The result in the T20 match between West Indies and Zimbabwe has raised the chances in the ODI series between the two sides which opens on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium.

Zimbabwe dragged themselves back from no runs for three wickets to complete a stunning 26-run victory over West Indies in Trinidad. The Zimbabweans used a slay of spin bowlers to exploit the Queen's Park Oval pitch which offered generous turn to upset West Indies as they chased a modest target of 106 runs.

It was a wake-up call for the home team and gave their new coach Ottis Gibson a wake up call as to the size of the challenge that he faces to restore West Indies battered image. Zimbabwe have made it clear that they plan to put a lot of faith in their spin bowlers for the five ODIs that the two sides will contest here and in St. Vincent, since the conditions are likely to be similar.

This means the home team will have to support themselves for a battle with the likes of Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya and his off-spinners, along with left-arm spinner Ray Price, and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer, as well as the occasional off-spin of Greg Lamb, Stuart Matsikenyeri, and even Brendan Taylor.

But Zimbabwe should be aware that the West Indies too have spin bowling options led by Sulieman Benn, whose four wickets flattened their top-order batting, fellow left-arm spinner Nikita Miler, as well as the part-time off-spin of West Indies captain Chris Gayle and Narsingh Deonarine.

The 50 over format offers batsmen on both sides a chance to settle down and build an innings rather than the crash, bang and wallop of the T20. Zimbabwe have never beaten West Indies in a bilateral ODI series, and the past results are heavily skewered in favour of the home team which has won 27 of the 36 matches they have contested.

West Indies: Chris Gayle (captain), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Smith