With just about a year to go for the 2027 World Cup, India’s preparation for the quadrennial event got off on the right note as it posted a 2-1 series win over the West Indies.
While there were bright spots, there were also enough warning signs that the team will want to address soon.
The big positive was the batting. The top order set up the series victory, led by the skipper himself, who scored two centuries, including a double hundred, continuing his good run in the format.
More importantly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were on song, each scoring a ton and a half-century. Since this is the only format they play, it is imperative they maximise every opportunity.
K.L. Rahul got only one chance and proved again why he is so vital to the team, scoring an unbeaten 129 even if it went in vain.
However, bowling remains a concern. Granted, the pitches at all three venues had very little for the bowlers, and both sides struggled. Still, the attack is hardly settled.
Apart from Kuldeep Yadav in the first match, none of the other bowlers looked like they could keep the batters honest or provide timely breakthroughs.
With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah busy at the Asian Games, the other fast bowlers had a chance to take responsibility but were lacklustre. It showed how the Men in Blue are over-reliant on Bumrah.
The management handed out debuts to Aquib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj, both of whom proved expensive, while Mohammed Siraj’s recent struggle continued in the only match he played. Skipper Gill admitted as much, saying he would have wanted to see more out of his quicks.
“I think bowling in the powerplay and in the death has been something that has hurt us. If you don’t get off to a good start in the powerplay, it’s not easy to take wickets in the middle overs as we have seen,” said Gill.
“It’s not easy to create chances with only four fielders outside. The intensity of the game, and how it goes, becomes completely different if you don’t keep taking wickets in either the powerplay or the middle overs,” he added.
Going forward, the think tank needs to quickly identify the right combination for the World Cup and give them enough games to get into a groove, something Gill stressed he wants to do from the next series.
Published on Oct 04, 2026
