India must do well in Tests: Chappell

Mumbai: India coach Greg Chappell has urged his players to reproduce their successful One-Day methods in Tests in a bid to claim a rare series victory in West Indies.

"We have made good ground in the last 12 months, especially in one-day cricket," Chappell said.

"We need to apply the similar processes to test cricket, bearing in mind that test cricket is more demanding," he said before Friday's departure for West Indies where India are due to play five One-Dayers and four Tests.

"We have got to be more aware of the flow of test cricket, of the important moments, the important sessions in Test matches," he said.

The Australian batting great has transformed the One-Day side since taking over last July, his emphasis on young players, batting order shuffles, fielding and teamwork paying rich dividends.

Under Chappell, India have now notched up a world record 16 consecutive one-day victories when batting second, pushing their ranking up to third from seventh.

India have struggled for consistency in Tests, however, and will have their work cut out to beat the struggling home team.

Chappell said India should try to emulate the successful West Indies sides of the 1980s and 1990s and current world champions Australia, who both replicated their One-Day success in Tests.

"If you look at the great West Indian teams that dominated world cricket for two decades and the current Australian team that has been on top for nearly the same length of time, One-Day cricket was the catalyst for them getting better," he said.

Victory in the 1987 World Cup revived Australia, who went on to take over as the world's best test team from the West Indies, whose ascendancy followed World Cup victories in 1975 and 1979.

India have not won a major Test series outside the sub-continent since a 2-0 triumph in England in 1986. Their only series victory in the Caribbean came in 1971-72.

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India's current lack of momentum in Tests was highlighted by this year's 1-0 series defeat in Pakistan followed by a 1-1 home series draw against injury-depleted England.

Chappell said playing away from home was always tough, but said the players should not to be weighed down by India's recent Test form or their modest overseas record. "People are obviously aware of the history, but we have nothing to prove barring the fact that we can win away from home," he said.

"Worrying about the outcome is not going to help us win the series." He said it was important to build depth in the test squad.

"You need also to be looking at developing players and the only way they can is to be playing matches under pressure," Chappell said, adding that the return of the experienced Brian Lara as captain would boost the West Indies.

Lara was handed the job for a third time after Shivnaraine Chanderpaul stepped down last month.

West Indies lost 10 out of 14 Tests and all but two of 16 one-dayers under his leadership. "I have no doubt Lara coming back as captain is a positive thing," Chappell said. It will be a change for them, I'm sure it will invigorate them, invigorate him."