All you need to know: Windies v Australia

Well, it's simply been too long since we've seen Australia running around in the Baggy Green caps, so Wednesday can't get here quick enough.

While fans back home can keep an eye on upcoming Test opponents England and New Zealand, the sole focus of Darren Lehmann and his team is on a series that will be far more challenging than the ICC rankings suggest.

Without further ado, here's all you need to know for the two-Test series between Australia and the West Indies.

 

When is it?

It all begins on Wednesday June 3 (June 4, 12am AEST) in Dominica before heading to Sabina Park, Jamaica for the second Test beginning June 11.

How can I follow it?

We'll have you covered right here on cricket.com.au. Follow the live scores for both Tests and keep an eye out for news, day reports and highlights throughout each day's play.

Fans in Australia with a Foxtel subscription can also watch the action live on Fox Sports.

Don’t forget you can follow all the action with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

What are the form lines like?

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Will Australia opt for both Nathan Lyon and Fawad Ahmed in the first Test?

West Indies

The home side enters the series with some confidence under their belt following a 1-1 result in the three-Test series against England.

Jason Holder produced a stirring century in the first Test to hold off the tourists and conjure a draw, before England hit back with an emphatic victory in the following Test.

Alastair Cook's side carried all the momentum into the final Test, but the West Indies fought back from a first-innings deficit to pull off a memorable win in a run chase led by Darren Bravo and Jermaine Blackwood.

Opening batsman Rajindra Chandrika and wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich were named in a final 14-man squad after impressive performances in the three-day tour match against Australia.

Chandrika scored a first-innings half-century, while Dowrich cemented his spot in the squad with 78 and an unbeaten 53 in Antigua.

A notable omission from the squad is 164-Test veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with the West Indies selectors opting for youth against Australia and coach Phil Simmons dismissing the need for sentiment.

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Australian players are in high spirits in Dominica

Australia

It's been almost five months since the Aussies donned the creams for some Test match cricket as Michael Clarke's men got busy winning a World Cup on home soil.

Since that memorable day at the MCG in March, the Australian players have spread around the globe on holidays or IPL and county duties.

But the squad has now assembled in the Caribbean with the focus on improving their poor record overseas that includes just two wins from 14 away Tests since the last tour of the Windies in 2012.

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Brad Haddin prepares for another important Test series

The tour opened with a three-day match against a WICB President's XI, where Shaun Marsh (118) and Josh Hazlewood (2-36 & 3-4) pushed their claims for Wednesday's first Test in Dominica.

The scorecard suggests a disappointing performance from Australia's batsmen, but it's hard to read too much into it with David Warner and Steve Smith, as well as allrounder Shane Watson, sitting out the warm-up fixture.

From the XI that took on India at the SCG in January, Clarke and Mitchell Johnson will make their return with Joe Burns (omitted) and Ryan Harris (paternity leave) two players who certainly won't feature in the two-Test series.

The make-up of the final XI is set to be decided by the conditions at Windor Park as the selectors weigh up the possibility of playing Fawad Ahmed alongside Nathan Lyon.

Video: Late call on XI: Lehmann

What's the stat I need to know?

1,302 - That's how many more career Test runs Shivnarine Chanderpaul has scored than the rest of the West Indies top seven in the previous Test combined.

It's a huge call from the selectors to axe one of the country's greatest batsmen for a series against a high-quality opponent, but Chanderpaul's output in the England series was well below the high standards he has set throughout his career.

It remains to be seen whether or not his experience in the middle order is missed against the Aussies.

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Steve Smith will be looking to continue his fine run of form

Squads

West Indies: Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Rajindra Chandrika, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Veerasammy Permaul, Denesh Ramdin (c), Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor.

Australia: Michael Clarke (c), Steve Smith (vc), Fawad Ahmed, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson.