Former New Zealand skipper and present cricket coach John Wright on Monday said the opportunity to coach Indian cricket team was a privilege considering how "wonderfully talented" the side was.
Speaking to reporters here after being conferred the honorary life membership by the Cricket Club of India (CCI) along with Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly and vice-captain Rahul Dravid for their outstanding performaces, Wright said "this is one of the special moments in my life and I am deeply touched by CCI's gesture".
"I am really honoured to be associated with CCI and the Indian cricket team. I don't know how good a coach I am. Only time will tell that but I am happy about the way the team is performing in recent months," he added.
"I should consider myself lucky to be coaching this wonderfully talented side and wonderful people. They are not only fine cricketers but also fine ambassadors for their country," Wright said.
Praising the wicket prepared for the first Test match against the West Indies starting on Wednesday, Wright said "we have a Test series coming up against a fine side on a newly laid pitch and it should be very interesting contest as we cannot underestimate the visitors".
Dravid said it was a honour to be associated with CCI and to be present with so many former Test stars.
The absence through hepatitis of Brian Lara places added responsibility on captain Carl Hooper in the three-Test series against India starting on Wednesday.
Hooper, 36, will be playing in his 100th Test at the venue where he made his debut 15 years ago.
He has always been a skilled player of spin, scoring 579 runs against India in his team's 2-1 series win in the Caribbean this year.
"We will naturally miss Lara. But we are confident we are capable of overcoming that loss," Hooper said.
For support, Hooper will be counting mainly on fellow-Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Chanderpaul, 28, averaged 140.50 at home against India, batting longer than anyone else over the five Tests while scoring 562 runs with three centuries.
Left-handed openers Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds are currently in fine form with 62 and 147 respectively against a local side last week.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has succeeded in reviving a £9.67m shirt sponsorship deal for the national team.
The Sahara group withdrew from the deal last month after the International Cricket Council ruled that the Indian team could not wear branded kit during the Champions Trophy.
The ICC's decision followed an objection from South African Airlines (SAA), one of the main sponsors of the tournament.
Sahara agreed to re-instate the deal, which runs until July 2004, following a plea from Board president Jagmohan Dalmiya.
And the team will wear their logo in the home Test series against West Indies, which starts on Wednesday.