The revival of West Indies cricket has finally begun. There is a long way to go yet but there was ample evidence during the series against Australia that they mean business now.

The 2-0 defeat by Australia does not reflect how hard-fought the series was. There were plenty of moments when West Indies gave the Australians a run for their money.

The West Indian sense of pride has been reawakened. The body language was good even in adversity and this will be a key factor in the revival process.

This was best illustrated in the third and final Test when Fidel Edwards plucked out a wicket from nowhere after Australia had scored over 200 for no loss.

What was great to watch was that the fielders egged Edwards on to claim that wicket. And the crowd also got into the act.

Man-of-the-series Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, however, has struck a note of caution. He feels that the new batsmen are not learning fast enough.

Despite Chanderpaul's warning, there is a ray of hope. Xavier Marshall, recalled from the wilderness, showed the kind of guts which was lacking before.

He was unafraid to play his shots and often took the fiery Brett Lee on the body. This is the kind of commitment which has rarely been seen in the West Indies.

Set an impossible target of 475 in the third Test, the West Indies actually went after it and gave Australian captain Ricky Ponting a few anxious moments.

The series belonged to Chanderpaul. He gave more than 100 per cent throughout and currently on form, he should be ranked as the best batsman in world.

Most of the batsmen contributed at some point or another. Ramnaresh Sarwan played a crucial innings in the second Test which West Indies managed to save.

Dwayne Bravo did not capitalise on the many good starts he got but in the third Test he came good during the run chase.

The West Indies bowlers deserve a salute for giving the Australians a scare. Poor fielding let them down at crucial moments.

Edwards had a great series and Jerome Taylor continued his good work. Darren Powell was disappointing and his fielding was a major letdown.

The good news for the team is that a spinner has finally arrived. Suleiman Benn did not take many wickets but he showed enough promise. He will add the much needed variety to the attack in the future.

The West Indian performance in the series has given the Australians a lot to think about. The number one team in the world were exposed on quite a few occasions.

The boot is in the other foot now. The Australians will have to do a lot of introspection. The West Indies can celebrate for seeing a bit of sunshine after the gloom.