AHMEDABAD, India (CMC) — West Indies will be hoping to address the “batting problem” that afflicted them in their shock series defeat to minnows Ireland last month, when they clash with giants India in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series here Sunday.

The Caribbean side’s struggles were laid bare during the three-match campaign in Jamaica, failing to get over 250 just once as Ireland clawed their way back from 1-0 down to pull off a 2-1 series triumph.

It prompted Captain Kieron Pollard to declare a “batting problem” in the region, and on Saturday he stressed the importance of taking the lessons learned from that debacle into the new series.

“I think for this series, I think the learnings or some of the things we need to take forward is how we bat 50 overs,” Pollard told a media conference.

He continued: “I think for us it is another opportunity to improve our skills, another opportunity to test where we’re at in international cricket coming up against a formidable Indian team in their conditions.

“If my memory [serves] me right, I thought the last time we were down here as a team we did pretty ok. We didn’t win the series but we pushed them so now we’re looking to push that one step further.”

West Indies’ batting produced only four half-centuries against Ireland, and the new selection panel headed by legendary opener Desmond Haynes, moved quickly to recall specialist batsmen Darren Bravo, Brandon King and Nkrumah Bonner, to bolster that area.

Along with the reinforcements, Pollard said it was also important for the batting group to remain switched on mentally, especially with limited preparation entering the series.

“What we can do as a group here is try to practice and work with what we have,” noted Pollard.

“In terms of from a selectorial point of view, I guess the selectors would have identified individuals and given reasons as to why certain individuals were selected as well. And that’s work in progress in wanting to have recognised batsmen trying to do the job.

“In the meantime, what we can do from a mental perspective is try to visualise some of things we need to do and try to put it into practice.”

West Indies have not beaten India in an ODI series in 16 years and are without a series success on Indian soil for two decades.

However, they face an Indian side which was dealt a humbling 3-0 whitewash by South Africa last month.

SQUADS: INDIA — Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Shahrukh Khan

WEST INDIES — Kieron Pollard (captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr