Sarwan and Lara are working with the side ahead of the Test series against India © Getty

Brain Lara has acknowledged he's pretty impressed with the current crop of West Indies Test cricketers and feels they have the potential to succeed in the format. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara are working with the side ahead of the Test series against India in Antigua in the pre-series camp as West Indies aim to make a solid start in the Test Championship.

"I decided to join the camp simply because I feel this present crop of West Indies players, especially in the Test arena, is the right group of players. The talent that's within is there. The performance against England to win a series at home, I think is the start of something really good for us. We must lay the foundation at home first before we travel abroad in foreign conditions to sort of take command of situations," Lara told West Indies Cricket on Tuesday (August 20).

West Indies are currently ranked eighth in the Test rankings and will expect a tough challenge from top-ranked India. If the side has to do well the likes of Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo will be expected to do bulk of the scoring. Lara felt the mental aspect of the batsmen needs some improvement if they are to take on big sides.

"Where I feel I can make an impact is their mental approach to the game. I feel as if I was to strike on one thing that I was decent at was mentally where I prepared myself strongly. The practical side is there for the young players but I feel mentally they can grow a little bit and learn a little bit more," he stressed.

"I'm hoping that I can impart some type of knowledge, some of my experiences in the past to the young batsmen especially that we have in the team to see if we can get a little bit more out of them because it's necessary. It's a good group of young players, we just have to get them thinking in the right way."

Lara also praised Floyd Reifer, the head coach, for laying a solid foundation for the team to build on. "From what I've seen in the camp is intense practice which is good. I think the intensity I've seen in this camp is very good. The young players are working hard, Floyd Reifer and his team are actually putting things together pretty good."

After the first Test in Antigua from Thursday, the teams will then wrap up the tour with the second and final Test in Jamaica from August 30.