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Only five weeks ago, Zimbabwe were rejoicing over a series-levelling victory over India in the second Test here and confidently awaiting their joust with the waning West Indies.

The situation has rapidly changed and Zimbabwe go into the second and final Test here tomorrow in a state of some desperation.

They are still without their finest batsman Andy Flower, and denied yet another, Stuart Carlisle, both through injury. They are behind after their thrashing by an innings and 176 runs in the first Test in Bulawayo and they have been distracted by off-field wrangling over players pay and racial representation.

While the West Indies have overcome their own unprecedented catalogue of injuries so they can put the same victorious 11 in the field, the home selectors are considering a host of options.

Some, even if inadvertently, could temporarily quell the discontent over the continuing shortage of black players in the team that manifested itself last week in the breakaway of black and Asian clubs from the Mashonoland Association. Carlisle's absence, with a finger fractured in the field in Bulawayo, leaves a hole at No. 3 that was inadvisedly filled by Tatenda Taibu in the second innings in Bulawayo. The effervescent 18-year-old wicketkeeper, the only black player in the 11, is an obvious talent but the job was too much for him.

The two most obvious candidates are Gavin Rennie, 25, whose experience of 19 Tests would be a factor, and Hilton Masakadza, a tall, 18-year- old opener who has already shown his ability against the West Indies in the lead-up matches to the Tests with scores of 35, 38 and 33 (against Rennie's 0, 1 and 32).

Masakadza would qualify on merit, rather than on colour, and it is an opportunity to expose another young player, as they did with opener Dion Ebrahim from the start of the season. Masakadza is the most promising black batsman since the gifted, but reportedly temperamental Trevor Madondo, who died of malaria last month at the age of 24 and who would have been the ideal choice.

The structure, and personnel, of the bowling is also likely to come under review.

Brighton Watambwa, another of the talented black cricketers, is tall, slim and said to be genuinely quick. He took good wickets in his debut series against Bangladesh and then against India before he broke down in the first innings of the second Test.

He and Henry Olonga, the most identifiable and experienced black player, with 105 wickets in 23 Tests, are fit again and either would add some sting to an attack that relied heavily on captain Heath Streak in Bulawayo.

Fast bowler Andy Blignaut, Man-Of-The-Match in the victory over India and with 17 wickets in his first four Tests this season, had a poor first Test with ball (none for 116) and bat (21 and 9). But, at 22, he is one for the future and worth persevering with.

Flower's loss, through torn tendons of the left thumb, has been even more damaging to Zimbabwe than Lara's to the West Indies.

The West Indies, in the established sporting jargon, are quietly confident, as they should be. Captain Carl Hooper and coach Roger Harper are striving to ensure that doesn't develop into dangerous complacency, as it so easily can in the present circumstances.

© The Barbados Nation