The West Indies great Brian Lara says the Caribbean side must try and beat "overwhelming favorite" England in four days because their batting is not strong enough to last five days.
The three-Test series, which marks the return of international cricket after the coronavirus shutdown, starts Wednesday in Southampton behind closed doors.
Jason Holder's tourist boast a powerful pace attack but their batsmen have struggled to post challenging totals in recent years.
Lara, who scored a record 11,953 runs for the West Indies in 131 Test matches, said it was vital the tourist adapted to English conditions quickly.
The West Indies, who beat England 2-1 in the Caribbean last year, have not won a series in England since 1988.
The second and third Tests will be played at Old Trafford, in Manchester, also in bio-secure environments.
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