'Australia are beatable' - Jerome Taylor

Jerome Taylor has declared that Australia look beatable ahead of the first Test starting at the Gabba on Thursday, despite West Indies' disappointing performance in their tour match last week. The visitors failed to dismiss Queensland, who declared at 7 for 617, in the warm-up game but Taylor believes the pressure will be firmly on Australia.

Ricky Ponting's men hold the Frank Worrell Trophy after beating West Indies 2-0 in the Caribbean last year, although the series was more closely contested than the scoreline suggested. Australia's best players during that series included Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds and Stuart Clark, none of whom will be part of the rematch at the Gabba.

"Australia have a lot of firepower but they are looking like they are beatable," Taylor told AAP. "We are conditioned in our minds to go out and put up a good fight and to take it to the Australians. The pressure should not be on us. If we're the underdogs we're not expected to win but we will be going out there to put up a big show."

As the tour match demonstrated, the difficulty for West Indies will be taking 20 wickets. The squad does not feature Fidel Edwards, who was the best of West Indies' fast men against Australia last year, and it will be up to Taylor, who did not play against Queensland, to spearhead an inexperienced attack.

"I can't wait to get on the deck," Taylor said. "As a fast bowler, that's my thing, that's my job and I want to get into action. If there is any life in the wicket it's a plus for us because back home in the Caribbean we are accustomed to very flat and low wickets."

As well as being boosted by Taylor's inclusion, the tourists will have the major bonus of their captain Chris Gayle returning in time for the series opener. Gayle flew home to Jamaica last week to be with his ill mother but is expected to be at the toss with Ponting on Thursday.

"He is a great player for us and should we have gone down the line of losing him for this Test, it would have been a great loss," Taylor said. "It's nice to know he is on his way back. Personally for me it's great because we are both from Jamaica and I work with him a lot and he is a boost to the players."