India vs West Indies 2018: 3 things to watch out for in the first Test

Both team's approach towards the game

India won't feel as free as they did during their home series during the last three seasons for obvious reasons

While West Indies are ranked 8th on the Test rankings, India know that their number one rank is on shaky grounds after a 1-4 drubbing on their tour to England. West Indies haven't won a Test match against India in the last 16 years, and the last time they won a Test match in India was 24 years ago. They just managed to qualify for next year's ODI World Cup, but have not really looked to challenge top sides for quite a while now.

On the other side, India's spirits would be high after an unbeaten run during the Asia Cup that was squeezed in between the Oval Test less that ended on 11th September and the Rajkot Test that begins tomorrow. However, there are only a few players from that ODI team that will also feature in this Test series - and most of the players featuring in tomorrow's Test would only be continuing from India's forgettable tour of England.

However, India would take heart from the fact that the last home Test series they did not win was six years ago. India have to focus on this series and prepare for the tour of Australia at the same time, but experience would tell them that lack of focus would result in sure-shot failure. The only advantage the West Indies team need to ride on is coming in with no extra baggage. If only West Indies play in the spirit many of their former greats have ruled the cricketing world with, they can pose a challenge to the team that is still ranked number one.