West Indies' top order looked extremely fragile till the return of Chris Gayle earlier this year © Bangladesh Cricket Board Enlarge
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Darren Sammy may have only led West Indies to four Test victories in his two years as captain, though with two of those wins having come in his last two matches, the visitors have plenty of confidence coming into the series in Bangladesh. Sammy's Test place has frequently been questioned by critics but the recent upswing in the team fortunes should keep them at bay for a while.

"My plan is always simple, I want to perform," Sammy said in the pre-match press conference in Mirpur on Monday. "I make sure that the players are in the right frame of mind and perform for the Caribbean people. But I think it is always a team effort [which is needed], like when we won the T20 World Cup. We just want to go ahead and do our best for our country and our particular regions.

"Every team member knows what their role is and we just have to be ready to perform that particular role. All the spinners and part-timers have a crucial role to play. We are a developing team, we still got to find the ways of winning Test matches against higher oppositions."

Sammy now returns to the place where he won his first Test as captain, a country where West Indies have generally faced little competition, having taken the Test series on both the previous occasions they toured. The pitches too haven't troubled the side as they have been similar to some of the tracks back in the Caribbean.

"I think our team is quite balanced. Whatever combination we come up with, we believe the bowlers can take 20 wickets and that will help us win the Test match.

"Our best fast bowler [Kemar Roach] got injured, but we have Fidel [Edwards] who did well last time in Bangladesh. My record [as a bowler] against Bangladesh isn't too bad either. We just have to go out there and play good cricket. At the end of the day if we don't execute on the pitch, it won't matter."