West Indies, Sri Lanka out to challenge champions India

KINGSTON, Jamaica: With India enjoying an additional 48 hours to bask in the glory of their Champions Trophy triumph, West Indies and Sri Lanka get the Tri-Nation One-Day International Series underway on Friday at Sabina Park.

Both teams have points to prove after being steamrolled by the ODI kings over the previous fortnight in England.

For the Sri Lankans, this fixture marks just the second time that they are playing an ODI at major international cricket's westernmost venue.

The only other occasion came at the 2007 World Cup when Mahela Jayawardene's unruffled unbeaten hundred led his side comfortably past New Zealand in the semi-finals, only for them to be upended by hat-trick-seeking Australia in the final three days later in Barbados.

West Indies were the first to feel the weight of India at their best at the Champions Trophy at the group stage of the competition before missing out on the last four agonisingly when Kieron Pollard's dismissal just before the rains came at Cardiff left the Caribbean side trailing South Africa on the Duckworth-Lewis System.

While no-one wants to have to return to the sometimes bewildering formulae and calclulations necessitated by Duckworth-Lewis, it will be no surprise if batting second and then staying ahead of the par score becomes a priority during the seven matches of this tournament.

Despite the acute disappointment of the manner in which they missed out on a place in the Champions Trophy semi-finals, the head coach of the T20 world champions asserts that the players under his care "are taking more responsibility and are starting to believe a lot more" that they can go all the way in major competitions.

Having retained the same squad from the Champions Trophy, with the exception of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jason Holder, the West Indies will again be looking to Chris Gayle to provide the firepower and momentum at the start of their innings.

Teams: West Indies - Dwayne Bravo (captain), Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Tino Best, Kemar Roach.

Sri Lanka - Angelo Mathews (captain), Kusal Perera, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Mahela Jayawardene, Jeevan Mendis, Ajantha Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Shaminda Eranga.

Fixtures:
June 28 - West Indies vs Sri Lanka - Jamaica
June 30 - West Indies vs India - Jamaica
July 02 - India vs Sri Lanka - Jamaica
July 05 - West Indies vs India - Trinidad
July 07 - West Indies vs Sri Lanka - Trinidad
July 09 - India vs Sri Lanka - Trinidad
July 11 - Final - Trinidad.
(AFP)