Lara’s side trail the four-Test series 2-0 after heavy losses at Sabina Park and Queen’s Park Oval and the gifted left-hander believes the third Test is very important to the short-term and long-term development of West Indies cricket.

“Sometimes we think that we have kick-started something and suddenly we make a step or two backwards,” Lara told reporters at the pre-match news conference.

“We were very hopeful of doing well in this series against England and show what we had learnt over the last year, playing teams like Australia and South Africa.

“The first two Test matches have clearly not gone the way we would have wanted, but we have to take it one match at a time and look forward to the upcoming two Tests, starting with this one.”

Lara believes the outcome in this Test and the last, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground, could ultimately come back to haunt his side in the reciprocal four-Test series in England later this year.

“What is great is that we have a corresponding series of four series in England coming up, so we have to look at the holistic picture,” he said.

“These two matches are very important and we have to play well against them to ensure that when we get to England, we are in a better frame of mind. All that and taking into consideration that we have not lost in the Caribbean to England since 1968, the last two Tests are very important.”

Lara indicated that his optimism of squaring the ongoing series is also shared by his team-mates.

“The atmosphere in the team is very upbeat and I do not see anybody sulking or looking like they are in a panicked state of mind,” he said.

“I think everybody is looking forward to the Test matches because there is a chance of us levelling the series. Obviously, we cannot win it. This is going to inspire the guys to go out there and do their best.”

The West Indies captain, however, is well aware of the enormity of the task ahead of his side, who have been outplayed at key points during the previous two Tests.

“We have not been able to put a game together and that has been our problem for a long time,” he said.

“We have had some brilliant individual performances with bat and ball over the last year or so, but not an entire game. That’s what we are trying to repair. That’s what we are trying to correct. We are trying to get the guys to play each session and to win each session. And to understand that it’s a team game.”

Lara has not reached his lofty standards with the bat in this series and acknowledged that he spent most of the time in-between the second Test and the third working on the weak points in his game.

“This is probably the most important series for West Indies and one of the most anticipated,” he said.

“I have never found myself in a situation like this, where I am out of form against England. But I have been able to handle being out of form in the past and I have full confidence in myself to come out of it.”

The pitch looks like it will favour the fast bowlers. Lara’s pace attack comprises Fidel Edwards, Tino Best, Pedro Collins and Corey Collymore - all Barbadians - but Lara is pleased that another Barbadian is fit and ready to play.

“I would love to have a slow bowler in the side and I think that was one of the problems back in Trinidad,” he said.

“Ryan Hinds looked like he equipped himself very well in Jamaica and I thought missing him in Trinidad because of a stomach ailment was very vital and we had to revert to four fast bowlers.

“He’s fully fit now and I think even if there are four fast bowlers, he’s going to play a part. I think you need some sort of variation. Australia have done well over the last few years using a spin bowler with three fast bowlers because it gives the captain a lot more options.”