The West Indies will be looking to extend their hold over India in the four-match one-day series beginning in Nagpur on Sunday as they attempt to hit top form in the run-up to the World Cup they host in March.
Spurred by their runner-up effort behind Australia in the Champions Trophy late last year, West Indies are now considered serious contenders for the world crown.
This series is significant for the visitors as it represents a final opportunity to hone their skills prior to the main event in March-April.
India, on the other hand, will aim to turn their fortunes around in what has been a forgettable season, where they lurched from one defeat after another in the shorter version of the game.
Led by Rahul Dravid, India have a tough task at hand considering their patchy form and recent record against the visitors.
West Indies have won six of the past seven meetings between the sides since May, the last of which was a tense three-wicket victory in a crucial Champions Trophy group match last October.
India is under tremendous pressure to perform following a series of poor batting displays.
After losing a one-day series 4-1 in the Caribbean, they failed to reach the final of a tri-series in Malaysia.
They were knocked out in the group phase of the Champions Trophy and were trounced 4-0 by hosts South Africa in November-December after the first match of the one-day series was washed out.
GANGULY RECALL
The dismal run of form led to the axing of Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and Irfan Pathan for the first two matches and the return of former captain Saurav Ganguly to the one-day stage after 16 months on the sidelines.
Ganguly, who emerged the most successful batsman in the recent Test series in South Africa with 214 runs, was also named in the preliminary World Cup squad as India continue their hunt for a perfect combination.
Haryana all-rounder Joginder Sharma returns to the squad after two years out, while four openers have been selected -- Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly, Gautam Gambhir and recalled Robin Uthappa --- as a clear indication where the focus lies.
India also plays a one-day series against Sri Lanka in February as part of their World Cup preparations.
West Indies are without experienced batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, who is yet to recover from his foot injury sustained during the Pakistan tour, but have been strengthened by the return of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
The visitors, led by Brian Lara, will also be aiming to rebound from their 3-1 one-day series defeat to the Pakistanis in December.
All-rounder Darren Sammy was a late withdrawal through injury and he has been replaced by Dwayne Smith.
The other three matches will be played in Cuttack (Jan. 24), Chennai (Jan. 27) and Baroda (Jan. 31).
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