5 lessons learnt from India’s tour of West Indies 2017

India’s tour of West Indies did not exactly turn out the way everyone had thought it would. What should have been a walk in the park for the Men in Blue became a slightly tricky road. Thankfully, skipper Virat Kohli took matters into his own hands in the final game to secure an ODI series win.

India went on to win the five-match ODI series 3-1, a comprehensive win in the end. However, the one-off T20 match showed that work was still needed to be done. Yes, Evin Lewis scored a masterful hundred to take away the match, but it was the Indians who were at fault with their dropped catches and missed opportunities.

With the World Cup coming up in less than two years’ time, this series was perceived as a chance for the youngsters to show their mettle and to find the right team combination. Indeed, Kuldeep Yadav was handed his debut, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammed Shami, and Dinesh Karthik were given opportunities to play in the first team. But did they do enough?

Here are the five important lessons that we learnt from this tour.

#5 Kuldeep Yadav can deliver the goods

Following his spectacular Test debut against Australia, Kuldeep Yadav was on the fringes of making a debut in ODIs. However, he had to wait until the West Indies tour for his opportunity and he has taken to the challenge like a duck to water! The youngster finished as the highest wicket-tacker in his very first series by picking up eight wickets (the first game was washed out).

On pitches where Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin looked bleak, Kuldeep shone with his left-arm wrist spin. He had the West Indies batsmen on their toes with his guile, constantly outwitting them with his trickery. It is the element of mystery that makes him a dangerous weapon in Kohli’s armoury. At 22, he still has a long way to go and will only get better with time.

Kuldeep’s arrival was probably the best thing that happened in this series. India needed an impact spinner, one who will take wickets, and Kuldeep fitted the bill perfectly.

#4 Ajinkya Rahane is at his best when he opens

Rahane still has a long way to go

Ajinkya Rahane might have said that he is prepared to bat anywhere in the batting order in limited overs cricket but the stark truth is that he truly expresses himself when he is opening the innings. And if there were any doubts about it, the West Indies tour was proof as to where he should bat.

However, there are a few aspects that he should work on. Rahane finished as the top run-getter of the series, with three fifties and one century but doubts have been raised over his ability to up the ante at will. While he has been able to get the starts he has been unable to switch gears and finish off with a big score.

Also, since both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are in good form, it is unlikely that he will get the chance to open in important matches. To cement his place in the XI, Rahane must be more aggressive in his approach.

#3 More questions on Ravichandran Ashwin and not the good ones

Ashwin’s confidence has been hurt

Ravichandran Ashwin was considered as a match-winner in limited overs cricket as well as in Test cricket. However, since the 2015 World Cup, he has found it difficult to influence games like before. Whether it was the change in management or captaincy, or the policy to drop him after one or two matches, it seems like the off spinner's confidence has been dealt a huge blow.

There was a vivid lack of calibre in the Windies batting line-up and yet, Ashwin was ineffective, barring the third ODI where he was exceptional, befuddling the batsmen continuously. Surprisingly, though, he was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja in the fourth ODI. When Ashwin was brought back for the T20 match, he was thrashed all around the park.

This lack of continued trust in Ashwin has had an effect on his self-belief, the most significant trait of his personality. He is no longer the wicket-taking bowler that the captain wants him to be and consequently, has lost his credibility as a match-winner.

#2 Yuvraj Singh’s place in the team is in danger

Should Yuvraj be dropped?

A few years back, when he was in his prime days, Yuvraj Singh brought so many things to the table that the team management would have to think twice before benching him. Nowadays, though, things have changed. Neither is he fit enough to bowl his quota ten overs nor is he the sharp fielder that he was.

As such, his role in the team has been reduced to that of a specialist batsman. And, as a specialist batsman, one needs to fire on a consistent basis. Yuvraj, however, has failed to stitch together a decent run of good performances. He showed shadows of his old self in the Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan but has endured a poor form ever since.

In the three matches that he played in West Indies, Yuvraj scored 57 runs at an average of 19. With the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey standing on the fringes, he can no longer be guaranteed a place in the XI.

#1 Mahendra Singh Dhoni is indispensable to the team

Dhoni remains a vital cog in the team

True, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not the same long haired cricketer that he was when he first came to the foray. He is not even the same finisher that he was even a couple of years back. And he was largely at fault for India’s only defeat on the tour in the ODIs and was rightly vilified for his mistake. But, even then, the 36-year-old remains indispensable to the team.

Dhoni’s calmness and composure are the perfect foil to the aggressiveness of captain Kohli. Whenever there is a case of opting for the DRS or making a crucial bowling change, Kohli is seen consulting with the former captain. And, surely, there can be no doubts regarding his wicket-keeping skills.

Moreover, being one of the senior most pros of the team, he is the ideal person to guide the youngsters and help them transform into world-class players. Dhoni’s knock of 78 not out in the third ODI showed that he still has his abilities. A promotion in the batting order might be just what he needs to truly express himself.