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Jayawardene: optimistic

As a team, we have been playing some really good cricket and our Test record speaks for itself, and we have been competing away from home which has been an issue for us.

Mahela Jayawardene
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Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is confident his side will enhance their reputation during the upcoming two-Test series in the West Indies.

The series opener starts in Guyana on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, with the tourists aiming to claim a maiden victory in the Caribbean.

However, their hopes are compromised by the absence of injured seam bowling trio Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof.

Veteran duo Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas will lead the bowling attack with support provided by two of Ishara Amerasinghe, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara and Chanaka Welegedara.

There will be an inexperienced look to the top of Sri Lanka's batting order with Malinda Warnapura and Michael Vandort set to form the opening pair as Sanath Jayasuriya has been left at home.

"As a team, we have been playing some really good cricket and our Test record speaks for itself, and we have been competing away from home which has been an issue for us," said Jaywardene.

"We are just going to do what we do best, and we are going to concentrate on what we have to do.

"We have been playing well, but there is still room for improvement, so there are a lot of challenges in front of us, and our goal is to confront those challenges, improve ourselves, and keep moving forward.

"We have been dominant at home, but away from home, we have started to win matches and we have become more consistent.

"It has a lot to do with our mental preparation. The last three, four, five years, we have settled down nicely.

"We have an attack now that can penetrate in any conditions which is a good thing, and this has helped a lot, since you need to take 20 wickets to win a Test match. Once we found that combination, things have begun to turn around for us."

Spin options

West Indies have named two uncapped spinners - Suliemann Benn and Amit Jaggernauth - in their 15-man squad for the first Test to be held at Providence Stadium, a venue that was built for last year's World Cup.

Although the wicket is expected to offer assistance for the spinners, West Indies are likely to select fast bowling trio Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor, alongside all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.

In that scenario, both Benn and Jaggernauth would be surplus to requirements with the slow bowling duties falling on the shoulders of captain Chris Gayle.

The other spin option is left-armer Ryan Hinds, who is back in the Test squad for the first time in almost three years, and could be picked to lengthen the batting line-up. Marlon Samuels is currently banned from bowling off-spin while the ICC investigate the legality of his action.

"It's going to be tough against Sri Lanka, since they are a good all-round team and have started to play some good cricket on the road," said Gayle, who is leading the side in a Test on home soil for the first time.

"A lot of teams have come to the Caribbean and beaten us, including India two years ago, and there is a challenge there for us to put a stop to it."

West Indies (from): Chris Gayle (capt), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Amit Jaggernauth, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor

Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jaywardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara (vice capt), Ishara Amerasinghe, Tillakeratne Dilshan, Rangana Herath, Prasanna Jaywardene, Nuwan Kulasekera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Thilan Thushara, Chaminda Vaas, Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Chanaka Welegedera