So, it's over! India have managed to avoid the ignominy of losing two home ODI series in a row. The 3-match rubber against West Indies went closer than expected but, in the end, the Men in Blue were able to cross the line. After losing their last home series to Australia, and with a second-string bowling line-up, this victory will taste sweet to Indian captain Virat Kohli.
But if there is one thing Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli should avoid is being satisfied with this performance. The fact that the final match of the series turned out to be too close for comfort should awaken every Indian fan to the fact that this was far from a perfect performance.
Chinks in India's armour
This series proved that India's bowling attack becomes a shadow of itself when without the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah. While the Indian commentators were excited about seeing bowlers such as Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Shivam Dube, and Navdeep Saini. While they didn't prove to be complete failures, it can't be said that they tormented West Indies.
The performance of Indian spin bowlers was also not up to the mark. Ravindra Jadeja was wasn't was his usual stingy self and was treated with disdain by West Indian batsmen. The decision to go with Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja as the spin duo instead of the usual 'KulCha' alliance. It doesn't seem to have worked that well.
While Kuldeep continued to show his class, Jadeja was unusually ineffective. Perhaps, on flat Indian pitches, the extra turn provided by wrist spinners is a better option than the steady line and length of finger spinners.
Pant conundrum
While the Indian batting did well in this series and Rishabh Pant played two good innings, there continues to be a doubt over his place in the Indian team. While he played the characteristic cameo in the second match, his dismissal in the first ODI after being set and the disappointing performance in the final game continues to cast doubts over his place.
His wicket-keeping was much better than before but their continue to be some errors which made the fans chant 'Dhoni, Dhoni.' More needs to be done by him to cement his place in the Indian side. Also, he may be more suited to batting in the lower order than in the top-5.
Conclusion
This series was played on flat pitches. Not surprisingly, both Indian and West Indian batsmen dined out on some ordinary bowling. The fact that West Indies came close to defeating the home side shows that India are no longer as unbeatable as before. Certainly, without Jasprit Bumrah, they look a pale shadow of their normal self.
