NEW DELHI, India (CMC/IANS):

West Indies are confident of playing competitively when their tour of India opens tomorrow with the first Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

The Windies are riding high on a Test series win on foreign soil for the first time in eight years, following their successful trip to Bangladesh, where they won both Test and One-day International series.

This series, the first full tour to India for nine years, will be their toughest under Darren Sammy, but head coach Ottis Gibson said the Bangladesh series helped his side prepare well and get acclimatised to conditions on the subcontinent.

"We had a good series against Bangladesh," he said. "We now know what to expect here. We have played outstanding cricket in the last 12 months and hopefully we will carry on the good work."

The last time West Indies visited India for Tests, they lost a three-Test series 2-0 under the leadership of Carl Hooper, following an innings and 112-run loss in the first Test in Mumbai and an eight-wicket defeat in Chennai before hundreds from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Wavell Hinds and Marlon Samuels helped them to draw the final Test.

West Indies are rebuilding however, despite the ugliness that exists off the field keeping Chris Gayle out of consideration for selection to the team, and there are signs of a recovery, having pushed the Indians all the way in 0-1 home defeat last June/July.

Gibson said the mood in the dressing room has changed after the series victory in Bangladesh.

He said the biggest challenge for West Indies will be to bowl out the top six in the Indian batting line-up consistently.

The Indian top order is expected to be at full strength unlike their previous Test series in England when they failed miserably, and is set to comprise Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman and Yuvraj Singh.

"We have a good pace attack," said Gibson. "India also have a comparatively young bowling unit, but the batting order is heavily loaded.

"Their top-six batsmen are experienced and the challenge for us will be to bowl against them. Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul have been bowling well and we also have a good spinner in Devendra Bishoo.

"We played on similar pitches in Bangladesh and our bowlers are capable of doing well again. We have to rely on our skills. We have got better with every match."

Bishoo will be a key component of the West Indies attack in the series.