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Carl Hooper yesterday set out an upbeat and clearcut objective for his West Indies team on the eve of the first Test of the Cable & Wireless Series against India.

Whether it is achievable is another matter but it certainly reflects a refreshing new approach.

Emphasis must be placed on winning, the West Indies captain said in explaining the recall after three years of two over-30s: Stuart Williams and Junior Murray.

I don't think you can continue to rebuild, rebuild, rebuild if you're losing.

And he made it clear that bowling would be the key to turning around a record of seven defeats against two victories and three draws since he controversially replaced Jimmy Adams as skipper last season.

We certainly don't want to be negative, he said. You want to give yourself a chance to win Test matches and, to do that, you must have at least four front-line bowlers.

The four here will be three fast Merv Dillon, Cameron Cuffy and the newcomer Adam Sanford and the leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, just off his Busta tournament record 51 wickets.

It is a change from what has been a generally defensive attitude, best exemplified only two Tests ago when the West Indies took the field against Pakistan in Sharjah with only three main bowlers.

Given the inexperience of his bowlers and the strength of opposition batting led by the most prolific batsman of the modern era, Sachin Tendulkar, Hooper's policy seems over-optimistic. But he needs to stick by it.

His assessment that the bowlers will decide the series also appeared at variance with the evidence, especially since India's key off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was ruled out of the match because of a shoulder injury.

Since the retirement of Courtney Walsh a year ago, the West Indies have conceded one total in excess of 600, two of over 500 and two more over 470, in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Sharjah. In their last six Tests, the opposition has averaged 480 against them.

Hooper, himself, an occasional off-spinner, is the only bowler with more than 100 wickets and only Merv Dillon of the others, now the spearhead of the attack, has more than 20 Tests to his name.

Sanford, the burly, 25-year-old Antiguan policeman born in Dominica, has been chosen to make his debut, the only newcomer in the XI.

He becomes not only the first descendant of the Caribs to represent the West Indies but the 11th fast bowler tried in the continuing search for the successors to Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and the host of greats from the past.

His captain described him variously as exciting, quick, with a big heart, eager and enthusiastic. He will need all those attributes in what will only be his eighth first-class match.

In Harbhajan's absence, India will depend for wickets even more heavily on their veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble who, along with Shane Warne, is the only contemporary spin bowler with over 300 wickets to his name.

Fine bowler that he is, most of his success has been on helpful home pitches.

He and the worthy fast bowler Javagal Srinath (214 Test wickets) present the main threat, but there is no Muttiah Muralitheran, Chamina Vaas, Shaoib Ahktar or Abdul Razzaq to harass them here as was the case in Sri Lanka and Sharjah.

© The Barbados Nation