Blackwood ready to deliver in Sri Lanka

He has been one of the mainstay batters for the West Indies in recent Test history, but Jamaican batsman Jermaine Blackwood is making no bones about the fact that he is comfortable and ready to deliver in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Blackwood and a number of the West Indies players are making their second trip to Sri Lanka, and the diminutive right-hander is already settling in nicely with the local cuisine at the forefront of his comfort.

"To be honest, I love the curry chicken that they cook here. I was here in 2016 and the curry was really good along with the coconut water," said Blackwood.

The curry is not the only thing that Blackwood loves in Sri Lanka, but the right-hander also has a liking for the cricket pitch in Galle, where the St Elizabeth native top-scored with 92, all be it in a losing cause for the West Indies against the Sri Lankans back in 2015.

Despite not having the best of series when the Sri Lankans visited the Caribbean earlier this year, where he tallied 42 runs in four innings, Blackwood says he has come to the sub-continent with a renewed vigour and totally different mindset ahead of the November 21 start of the first Test.

"The last time I played Sri Lanka, my mind wasn't right at that time, but now my mind is fully there, so I am looking forward to a very good series."

A steady diet of spin from the Sri Lankans awaits the West Indies batsmen, and Blackwood is already preparing for that battle.

"I am just working on playing spin and backing my defence as well in the nets. I am pretty much going over my routine and looking forward to the challenge. We have been doing good for the year, so we just want to finish the year strong. If we can get a win or a draw, that would be good for us," added Blackwood.