Aussie captain Ponting warned his Windies counterpart Chris Gayle to expect an unpleasant return from injury in the third Test.

In his absence the hosts have seen their hopes of capturing the Frank Worrell trophy evaporate with the Australians taking a 1-0 lead into the final Test, which begins at the Kensington Oval on Thursday.

During those opening two matches the bowlers from both teams have been forced to toil on pancake-flat pitches.

However, with the Kensington Oval pitch billed as as the quickest in the Caribbean the pacemen are set to take centre stage.

And Ponting revealed his bowlers were keen to make full use of the conditions and test out the West Indies top order with some short-pitch bowling.

"Gayle's probably someone we can test out and (Ramnaresh) Sarwan's probably someone we can test out early on," Ponting said.

"Most of their top order (are susceptible to a bit of extra bounce).

"We've done that in fits and spurts in the first couple of games, but it's generally been when our bowlers have been a little bit tired and we haven't had a very hard ball at different times as well to expose them.

"Hopefully we can get that in this game."

The series has proven to be a far closer affair than expected due to a combination of an improved West Indian team and the placid pitches.

The hosts were unlucky to fall to a 95-run defeat in the first Test in Jamaica, before they comfortably negotiated the final day in Antigua to hold out for a draw.

During that time the West Indian bowlers have found reason for optimism, most notably in Jamaica where they bowled out Australia for just 167 after having them 18 for five.

And Ponting revealed the home pacemen had let the Australians know they too were looking forward to meeting the tourists head on in Barbados.

"I know some of their bowlers have been talking to some of our batsmen out in the middle (in the first two Tests), saying 'we can't wait until we get you guys down to Barbados where there's a bit more pace and bounce', but we've grown up on those wickets," Ponting said.

"We get that every day at home. I don't think there are going to be too many Aussie batsmen having sleepless nights going into the game.

"Their bowlers will enjoy it, our bowlers are going to enjoy it, but I think our batsmen will probably enjoy it a bit more than theirs."

West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has enjoyed all that the Australian have thrown at him so far in the series scoring 313 runs, including two centuries.

The left-hander was not dismissed in Antigua to lead the West Indies resistence on the final day and earn praise from West Indies legend Sir Viv Richards.

"When you look at Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his achievements, the time spent at the crease, we are seeing the final product because of the hard work," said Richards.

"There are times when you have players in your team who become jealous for the right reasons. That jealousy should be the positive sign of how I would like to be a Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

"They should be saying, 'I'd like to be the guy who is standing up there every minute of the day and be counted'."

Australia will make just one enforced change to their team with left-arm leg-spinner Beau Casson set to make his Test debut in place of Stuart MacGill, who surprisingly retired during the second Test in Antigua.

Casson's selection completes a meteoric rise after he was hardly thought of as a Test prospect just two seasons ago and Ponting admitted he did not know much about the bowler himself.

"I remember years ago at the cricket academy, Tasmania went on a tour to South Australia pre-season and he was in the academy team," Ponting said.

"I faced a bit of him then and realised he was a kid with a bit of a future. He's very eager to learn but he's pretty well sorted to tell you the truth, he knows his stuff."