Indian captain Rahul Dravid (left) and team coach Greg Chappell believe the team needs to regroup after losing the one-day series. - REUTERS
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):
INDIA CAPTAIN Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell say the team's 4-1 one-day series defeat to the West Indies could impact on the four-Test series starting on Friday.
"We've got a little bit of work to do mentally, to regroup and get ourselves prepared for the test series," Chappell said after India's fourth straight loss on Sunday.
Dravid concurred, but was confident in his team's ability to rebound.
"We'll just have to regroup and we'll have to fight back," Dravid said. "A lot of times it has been the one-day team that has bounced back from Test defeats - like in Pakistan."
In January and February, India lost the Test series 1-0 to Pakistan, but won the one-dayers 4-1.
TOUGHER CHALLENGE
West Indies captain Brian Lara said India would present a tougher challenge in the Tests.
"The confidence is high, but we can't get carried away," Lara said. "We've got to keep our feet on the ground, and we have to focus, or refocus, on the five-day game to ensure we do well."
Lara identified the experienced Indian spin duo of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble as threats.
"India is a great opponent and they have two very good spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble and they are not going to be easy," Lara said.
The 37-year-old Lara, now in his third term as West Indies captain, urged authorities not to prepare pitches that favour spin.
"I'm expecting hopefully we can get something more sporty for our fast bowlers," Lara said.
West Indies coach Bennett King supported Lara's view.
"We would like fast, bouncy pitches, but it's difficult here," he said.
Chappell said that the 35-year-old Kumble, India's leading wicket-taker with 510 in 106 Tests, could be a handful if the pitches are similar to those used in the one-day series.
"He's a fine bowler, one of the best going around, very experienced and one of the great competitors," Chappell said. "I think he'll enjoy the conditions here, but obviously he has to bowl well and has to be supported by bowling at the other end - we can't rely on one bowler."
The first Test begins in Antigua on Friday, with Tests in St. Lucia from June 10-14, in St. Kitts from June 22-26, and in Jamaica from June 30-July 4.
SQUADS
West Indies: Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Runako Morton, Denesh Ramdin, Dave Mohammed, Jerome Taylor, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Ian Bradshaw.
India: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Dinesh Karthik, V.R. Singh, Ramesh Powar.
