India seek West Indies whitewash as Ganguly nears record

India are eager to extend the West Indies' poor run of form away from the Caribbean when the third Test begins in Calcutta today. The West Indies have lost 23 of their last 27 Tests when travelling and India are chasing only their third ever series whitewash.

They managed clean-sweeps against England in 1993 and Sri Lanka in 1994 and it would be their first against the West Indies.

Sourav Ganguly, meanwhile, needs one more Test win to become his country's most successful captain. He has 13 wins from 28 Tests, bettered only by Mohammad Azharuddin's record of 14 from 47 Tests.

Ganguly also has the personal goal of chasing his first Test century at his home ground, Calcutta's Eden Gardens. He is expected to lead the side despite hurting his lower back after colliding with Anil Kumble during the final day of the second Test at Madras.

India have won the series with two wins, including a victory by an innings and 112 runs, their biggest over the West Indies. The home side are likely to pick the same squad, but the tourists are to make changes to the team that lost the second Test by eight wickets.

The left-arm, fast bowler, Pedro Collins, is out because of a back injury and Gareth Breese, the off-spinner, and Ryan Hinds, the batsman, have been dropped from Carl Hooper's side. The leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo and fast bowler Cameron Cuffy, who both played in the first Test, are included in the final 12 along with paceman Darren Powell and batsman Marlon Samuels.

Yesterday, Indian cricketers kept an eye on the longer term when they launched a players' association to protect their commercial interests, with Ganguly and the batsman Sachin Tendulkar among its seven founding members.

Arun Lal, the former Test batsman, was named the secretary and said membership would be open to all present and past first-class cricketers. "Our aim is to get all first-class players to join as soon as possible," he said. The Indian Cricket Players Association's formation follows a dispute between players and the International Cricket Council over sponsorship rights during last month's Champions Trophy.