Captain Rahul Dravid on Monday said it was high time the Indian team justified its potential by setting right its overseas record on their upcoming tour of the West Indies later this month.
With the exception of a 2-0 win in Zimbabwe last year, India have not won a series outside the subcontinent since 1986 when, led by Kapil Dev, they beat England in England.
Dravid said the visit to the Caribbean would be an opportunity to correct that anomaly.
"Obviously it is a big challenge. It is important for us to do well and correct the record outside the subcontinent," Dravid said at a press conference in New Delhi.
"Every international tour is an opportunity to rectify that. Hopefully we can try and fulfill some of the talents we have."
India depart for the West Indies on May 11 and are to play five one-dayers and four Tests from May 18 to July 4.
- Schedule: India in West Indies
The captain expected the series to be "not any easy" and said the West Indies were a bunch "similar" to India in certain ways.
"They have good batsmen, and talented, young pacers. They are a developing side. They ran us close in the tri-series in Sri Lanka last year," he said.
"They are very much like us, a couple of senior guys and many youngsters. There are similarities."
Dravid said the tour would be more "exciting" for the youngsters in the team.
"As a youngster, you hear commentaries on the radio and watch on TV and form an idea about the places and grounds the matches are played at.
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Dravid brushed aside concerns about the team's Test potential following the defeats to Pakistan in Karachi and England at Mumbai.
"We lost a couple of Tests but we did not do badly. When you are playing with a young side, the youngsters need a bit more time to adapt", Dravid said.
"As they get better, as they travel and learn, the team will become better.
"A lot of effort and thought have gone into making ours a comprehensive side, not just in any one form of the game but in both.
"But these things keep happening. It is a combination of things, like injuries and others."
Dravid said it would be a privilege for him to play opposite Brian Lara who has been named third time skipper of the West Indies.
"It is always a privilege to play against him. I played along with him in the ICC Super Series (in October last year), and it was fantastic sharing the dressing room with him," he said.
"I was able to know even more about him by being in the same dressing room and am looking forward to catching up with him."
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