It seems unlikely that India will significantly improve their dismal record of two victories in their 27 Tests in the Caribbean. Indeed, any Test win away from home is rare for India - just one in the last decade, and that in Sri Lanka.
India will hope that the newly re-laid pitch at Sabina Park will be as low and slow as the one for their only warm-up match against Jamaica. Even Courtney Walsh professed himself unsure how his home pitch would play. One thing can be taken near enough for granted - that it will not turn.
For this reason, the West Indies are almost certain to omit from their party the leg-spinner, Rawle Lewis, of Grenada, and opt instead to give a debut to Jamaican medium-fast bowler, Franklyn Rose, 25. ``I think our four fast-bowler strategy still has some mileage,'' says Walsh. In Jamaica, at least, he should be right.
Rose, 6ft 6in, has the same build and easy high action as Curtly Ambrose. Where he is different is that he swings the ball out.
His selection is an interesting story, an old-fashioned one of a pace bowler coming from nowhere. Rose made an immediate impression in his debut season, 1993, taking 20 Red Stripe wickets, but faded in 1994 before going AWOL for much of the next two years, having fallen out with the Jamaican Board and, by all accounts, shown a propensity for a playboy lifestyle.
Last December, Rose was not even in the island's squad of 20, but a superb performance in a practice match against the Jamaican side catapulted him into Red Stripe contention. Five wickets against Barbados, and four more in an excellent second spell against the Indians, convinced the West Indies selectors.
India have no such undiscovered fast bowling talent, as can be seen by the decision to replace Srinath with an off-spinner, Noel David. The Indians are still hoping that Srinath's chronic shoulder injury may receive the right treatment in South Africa for him to be fit for the last two Tests, but it is unlikely. Taking his place today will be either Doda Ganesh or the uncapped Abey Kuruvilla, from Bombay.
West Indies (from): *C A Walsh, S L Campbell, R G Samuels, B C Lara, C L Hooper, S Chanderpaul, J C Adams, R Holder, -J R Murray, I R Bishop, C E L Ambrose, F Rose, R Lewis.
India (from): *S R Tendulkar, B V S Laxman, N S Sidhu, S C Ganguly, M Azharuddin, R S Dravid, N R Mongia, A Kumble, S Joshi, D Ganesh, A Kuruvilla, B K V Prasad.