A big, big test lies ahead of India. Things could change, new days could begin. They are famously lousy overseas, but if it's not now, if it's not here, it could be a very long time to come. West Indies at home are far from soft targets, but there aren't many softer around. "There has to be a first time," Sourav Ganguly believes. Ganguly himself will bat at No. 3, doubtlessly spurred by his century against Zimbabwe at Delhi last month. "I started at No. 3 and then slipped down the order for whatever reason. I would like to go back up now." He will be the third man in three series to start the series in that position. It's a move that is bound to draw criticisms of selfishness or foolishness, but it is a decision that Ganguly alone can make look worthwhile. At least it proves that he is willing to take the bull by the horns.

Ganguly brushed aside the ridiculous tour schedule - agreed upon with the approval if not on the insistence of the Indian board - which provided for a single three-day game against a second string state side. "It can't be helped if Guyana reached the Busta Cup final. I am satisfied with our preparations," Ganguly said.

Doesn't matter what Ganguly says - match-practice matters. Currently, no bowler has sent down more than 35 overs, and no batsman stayed out more than three-and-a-half hours, this entire tour. More than anything, it forces the playing XI upon the management. No change is likely to be made to the team that won against Guyana Cricket Board President's XI, except an important one forced by injury, Sarandeep Singh coming in for Harbhajan Singh.

Harbhajan's loss is crucial, for he alone among Indian bowlers has a sparkle and a revved-up hunger to engineer something special. Javagal Srinath can be expected to be good, Anil Kumble to be relentless, and Zaheer Khan to be occassionally incisive, but a Test-winning bowling line-up needs more. Sarandeep Singh arrived on Tuesday night, and is likely to play provided he has fully shaken off any fatigue that comes with flying across so many time zones. Wasim Jaffer and Ashish Nehra have been retained in the XIII.

West Indies have bowling decisions to make of their own. Carl Hooper made it clear that the first target is to not lose at Bourda. Four specialist bowlers would be nice but there may be a compromise: Mervyn Dillon, Cameron Cuffy and new boy Adam Sanford play while Hooper, Ryan Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul provide bits and pieces of spin. At a joint press-conference today, Hooper referred to Sanford as "exciting, has a big heart and is quite quick, as the Indians will no doubt find out." Ganguly, sitting alongside him, didn't blink.

Predictably, the biggest buzz involves Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. Who's better, who's best? Much column space has been devoted to the subject in India and the trend hasn't bucked at Georgetown. Fans who have turned up at practice sessions love to get on the debate in singsong accents. Yesterday, an Indian journalist was confidently informed that Lara is Prince of the Caribbean. Tendulkar is Master of the Universe, was the reply. "But Gavaskar is the greatest maan," came the compromise. They shook to that. It promises to be a colourful West Indian summer.

Probable teams
India
1 Shiv Sunder Das, 2 Deep Dasgupta (wk), 3 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Rahul Dravid, 6 VVS Laxman, 7 Sanjay Bangar, 8 Anil Kumble, 9 Javagal Srinath, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Sarandeep Singh.

West Indies
1 Chris Gayle, 2 Stuart Williams, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Brian Lara, 5 Carl Hooper (capt), 6 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 7 Junior Murray (wk), 8 Mahendra Nagamootoo, 9 Cameron Cuffy, 10 Mervyn Dillon, 11 Adam Sanford

Rahul Bhattacharya is a staff writer with Wisden.com India. His reports will appear here throughout the Test series.

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