BRISBANE, Australia (CMC):

A back injury has sidelined Ramnaresh Sarwan for the opening Test between West Indies and Australia that started on Thursday (Wednesday evening Caribbean Time).

West Indies captain Chris Gayle confirmed the dreaded news after Australia won the toss and chose to bat on the opening day at the Gabba.

Sarwan fell awkwardly while executing a fielding drill on the eve of the Test, and remained on the turf at the Allan Border Field for several minutes before he was helped away by teammates and medical staff.

Sarwan was one of West Indies' most prolific players in their drawn opening tour match against Queensland last weekend when he scored 73 and 66.

Sarwan's absence gives his compatriot Travis Dowlin the chance to continue his Test career.

The 32-year-old Dowlin made his Test debut against Bangladesh during the tumultuous home series earlier this year.

West Indies have also named two Test newcomers in their line-up - Adrian Barath and Ravi Rampaul - while Brendan Nash is playing his first Test on what he used to consider home soil.

For West Indies, they will be haunted by 15 years of failure against the Baggy Greens, and will seek to overcome their recent history of underachievement.

Several former international players on both sides have written off West Indies' chances of being competitive in the series, but West Indies coach David Williams was confident his side could match the Aussies.

Team spirit

"We have come together as a team and the team spirit is very good," he said. "Even before we left the Caribbean, we knew what to expect and we had discussions which outlined what would be required.

"Australia is a tough place to play cricket for visiting teams, and we know we have to work hard and work for each other. We have no problems at all."

He added: "At the end of the day, we are looking for good performances, and looking to beat the Australians."

In their past 39 Tests, West Indies have been victorious on only three occasions, and not since Richie Richardson led his side to a 2-1 win in the 1992-93 series have the visitors tasted a series success against the hosts.