'On paper, India should win'

Far from adding to the Indians' fatigue, the four-match one-day series against the West Indies will help Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men "kill the demons" of their Twenty20 World Cup debacle, feels former pacer and ICC match referee Javagal Srinath.

"It's good India are playing a series as soon as this after their debacle in the World Twenty20," Srinath said.

"It will help them kill the demons, especially those raised by the media. This has been such a good team in recent times. They had set such a high standard; they haven't lost many ODI series. They stumbled a bit in the World Twenty20 but I am not going to make a big deal of it. I am sure they will do well. On paper, India should win," he said.

Defending champion India's T20 World Cup campaign ended on a sordid note after they failed to enter the semifinals, losing all their Super-Eight stage matches.

And the short Caribbean series comes after months of almost non-stop cricket for the Indians with skipper Dhoni admitting his team is a tired unit.

Srinath was of the view that the series will provide pacer Ishant Sharma the perfect opportunity to amends for his poor show in both the second Indian Premier League and in the Twenty20 World Cup.

"Ishant will be the leader of the pack in Zaheer's absence. Yes, he didn't have a great time in the IPL and in the World Twenty20 but this is a great platform for him to make amends.

"And look, he has not done well only in terms of the huge expectations of him. This is 50-over cricket now and I expect him to do well. He will be better off for having played in the IPL and the World Twenty20, more aware of the areas to improve," he said.

The former India fast bowler said the hosts would feel the absence of Fidel Edwards, the pacer whose short-pitched deliveries unsettled the Indians during their Twenty20 World Cup encounter.

"The pitches and the absence of Fidel Edwards will be handicaps and it might not work but won't deter them from trying it," Srinath told Cricinfo.