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Cape Town - England captain Joe Root has urged his team-mates to back up their Test series victory in Sri Lanka when they take on the West Indies in a three-match series, starting in Barbados on Wednesday.
Root, who scored 87 in a warm-up game ahead of England's first Test in 2019, said the tour to the Caribbean will be a good indication of where the England team is at as they continue to strive for the number one ranking in the longest format.
England achieved a Test series whitewash in Sri Lanka in November as they outplayed their Asian hosts in all three Test matches and Root now wants his team to back that result up in different conditions.
The England skipper said: "We've seen on previous tours that guys have come here and found it very hard work to win in these conditions against the West Indies, who have a very good record at home.
"So even though we are playing extremely well and have had a really good tour in Sri Lanka, we know that this will pose different challenges.
"We'll have to play slightly differently on these surfaces and it will be a great marker of where we are as a side.
"We've gone to Sri Lanka and performed well in those conditions, but can we back it up in different conditions?
"And can we show that we are versatile and that we are adaptable and growing all the time?
"It will be a great measure of where we are and there's no reason why we can't do that, but we'll have to play consistently well for three games."
England suffered a blow when fast bowler Olly Stone was ruled out of the tour on Wednesday, following a stress fracture of the lower back.
