'It is tough to forget that early WC exit'

The 2007 World Cup humiliation in the Caribbean is still fresh in his mind, says Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who wants to get rid of the troubled memories by winning the four-match one-day series against the West Indies.

"Of course, it is not an easy thing to forget, especially that 2007 World Cup. It is always tough to forget that kind of tournament. It will be important for us to do well here," Dhoni said ahead of the first match in Kingston on Friday.

India had crashed out of the World Cup in the first week itself after embarrasing defeats at the hands of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

A year before the World Cup debacle, the team was thrashed 4-1 by the hosts in an ODI series.

The Indian team comes into the series after a disappointing Twenty20 World Cup campaign where the defending champions failed to even make the semifinals.

Absence of injured heavyweights Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan will make the task all the more tough for the side.

"Injuries are never good when it comes to your key players. But now that it has happened, the only good thing is it gives a chance to see the bench's strength," Dhoni said. 

"When it comes to India, we have plenty of talent, but it's about adaptability. international cricket doesn't have much to do too much with talent. It's how you cope with the pressure and how you deal with the situations, how you react," he added.

The skipper hopes to assess his bench strength during the short series.

"This gives them the opportunity to spend time in the middle, play a few games, get a bit of experience, see what international cricket is all about. It would be good exposure for youngsters who are part of the team right now and who have replaced the key players," he said.