Injured Bishoo ruled out of third Test

SYDNEY, Australia (CMC):

West Indies' hopes of using two spinners for the third Test match against Australia have been squashed after leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was ruled out of the final game here starting today (last night Jamaica time).

Captain Jason Holder announced that Bishoo had not fully recovered from a left shoulder injury and was not available for selection.

The one specialist spinner left in the squad is left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who played in the first match in Hobart and the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"We're down to one spinner with the injury to Bishoo, so we just have to work with what we have. I'm sure Kraigg Brathwaite will come to the fore and bowl a bit more," Holder told reporters on the eve of the match.

"I've seen they've gone with two spinners. We've been accustomed to spin-bowling in the Caribbean and, hopefully, our batsmen can get into that a lot better than we have in this series."

Heavy defeats

West Indies have already lost the series following heavy defeats in the first two Tests. They went down by an innings and 212 runs in the Hobart opener before losing by 177 runs in the second Test in Melbourne last week.

Holder said the team was buoyant following their improved outing in the second match, when they showed more resistance than in the three-day defeat in Hobart.

"We showed some improvement with the bat in Melbourne and we will look to take that into this match here. From the start of the tour, many people say the odds are against us, but we have belief and we will put up a good showing," Holder contended.