Lara not worried about impending whitewash

West Indies captain Brian Lara, whose team went 3-0 down to Australia after losing the third Test on Monday, said he wants to stick with his young side and was not concerned about an impending whitewash.

West Indies, with an average age of around 25, suffered three consecutive home defeats for the first time on Monday and could also suffer their first home whitewash if they lose the fourth and final Test in Antigua, starting Friday.

"The records are not really my main worry. That's of little importance," said Lara, adding that better days lay ahead.

"We have got some very good players here and they are on the verge of making the breakthrough in Test cricket.

"I'm quite happy with the look of the team, I want us to play cricket the way we are playing. We are not to going to play Australia every day of the week. It's all about character building and that is what is happening."

He added: "The experienced players have been tried and tested, a lot of them have come up short and I don't see any need to go back to them.

"In the batting department, we have done pretty well. The batting is going to take care of itself."

Lara, who raised eyebrows when he won the toss and asked Australia to bat first on a docile pitch, admitted he had miscalculated after the tourists made a match-winning 605 for nine declared.

"The pitch came up short," he said. "It was not the greatest Test track and I couldn't tell it was going to deteriorate so much, so it was unfortunate I chose to bowl."

Steve Waugh equals Clive Lloyd's record

Steve Waugh joined West Indian Clive Lloyd as the most successful captain in Test cricket after Australia's nine-wicket victory over the West Indies in the third Test on Monday.

Most succesful captains:

Australia No. 1 again

Australia regained top spot in the world Test rankings from South Africa after beating the West Indies by nine wickets before tea on the last day of the third Test.

Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill claimed five for 75 to seal the victory.

Monday's win gave Australia a 3-0 lead in the four-match series with previous victories by nine wickets in Guyana, and 118 runs in Trinidad and Tobago.

Australia will become the first team to sweep the West Indies in the Caribbean if they win the fourth Test, which begins on Friday in Antigua.

The West Indies, 187 for three overnight, was bowled out for 284 in its second innings, leaving the visitors just eight runs to win.

Fast bowler Jermaine Lawson completed a rare hat-trick by trapping Justin Langer plumb leg before wicket with the first ball of the run chase. The 21-year-old had ended the Australian first innings by bowling Brett Lee and MacGill off consecutive balls.

"Bio-mechanical mess" Muralitharan ponders future

Sri Lanka's injury-prone cricket star Muttiah Muralitharan wants to slow down after being described by the team's former physiotherapist as a "bio-mechanical mess".

The off-spinner, one of the most prolific wicket-takers in the modern game and rated highly by cricket's Bible Wisden, has been plagued by injuries over the last few years.

At 30, when cricketers are considered to be at the peak of their game and fitness, Muralitharan has already suffered a dislocated shoulder, a hernia operation, torn quadriceps and a niggling groin.

Alex Kontouri, the Sri Lankan team's physiotherapist for eight years who quit last week for family reasons, said in a recent interview that Muralitharan was a "bio-mechanical mess" who needed to be nursed carefully.

And the star bowler, hoping to play international cricket for at least four more years, has heeded the advice quickly.

Muralitharan hopes to pick and choose his one-day matches in order to stay fit for the next World Cup to be played in the Caribbean in 2007.

"I want to play only major tournaments," Muralitharan said during the ongoing Test series against New Zealand.

"Too much of one-day cricket does take its toll. I hope to go on for another four years....but one never knows what the future holds. Plans often change."