The West Indies [Images] retained the winning combination that played the last two games against Zimbabwe for the first two One-Day Internationals against India, beginning in Kingston [Images] on Thursday.

West Indies skipper Brian Lara [Images] said he believes that he now has the best combination to take on the Indians in the five-match series.

"We have this situation where we tried different players. What we were really looking to do was to come up with the best possible 14 for this particular series," he said.

The decision to retain the squad means that talented wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramadin once again does not find a place.

Defending his exclusion, Lara said Jamaica wicketkeeper Calrton Bough Jnr had seized his opportunity after three years in the wilderness and he is the right man to go ahead with at the moment.

"The likes of Carlton Baugh coming into the team and performing well is good, putting some pressure on the young Ramdin, who I have a lot of respect for, but, maybe, he needed that kind of competition.

"Read whatever you like in it but it's not a situation where you consider a 21-year-old wicketkeeper being dropped. I think the competition is very healthy and it augurs well for

West Indies cricket," he said.

"It's a situation where a guy, Carlton Baugh, has got an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands."

The squad: Brian Lara, Christopher Gayle, Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan [Images], Shivnarine Chanderpaul [Images], Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Carlton Baugh Jnr., Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor [Images], Ian Bradshaw, Dwayne Bravo [Images] and Dave Mohammed.