A successful tour for India would of course be a series win, but there are other smaller things they will be hoping to tick off across the three matches. For instance, former captain Virat Kohli has the chance to become the fastest batter to reach 13,000 runs in the format. He requires 102 runs to reach the milestone, having played only 265 innings to Sachin Tendulkar’s 321.

Should Kohli have a really outstanding series and notch up 533 runs across the three games, he would go ahead of Sanath Jayasuriya into fourth place in the all-time leading scorers list in the 50-over format. That landmark might be beyond even the great Kohli, but he will no doubt have his sights set on further climbing the list leading up to, and indeed during, the home World Cup, to further cement his place in the conversation as the one of the greatest batters in this format.

Kohli’s successor as captain is hunting a milestone of his own. Rohit Sharma needs 75 runs to become the 15th player in ODI history to reach 10,000 runs. He will be the sixth Indian, following Tendulkar, Kohli, Sourav Ganguly, Dravid and MS Dhoni. Given his form in the Test series, where he passed 50 in all three innings in which he batted, it would take a brave man to bet against Rohit reaching that milestone as early as the first ODI on Thursday.

With 236 innings to his name, Rohit will most likely be the second fastest to reach the milestone, behind only Kohli’s 205 innings. The current batter in second position on that particular list is Tendulkar with 259, so Rohit would appear to be well on course to surpass that record.

Elsewhere, Ravindra Jadeja is looking for nine more wickets to reach 200 in the format. He would become only the seventh Indian to reach the milestone and would be the only one of those seven to do so as a left-arm spinner. Jadeja’s spot in the XI is not always guaranteed, with other spinners in the squad such Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav also vying for selection, but his proximity to the landmark emphasises how important a player he has been for India over the years.

While the venues chosen for the ODI series represent something of an unknown for India – as well as their long hiatus from playing in Barbados, the venue for the third ODI, the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, is yet to host an ODI – fans will be reassured by the familiar faces continuing to reach milestones and break records.

India’s squad is strong, particularly their batting, and is a strong hint that they are taking this series seriously with preparation for the World Cup around the corner. While younger talents such as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan have been included, there is still the emphasis on experience with Rohit and Kohli, alongside Suryakumar Yadav, who will be expected to match the lofty standards to which they have performed throughout their careers.

The knowns and unknowns create a curious mix heading into the series, but it is one that will keep India’s players on their toes. They will be hoping that, come the end of the series, the knowledge gained about their new surroundings will stand them in good stead for sterner tests to come.