Tomorrow's opening Test match in Mumbai between India and the West Indies brings together the sixth and seventh placed teams on the ICC Test Championship table. India will be defending one of the most impressive home records in world cricket, which has seen it win four and draw two of its last seven Test series.

Conversely, the West Indies will be looking to turn the corner on an away record of six losses and one win in its last seven series, which includes 20 lost Tests and just two wins during that period.

Victory in the three match series for Sourav Ganguly's side will move India above the Windies into sixth place on the table. A drawn series would maintain the current status quo, while a win for Carl Hooper's team would consolidate sixth position and take it closer to England, currently in fifth place.

ICC Test Championship Table, 8th October 2002

Team          Played   Won   Lost   Drawn   Points  Average
Australia       13      9      2      2       20      1.54
South Africa    16     11      3      2       24      1.50
New Zealand     17      8      5      4       20      1.18
Sri Lanka       16      8      6      2       18      1.13
England         16      6      6      4       16      1.00
West Indies     15      6      8      1       13      0.87
India           14      4      6      4       12      0.86
Pakistan        16      4      7      5       13      0.81
Zimbabwe        16      3     11      2        8      0.50
Bangladesh       5      -      5      -        0       -

Mike Procter is the ICC Match Referee for the series and Elite Panel umpires David Shepherd and Asoka de Silva will stand in each of the three Tests (Mumbai, 9-13 October, Chennai, 17-21 October and Kolkata, 30 October to 3 November).

Media contact:

Mark Harrison
ICC Communications Manager
Tel: + 44 207 266 7935
Cell: + 44 787 944 1891
Email: mark.harrison@icc-cricket.com

© ICC