, but the absence of most of their main players, including star man Brian Lara, means they face a mountain to climb if they're to avoid a whitewash by a very capable Sri Lanka side.

The home side are 2/5 (1.40) to kick off with victory, while the draw is 2/1 (3.00) and West Indies are a ridiculous 16/1 (17.00). Ridiculous only in terms of a two-horse race, that is, but not ridiculous when you look at the squad West Indies have brought over. Though Shivnarine Chanderpaul continues to skipper the side, the left-hander is the only member of his squad to have played more than 10 Tests. Throw in the fact that Muttiah Muralitharan is back after 11 months out with a shoulder injury and you have to fear for the tourists.

Were it not for the contract dispute that kept the likes of Lara at home, West Indies might fancy their chances against a Sri Lanka side who have won just five of their past 20 Tests. The home side have not won a Test since October 2004 but the arrival of Tom Moody as their new coach should have galvanised them for this series.

West Indies have won just two of their past 20 Tests, losing 13 and drawing just five. They did share their most recent series with Pakistan, but that was with a full team and even though they are a shadow of the line-up that dominated the 1980s and early 1990s, all comparisons are virtually pointless given the changes in team personnel.

Player markets
bet365 clearly expect Chanderpaul to set the example to his young side in the first Test as they make him 5/2 to be West Indies' top batsman in the first innings. That's not surprising given the Guyana left-hander's superb recent record. In his past six Tests, or in other words since he became captain, he averages an impressive 90, thanks to a double century and two other hundreds. In his past 20 Tests, his average is 56, which compares favourably to his overall average of 47. Xavier Marshall, one of six debutants, is next in the betting at 5/1 (6.00), but like so many of the squad, he's an unknown quantity at the highest level. Dwayne Smith, one of the few established players, is a 13/2 (7.50) chance.

For Sri Lanka, captain Marvan Atapattu and former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya share favouritism at 7/2 (4.50). Of the two veteran openers Jayasuriya, after a long dip in form, looks the better proposition. In his past 20 Tests he averages 49, compared to Atapattu's 45, though the right-hander slightly shades it in Tests against West Indies. Kumar Sangakkara is 9/2 (5.50), Mahela Jayawardene 5/1 (6.00) and Thilan Samaraweera 11/2 (6.50). All three of them average better than 48.

Muralitharan, who will be looking to improve on his 532 Test wickets and close on Shane Warne's world record of 583 wickets, is favourite at 9/2 (5.50) to be named Man of the Match. Murali has taken 53 wickets in eight Tests against West Indies, a wickets-per-Test rate even better than his overall mark.