India embark on yet another overseas tour looking for a series win which has eluded them since 1986 in England. If dreams are to become a reality, the team would need their big guns to fire consistently. Sanjay Manjrekar names five players who could make all the difference. Harbhajan Singh
Despite the injury he has picked up so early in the tour, I would consider Harbhajan Singh a major threat. He has both flight and turn, and West Indian batsmen have always been bothered by good spinners. Harbhajan's incredible series against Australia made him a much-feared bowler by batsmen around the world, who probably look at him as a greater threat than Anil Kumble. West Indies have quite a few left-handers in their line-up, and if Harbhajan gets into his rhythm early, he could be a handful. I only hope he explores various options of picking up wickets, instead of looking at bat-pad catches as his only way of dismissing batsmen. If he does that, he could be India's trump card.

Anil Kumble
West Indies haven't seen much of Anil Kumble – the last Test series between the two teams was five years back. Besides, there are a few new batsmen in their ranks who wouldn't have played Kumble before. The novelty factor will be Kumble's biggest advantage – not many West Indian batsmen would have encountered a bowler of his type in domestic cricket. Also, pitches in West Indies tend to wear and become uneven on the last couple of days. Kumble can be deadly then – he can exploit a fifth-day track better than any bowler in the Indian team, including Harbhajan.

VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman hasn't had a great run lately, but conditions in the West Indies should be perfect for him. Unlike in England, the pitches and the atmosphere here will offer very little seam movement, and in spite of his limited footwork, Laxman should find it much easier to negotiate the bowling. His inconsistency is a worry, but if Laxman gets into his groove, his rate of scoring can set up victories for India. Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, Laxman is India's most valuable batsman. I would allow him to choose his batting slot (apart from No. 4), and then fit Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly in the order.

Sachin Tendulkar
He has easily been India's most consistent batsman. I don't think there is any question that he will get runs, but there is a buzz around world cricket that he hasn't played enough Test matchwinning knocks. It is something he would want to set right, and that'll be a bigger challenge for him than simply getting runs. Also, West Indies is one of the few countries where he hasn't scored a century, in spite of coming close more than once on the last tour. That's another record he'll want to correct.

Rahul Dravid
In a team of flashy strokeplayers, Rahul Dravid offers much-needed solidity and resilience. Apart from Tendulkar, the rest of India's middle-order has been inconsistent, and it is here that Dravid's effort will be crucial. He has been one of India's best batmen overseas, where he is free from the pressures of huge expectations from Indian crowds. He can take his time to score runs, unlike at home where he is expected to get them at a fair clip. His consistency has dipped slightly, but I would still back him to be a major force in this series.

Sanjay Manjrekar, stalwart of the Indian batting in the early 90s, was talking to S Rajesh.

West Indies players to watch

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