Bangalore: India will embark on a tour of the West Indies during April/ May for a five Test series and an equal number of Limited Overs Internationals after the Test fixtures.

The first tour match will commence on April 5 against Guyana at Bourda and the first Test will be played at the same ground from April 11. This will be the eighth series for India in West Indies and unfortunately India has not fared well in the past.

In the seven series which have taken place in the Caribbeans, India has won only one series under Ajit Wadekar way back in 1970/71 - a year which marked the entry of Sunil Gavaskar, who carved out a sensational debut and put India on the world map with his awesome performance with the bat.

No drawn series has taken place and the West Indies has won the other six series. Tests wise India has played 33 Tests in West Indies but has been able to register wins only on two occasions - in 1970-71 and 1975-76.

In the last series held in the West Indies in 1996-97, Sachin Tendulkar had led the team. India had the mortification of being bundled out for its lowest score in the West Indies. Chasing a modest total of 120 runs for a win, which everybody had expected to be an easy task, India was skittled out for a paltry 81 at Bridgetown and lost the Test by 38 runs.

Brian Lara had donned the role of captaincy for the first time in his career in this Test in the absence of Courtney Walsh and celebrated the event with a victory in his first match as captain. The Weather also played a spoilsport in the remaining Tests on most occasions, as a result four Tests ended in draws.

However India can take consolation from the fact that it has registered the highest fourth innings score in a Test for a win when it won the Test at Port of Spain by blasting 406 for 4. Its earlier win also came at Port of Spain in 1970-71 when it had won by 7 wickets.

The current series will certainly be watched with great interest particularly as Brian Lara is expected to be fit and strengthen the batting line up for the West Indies. It may well answer the critic's query of who is the greatest - Lara or Tendulkar since the two giants will take on each other.

Only Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, V V S Laxman and Javagal Srinath in the present squad have toured in India's last visit to the West Indies. Srinath however had to return home before the start of that Test series due to injury.

Following are some of the statistics confining to the India/West Indies Tests.

Playing Record	P	W	L	D
In India	37	5	14	18
In West Indies	33	2	14	17
Total:	70	7	28	35

Series wise Results
Season	Tests Played	Won by Ind	Won by WI	Drawn	Captains		Won by	Played in
					Ind	WI
1948/49	5	-	1	4	Amarnath L	Goddard JDC	WI 1-0	Ind
1952/53	5	-	1	4	Hazare VS	Stollmeyer JB	WI 1-0	WI
1958/59	5	-	3	2	Umrigar PR (2)	Alexander FCM	WI 3-0	Ind
					Ghulam Ahmed
					Mankad MH
					Adhikari HR
1961/62	5	-	5	-	Contractor NJ (2)	Worrell FM	WI 5-0	WI
1966/67	3	-	2	1	Nawab of Pat (Jr)	Sobers GS	WI 2-0	Ind
1970/71	5	1	-	4	Wadekar AL	Sobers GS	Ind 1-0	WI
1974/75	5	2	3	-	Nawab of Pat (Jr)	Lloyd CH	WI 3-2	Ind
					Venkataraghavan S
1975/76	4	1	2	1	Bedi BS	Lloyd CH	WI 2-1	WI
1978/79	6	1	-	5	Gavaskar SM	Kallicharan AI	Ind 1-0	Ind
1982/83	5	-	2	3	Kapil Dev	Lloyd CH	WI 2-0	WI
1983/84	6	-	3	3	Kapil Dev	Lloyd CH	WI 3-0	Ind
1987/88	4	1	1	2	Vengsarkar DB 93)	Richards IVA	Drawn 1-1	Ind
					Shastri RJ
1988/89	4	-	3	1	Vengsarkar DB	Richards IVA	WI 3-0	WI
1994/95	3	1	1	1	Azharuddin M	Walsh CA	Drawn 1-1	Ind
1996/97	5	-	1	4	Tendulkar SR	Walsh CA (4)	WI 1-0	WI
						Lara BC (1)
Total	70	7	28	35
Abstract for Series Results
in India	8	1	5	2
in WI	7	1	6	-
Total	15	2	11	2
Abstract for Test Results
in India	37	5	14	18
in WI	33	2	14	17
Total	70	7	28	35