Lara and the three cops

Brian Lara: the man South Africa fears © AFP

"Brian's fine."

Ricky Skerrit finally uttered the words that West Indies were anxious to hear. Brian Lara was not injured, his forearm was just fine, and yes, he would definitely play in the second Test in Durban.

For a while it didn't look likely. A net bowler, of all people, hit Lara on his left forearm, prompting a hospital visit. With the x-rays showing everything intact, the man West Indies is looking up to can go out and strut his stuff. For if there's one man South Africa fears in this series, it's Lara.

"Lara is the type of guy who can kill you in one session," Mark Boucher said. Left to his schemes, Lara can change the course of a match rapidly, as he showed with his knock of 202 in the first Test. But he also needs support, which South Africa stifled successfully, largely due to Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, and Andre Nel, who knocked over 19 batsmen at an average of below 20.

The West Indian batsmen will have to find a way of standing together for long periods, because South Africa's fast bowlers follow a disconcerting good cop-bad cop-bad cop routine, where Pollock bowls a gentle tight line, Ntini comes up with serious pace, and Nel follows, with a war mask for a face, and bowling that's just as hostile. Eric Simons, South Africa's coach, feels that pace, bounce, and the right line will unsettle the batsmen, and if Nel is aggressive enough, wickets will fall. Aggression is never in short supply with Nel around - he was fined for making an obscene gesture in the first Test.

Andrew Nel: helping South Africa lick West Indies © Getty Images

But West Indies have their own frighteningly quick bowler in Fidel Edwards. The Kingsmead pitch, which assists quick bowling and lateral movement, will be to Edwards's liking. Even then, the West Indian bowlers will need more than just that to trouble Graeme Smith's team. The bowlers were inconsistent with their line and length in the last Test, and Smith and Jacques Kallis made merry with big centuries, while Herschelle Gibbs showed his good form, shrugging off the nose-rearrangement.

Then there's more news - good and bad, depending on which side you're on. Gary Kirsten is all set to return after missing the first Test for his son's birth. And Robin Peterson, who was tonked for 28 in one over, will make way for Paul Adams, further strengthening the team.

Unlike South Africa, West Indies will go into the second Test with a depleted side. Chris Gayle, who played much of the first match with a torn hamstring, has been ruled out. Corey Collymore has also been ruled out, also with a hamstring injury. It's likely that Adam Sanford, who claimed a five-for in a tour game against Border over the weekend, will replace Collymore, while Darren Ganga will open the batting with a clearly struggling Wavell Hinds. The openers are a worry. Stands of 43 and 5 sit poorly beside the 149 and 72 Smith and Gibbs put up on a shirt-front wicket.

Lara, realising that his side cannot match the South Africans consistently, says that results are not important, and it's the thought process that counts, "If it's the batsman's style to attack, that's the way he must play." He should know. He'll play his 100th Test tomorrow.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a carefree 74 in Johannesburg, but it came when all was lost. Gayle scored 34 in the match, of which 32 came in boundaries. Nice, but the man couldn't run.

West Indies will have to change tack if they want to give South Africa a run for their money. With Kirsten hell-bent on scoring his 20th century at Durban, the other batsmen in great form, three fast bowlers who don't wait for things to happen, and a spinner whose bowling action is as confusing as his bowling, things are not going to get any easier.

Then again, if they look half-way around the world for inspiration, there's another team that was expected to drop dead, but has not done too badly.

It's time to stand up, or else be flattened by a team that will come out with its guns blazing.