KOCHI, India, CMC- Captain Dwayne Bravo wants West Indies players to avoid the errors that forced them to lose a One-Day International (ODI) series against India last year as the two teams begin a new ODI series on the sub-continent.
West Indies and India, considered the top ODI side, are due to meet in the first of five ODI matches at the Nehru stadium here in Kochi today.
Last year, the two teams were tied on one victory each before India pulled of a five wicket win in the third and final ODI to clinch the three-match series.
“We were going into the third game which was one all and we always put ourselves into a position to win the game but sometimes we are never able to finish it off ,” recalled Bravo, who leads the ODI team.
“So we are going to try to use last year’s game when we played against them. The things we did well. The things we did not do well, to try and make sure we don’t make those same mistakes again”.
The confidence of Bravo’s men has been bolstered following a three-nil ODI series win over lowly ranked Bangladesh earlier this year. However, while acknowledging stand-out performances during that overall series from the likes of Denish Ramdeen and Darren Bravo who both scored centuries, Bravo has admitted that the series against India will represent a big test for his team.
“It is good to be back. We are always looking forward to playing India .They are the number one, one day team in the world,” said Bravo.
“Leading up to such an important tournament as the World Cup, we will try and use these games as preparation and to really test ourself to see where we are at. We just came off a three-nil series win over Bangladesh and we played good cricket.”
West Indies are starting the series against India on the backs of two defeats to India A and without two of their big stars in Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine.
Gayle is recovering from injury and will miss the five-match series while Narine was called back home after the Champions League T20 banned him from bowling, calling his action illegal. However the return of Marlon Samuels is expected to provide a boost to the middle order which has been fragile against the Indian spinners.
Additionally, the arrival of three key players, Dwayne Smith, captain Bravo and Andre Russell, who all campaigned in the champion League Finals, could add impetus to the West Indies momentum.
“Our cricket looked good in the last series and now this is the series that will be the test to see where we really at,” said Bravo.
“In India is always difficult but at the same time we have players who have done well here. I look forward to it.”
The match begins four Am eastern Caribbean time today.
