England begin crucial year with tour to unfancied Windies

England are solid favourites although history is on the side of the underdog West Indies ahead of the first Test of the three-match series starting Wednesday at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

Riding a wave of five consecutive victories - eight in nine matches going back to the last English summer - which includes series wins over top-ranked India and an historic sweep in Sri Lanka, the tourists appear supremely confident of overturning the disappointments of their last two Caribbean campaigns.

England have only won one Test series in the West Indies in the past 50 years, a 3-0 triumph in 2004, and failed to live up to expectations in 2009, when they lost 1-0, and again in 2015 when a five-wicket triumph inside three days by the unfancied hosts at the same Kensington Oval venue resulted in a shared series.

While the weight of expectation will be on the visitors' shoulders, West Indies face a daunting task to halt a run of four consecutive defeats, all within three days, on a disastrous Asian tour late last year which saw them being brushed aside by both India and Bangladesh in two-Test series.

England have a settled look to their team and took the weekend off training following two satisfactory two-day matches against a Cricket West Indies XI at the 3Ws Oval just outside Bridgetown. By contrast the West Indies squad reflects both a lack of continuity in selection and the parlous state of the domestic game.

John Campbell looks certain to make his Test debut opening the batting alongside the established Kraigg Brathwaite. However the 25-year-old's first-class average of 30 suggests he will face a stern challenge from England senior pace spearheads Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, who need just two more wickets to lift their combined tally of Test victims to 1,000.

- Bravo back after lengthy exile -
==================================
Teams (probable):