India believe they have a chance of ending a 16-year drought in the forthcoming Test series against West Indies if they can overcome their maddening inconsistency. "We have the potential to beat any side in the world," India's coach John Wright said after his touring squad's first practice session here. India have not won a Test series outside the subcontinent since 1986, when they beat England 2-0 under Kapil Dev's captaincy. But West Indies have been passing through a lean patch of late, having lost Test series against Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

"If we play as well as we can, we can clinch the series," said Wright, whose greatest moment as coach came when India stunned Steve Waugh's Australians 2-1 in a home series last year. India's overseas record, however, has remained dismal. They have lost Tests in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and South Africa in the past 10 months. Their best opportunity to wrap up an away series came in Zimbabwe, when they won the opening Test at Bulawayo, but collapsed in the second at Harare and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Wright admitted that inconsistency was the main reason for India's poor record abroad, even though they hadd several world-class batsmen. "This [inconsistency] is really frustrating," said Wright. "What we require is self-belief. We've got to believe that we are capable of winning away from home. It's a very important factor. Another important thing is that we should play as a team. We have quite a few brilliant players, but have yet to click as a team. What we need is a collective effort."

Wright said that he expected an improvement in the team's performance this time. "We have come here with a strong squad, having two young talented seamers in Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. Both look fitter and stronger. The boys should enjoy the tour and concentrate on the game. Moreover, the conditions here are different from those in South Africa or Australia. Let's see what type of wickets we get in the Test series. It's better to play five Tests as there's always a chance of fighting back."

India, who will also play five one-day internationals after the Test series, open their tour with a three-day game against Guyana on Friday.

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