West Indies v Australia first Test odds: Batters aiming to impress

Australia head into the first Test of their three-match series in the West Indies with plenty to prove and with a new look to their middle-order batting line-up, with both Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne absent.

Labuschagne has been dropped after a lengthy run of poor form, having been tried as an opener in the World Test Championship final which ended in a five-wicket defeat to South Africa at Lord's.

Smith suffered a hand injury in that loss to the Proteas and remains sidelined, with Josh Inglis taking his place at number four and Sam Konstas returning to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja.

First Test outright odds

West Indies to win - 4.50
Australia to win - 1.44
Draw - 6.50

Australia to win - 1.44

Australia may be shorn of the services of two of their leading batters, but they remain hot fancies at 1.44 to win the first Test of three which takes place at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados starting on Wednesday.

The Baggy Green will certainly have a point to prove after the last Test meeting between these two sides - at the Gabba in January - went the way of the men from the Caribbean, as they edged home in an eight-run thriller.

It should be remembered, however, that that was the first Windies Test victory over Australia since 2003, with the once great rivalry having become more than a little one-sided.

Indeed, having not won on any of their first six Test outings at the Kensington Oval, the Baggy Green have won four of the last five meetings in Bridgetown, most recently triumphing by three wickets in April 2012.

Veteran Nathan Lyon is the lone survivor from that victory, with the star off-spinner having taken just one wicket in the match.

West Indies to win - 4.50

The hosts will no doubt be boosted by the knowledge that their last Test clash with Australia ended in that famous victory in Brisbane, but they are again in a state of flux, with off-sinning all-rounder Roston Chase set to captain his side for the first time in a Test match.

Kraigg Brathwaite stepped aside in March after 39 matches at the helm, but he remains a key batter for his side, with their options boosted by the returns of white-ball skipper Shai Hope and also John Campbell.

Right-hander Kevlon Anderson, as well as all-rounders Brandon King and Johann Layne, will be hoping to earn a Test debut, while the pace attack will be led by Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales and spin comes from new vice-captain Jomel Warrican.

Shamar Joseph was the hero at the Gabba with figures of 7-68 in the second innings as Australia were bowled out for 207 and had to settle for a 1-1 drawn series.

Batter match runs - Sam Konstas over 66.5 @ 1.83

Young right-hander Konstas will no doubt be eager to impress at the top of the Aussie batting order, having played in two Tests against India before missing out for the series in Sri Lanka and then the World Test Championship final.

The 19-year-old impressed with an ebullient 60 on debut against India at the MCG in December last year and will hope to harness some of his undoubted talent to stake a claim for a permanent spot at the top of the batting order.

Inglis will be equally keen to show what he can do when he steps in for the injury-stricken Smith, having become a regular in the white-ball set-up, but having only played in two Test matches to date.

However, they came as recently as the tour of Sri Lanka and Inglis marked his Test bow in style with a debut century in the first Test in Galle, before his only other Test innings - at the same venue in the second Test - saw him dismissed for a second-ball duck.

Inglis is also 1.83 to make over 66.5 match runs, while he is 6.50 to register a second Test century at the Kensington Oval.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.