They may all echo one another in saying that they shouldn't and won't take the West Indies lightly, but they will know that anything other than a series victory will be a big let-down. As it turns out, the series will be a chance for a statement of intent for the Indians, but for West Indies it comes as another opportunity to show the world that they are not a spent force.
When India toured the Caribbean in 1975, they managed to chase down a record 402 in the third Test at Trinidad. The game, the result and the lack of good performances from their spinners, changed the face of West Indies cricket.
Clive Lloyd managed to put together the fearsome foursome that terrorised batsmen for years. And West Indies ruled the cricketing world in unparalleled style for a long time. It was the kind of team that you would send out if Earth was invaded by a superior alien species, and challenged you to a cricket match to decide the planet's fate. But the higher you rise, the harder you fall, they say. And for West Indies, a team that was the model of excellence and perfection, the drop was massive.
They still managed to bring out world beaters consistently, but the team never again could be the one that was world beating. The world started beating them, and easily.
Out of the 55 Test series they played in the 21st century, West Indies have won just 14. To underline their decrement further, eight of the 14 have been against Bangladesh or Zimbabwe. Almost every series begins with the hope that a new fresh West Indies with the vigour, aggression and suave of old returns, but ends with resignment to the fact that they cannot now compete at that same level.
But with every chance, the hope rises again. The cricketing world loves the team and the players from the Caribbean, and the fraternity chimes in unison with the thought that a better West Indies is good for the game on the whole.
The past half year or so has been a tremendous one for the side. The Under-19 World Cup win in Bangladesh followed by triumphs for the men's and women's team in the World T20 in India. Hope was rekindled.
In the T20s, they were thriving, yes, but what about the Tests?
In white flannels, the side fails to inspire much. Even before preparations for the Tests began, there was unnecessary controversy that revolved around the team again. Denesh Ramdin, former captain of the side, took his dumping a little too roughly and tweeted out his outrage. The selection of players for the first Test was harshly criticised, too. From the outside, it seemed as if West Indies were upto similar histrionics again.
But here we are again. Hope, of course, springs eternal, and West Indies are once again looking at a fresh start. A new beginning that will help the team put themselves amongst the top. "I don't know about building a team for the future. Every time you go out, you want to win. If you sit down and say 'you're building a team for the future', then it means you don't want to win. We want to win every game," Phil Simmons, coach of the West Indies, said on Tuesday. 'We want to win every game.' They're the kind of words you hear in almost every press conference. The reality, however, couldn't be farther. A win, in any Test, for the home team would be looked at as an upset and as a major achievement.
Perhaps, it is time they accepted the 'underdog' tag and used it to their advantage. Darren Sammy called his side 80:20 outsiders ahead of the World T20 semifinal against India, and then beat MS Dhoni's side. He said it felt like them against the world ahead of the final, and his side lifted the trophy for the second time. Maybe, it's a formula that allows the West Indian players to play more freely, express themselves without thinking of consequences and start winning more consistently.
West Indies have painted the cricket world rich with some amazing colours in the past, pray they don't paint themselves out of significance in Tests.
India's tour to the West Indies in '75, turned out to be a win-win situation. India came back knowing they could achieve the impossible. While West Indies turned to a fresh tactic and dominated the world.
What good could come out of this four-Test series? Let the games begin.
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