'Killer instinct'

GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (CMC):

WEST INDIES captain Brian Lara wants his side to develop the killer instinct in the second Digicel Test against India, starting today at the Beausejour Stadium.

The Windies narrowly held on for a draw in the first Test after India overcame a first innings deficit of 130 to press for a victory on the final day at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

"We could have put ourselves in a very good position, but we didn't," Lara told reporters after a practice session at Beausejour yesterday.

"We allowed the opposition not just the opportunity to get back in the game and ensure they not lose it, but they also had an opportunity to win it.

"We need that killer instinct to ensure that when we do get on top we ensure we put the nail in the coffin."

After dismissing India for 241 on a pitch that favoured the bowlers, West Indies responded with a first innings total of 371.

As the track became easier for batting, India piled up 521 for six declared in their second innings and West Indies ended the match of 298 for nine after they were set a target of 392.

"Both teams must have come away from Antigua feeling some sort of accomplishment," Lara said.

"We were in charge of the game for the first couple of days. On the last day, we were resolute.

We showed a lot of fight and character."

The West Indies captain expects another competitive encounter on a pitch which contained a fair share of grass on the eve of the match.

"It's going to be another exciting match," Lara said.

"The pitch has a bit of grass. I don't know what effect it is going to have on the ball in terms of swing, pace and movement off the pitch."

The match is Beausejour's third Test, following drawn rain-affected matches against Sri Lanka in 2003 and Bangladesh in 2004.

India captain Rahul Dravid is upbeat ahead of the match, but was quick to point that his team's performance in the first Test should not allow them to get carried away.

"It doesn't matter now what happened in the first Test because we have to start fresh. This is a new match," Dravid said.

"Maybe, West Indies will be confident that they saved that match, but we can take heart from some of the things we did. We are also confident going into this Test."

If India had won in Antigua, it would only have been their fourth Test victory in the Caribbean where they are seeking a first series win since 1971.

"We know we have a pretty young side that can do some good things if they play good cricket right through the five days," Dravid said.

"So it is important for us to start this Test well, and see if we can create some pressure on the West Indies early in the match, then that's something which can hopefully make them crack."

The teams (from):

WEST INDIES - Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Ian Bradshaw, Dave Mohammed, Pedro Collins, Jerome Taylor, Corey Collymore, Runako Morton.

INDIA - Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Vikram Singh, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Powar, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Shantha Sreesanth.

Umpires: Simon Taufel, Asad Rauf. TV replays: Steve Bucknor.