Brian Lara has been named in a 13-man West Indian squad for the first Test against India at Georgetown. Lara returns to the squad after missing two Tests against Pakistan at Sharjah in March with an elbow injury. He dislocated it during a one-day international in Sri Lanka last year when he collided with a fielder, Marvan Atapattu. Lara was the main run-getter against Sri Lanka, hammering three centuries in as many Tests. His big scoring, however, failed to prevent his team from losing the series 3-0.

West Indies also included four fast bowlers, in Cameron Cuffy, Marlon Black, Mervyn Dillon and Adam Sanford. Sanford becomes the first cricketer from one of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean to be picked for West Indies. Sanford is from the indigenous Carib people, many of whom reside in his native Dominica, and will be one of the fast bowlers that captain Carl Hooper expects to call upon to try and blast out the Indian batsmen during the series. He earns his place following an impressive season in the domestic championship, in which he captured 41 wickets at 25.19 apiece in eight matches.

There were also recalls for opening batsman Stuart Williams and wicketkeeper Junior Murray, neither of whom has played Test cricket for three years. There was also a call-up for legspinner Mahendra Nagamootoo.

Opener Daren Ganga and wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, vice-captain of the side last year, are two notable omissions from the squad that assembles in Georgetown on Monday ahead of the gruelling home series.

West Indies squad for first Test
Chris Gayle, Stuart Williams, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper (capt), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ryan Hinds, Junior Murray (wk), Mahendra Nagamootoo, Mervyn Dillon, Cameron Cuffy, Marlon Black, Adam Sanford.

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