Australia joins in Lara's mind games

The Australian camp and champion West Indies batsman Brian Lara indulged in a round of mind games in Adelaide on Wednesday as the teams arrived for the third Test.

Lara turned up insisting he was no certainty to play because of hamstring and shoulder injuries which continued to trouble him following his double century against Australia A earlier this week.

"Hopefully, I'll be able to play on Friday -- that's the main thing," Lara said.

"I'm not 100 per cent, but you know my aim is to play on Friday and to get out there and do my best."

Lara is the only one who appeared to doubt whether the left-hander would line up.

Australian coach John Buchanan turned the spotlight on Lara's mental approach after the Windies' star scraped only 21 runs from his four Test innings this summer.

Buchanan said the Australian squad had received mixed messages from critics who watched Lara rattle up 231 from 260 balls against Australia A on a Hobart wicket Lara rated "pretty flat."

"Just because he scored some runs doesn't mean he's going to take any of that into this game," Buchanan said.

"It's a new game against some very good quality Test bowlers which he hasn't been all that successful against previously.

"Beyond that, it's still his mental approach to his team and his cricket at this stage. We'll wait and see whether that's changed at all when we get to this Test."

Lara's mental state has been questioned as much as his physical condition since he arrived in Australia last month under the strain of match-fixing allegations.

He then had to deal with questions about his teenage lingerie-model girlfriend who accompanied him to Australia while his form slumped in the first-class arena. She has now returned to England.

But Buchanan admitted Lara's double century might have sparked the Windies' batsmen into form.

"From the West Indies' point-of-view, it's good that he's got some runs under his belt," Buchanan said.

"That gives them a little bit of extra confidence coming into a Test on a batsman-friendly pitch."

Lara admitted time was running out for the Windies, who must win the final three Tests to take home the Frank Worrell Trophy.

But sports bookmakers have again given the Windies little hope of winning, marking them at 10-1 compared to Australia's 1-3, despite the absence of injured players Steve Waugh and Brett Lee.

"We'd love to have a win because the series could be decided in this particular match, so we have to get back into it," Lara said.

Mail Cricket Editor