The India national cricket team toured the West Indies from 28 February to 3 May 1997. They played five Test matches and four One Day Internationals (ODI) against the West Indies.
West Indies won the Test series 1–0. Shivnarine Chanderpaul of West Indies was named the player of the series after he scored 443 runs at an average of 73.83. West Indies also won the ODI series 3–1, and Chanderpaul was again named the player of the series, having scored 209 runs.
Background
Before the tour began, India's leading pacer Javagal Srinath, then one of the five top-ranked bowlers in the ICC Rankings, was ruled out due to injury. India's tight schedule preceding the tour was blamed for it. Srinath picked up a shoulder injury in the 1996 Sahara Cup that worsened during his first spell in the third Test against South Africa at Johannesburg. He was subsequently made to bowl full ten overs in the seven-match ODI series that followed when the injury aggravated. His ruling out proved to a blow for India as West Indian batsman Brian Lara had then called Srinath the most "dangerous" pace bowler he had faced in his career. Leading into the series from India's May 1996 tour of England, Srinath had bowled an average of 47 overs per Test, the most by any bowler during that period. Spinner Noel David was flown immediately to the Caribbean, but his inclusion in the squad was denied to be as a replacement for Srinath by the BCCI, but "keeping with the requirements of the touring team management".
India had historically a poor record in the West Indies, having won only two of the 28 Tests played there leading into the series. They were also coming on the back of a 2–0 Test series defeat against an away series to South Africa.
Test series
1st Test
2nd Test
3rd Test
4th Test
5th Test
ODI series
1st ODI
India won the toss and elected to bat first on a bouncy wicket. Despite having scored a hundred in a warm-up game at the same venue on 24 April, Sourav Ganguly was not included in the side and Navjot Singh Sidhu replaced him. Sachin Tendulkar started strongly for India hitting four fours off Ian Bishop's second over. India lost Sidhu after Curtly Ambrose caught him lbw for 5. Tendulkar also fell to Ambrose after making 44 off 43 balls with the score at 65/2. Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin fell in quick succession with the score at 86/4. Nayan Mongia (29) and Ajay Jadeja (19) put on 33 runs for the fifth wicket before the lower order followed them after the final wicket fell in the 19th over and the score at 179. Ambrose finished with four wickets. The innings was however interrupted by rain four times and a target of 146 in 34 overs was set for West Indies based on Clark's Curve. Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued his good form from the Test series into the match and scored 83 off 88 balls including 12 fours. His team reached the revised target in the 28th over with eight wickets to spare. Brian Lara and Carl Hooper took the team over the line with an unbeaten partnership of 17 runs.
2nd ODI
The second game of the series was played on the same venue the next day with India winning the toss again and sending the West Indies to bat first on what was now a drier pitch and overcast conditions. India made three changes: Sourav Ganguly was included in the side in place of an off-form Robin Singh, spinner Sunil Joshi was dropped for debutante Noel David and Saba Karim replaced an injured Nayan Mongia as wicket-keeper. West Indies got off to a poor start losing two wickets for 5 runs, including Brian Lara for a golden duck. India's pacers Venkatesh Prasad and Abey Kuruvilla picked the said two wickets and picked up three more reducing West Indies for 32/5. Jimmy Adams and Ian Bishop put on 56 runs for the seventh wicket before the latter got out caught for 31. Wickets fell in quick succession and the team ended at 121 after playing 43.5 overs. Rain interruptions reduced India's target to 119 from 46 overs and later 113 from 42 overs. Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar started off well for India taking the team's score off the mark in the 24th over, both remaining unbeaten at 39 and 65 respectively. Kuruvilla was named player of the match.