Lara wary of Kumble factor

Brian Lara, the West Indies captain, feels that Anil Kumble would make a huge difference to the Indian side for the Tests after they got beaten 4-1 in the one-day series.

"India are a great opponent and they have two very good spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble and they are not going to be easy," Lara told the Trinidad and Tobago Express. He urged the authorities not to prepare pitches that favour spin. "I'm expecting hopefully we can get something more sporty for our fast bowlers."

Greg Chappell, India's coach, also said that Kumble would add value to the attack but emphasised that one good bowler wasn't enough. "He's a fine bowler, one of the best going around, very experienced and one of the great competitors. I think he'll enjoy the conditions here, but obviously he has to bowl well and has to be supported by bowling at the other end - we can't rely on one bowler."

India's 1-4 defeat in the one-day series was their worst in recent times. "We've got a little bit of work to do mentally, to regroup and get ourselves prepared for the Test series," said Chappell.

Having led West Indies to two successive one-day victories against Zimbabwe and India since taking over as captain from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Lara said that it was important to stay grounded because Tests were completely different. "The confidence is high but we can't get carried away," said Lara. "We've got to keep our feet on the ground and we have to focus, or refocus, on the five-day game to ensure we do well."

The first Test begins in Antigua on Friday, followed by Tests in St Lucia from June 10-14, in St Kitts from June 22-26, and in Jamaica from June 30-July 4.