CANBERRA – A scan has revealed no major damage to West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle who sustained a thigh injury during the third One-Day International (ODI) against Australia Wednesday.
West Indies team media manager Philip Spooner said a game-time decision woud be made on Gayle’s ability to play in today’s (last night Barbados time) ODI against Australia.
The big-hitting opener was being given as much time as possible to prove his fitness before game four of a five-match series, which Australia lead 3-0.
Gayle was hurt while fielding in Australia’s innings during the West Indies’ 39-run loss in Canberra on Wednesday.
While he still bowled five overs, he spent time off the ground and batted at No. 5 instead of opening.
Gayle, who has scored just ten runs in three innings in the series, underwent the scan early yesterday before the team flew to Sydney.
“A scan has revealed no major damage and a game-time decision will be made tomorrow on whether or not he will be able to play,” Spooner told the Australian media.
“He will do a fitness test.”
Meanwhile, captain Darren Sammy has lamented the failure of the West Indies to exploit potential match winning moments in the series.
Sammy was reacting after Australia’s victory on Wednesday, following their 39-run win at Manuka Oval.
Windies hopes of erasing the home side’s mammoth 329 were kept alive by a third-wicket stand of 114 by the Bravo brothers, Darren and Dwayne, until seamer James Faulkner turned the tables with a four-wicket haul.
“We played some good cricket but we keep coming up short. I think we let them get too many runs in the first innings,” Sammy said.
“Three hundred and twenty-nine was always a hard score to chase but credit to the boys the way they went about trying to get the runs and we didn’t have enough in the end.” (CMC)
