India in West Indies 2019

[Atithee]

We haven’t seen many real fast bowlers; let alone their devastating skills like Bumrah.

[Varma]

Ishant has become my BFF in a matter of two tests! That’s what I’ve been dreaming of for so many years. Attaboy!

I haven't been following this test closely. I only saw the scores today. When I read 57 against Ishant's name, I immediately thought about you and all your sermons to him...I am not kidding . Your relentless efforts finally bore fruit, Atithee

- Varma

[prasen9]

And today, when Ishant got 2 wickets, and so did Shami and Jadeja got one, Bumrah went wicketless. Cricket is interesting. He bowled fine though. I would have asked the bats to bat a bit faster in the end last 2-3 overs and get close to 500 though.

On the batting side, we banked on Rahane and Vihari this series. And, Jadeja. And, maybe Ishant. Kohli was okay I suppose but the top 3 and Pant failed. I hope the team closes out the series 2-0 tomorrow.

Mayank averages around 40 and Vihari around 45. Both should get a long run. In the home series, we should open with either Dhawan or one of the next in line. Rahul has got enough chances. Dropping him will send him a message. If he was from Mumbai, I would have blamed the famous Mumbai lobby.

[Sin Hombre]

No more Dhawan or Rohit experiments in tests.

If we want to give someone a chance at opener while we wait for Shaw to come back from suspension, would rather give that chance to someone who has been opening regularly in red ball cricket like Panchal or Easwaran.

We should also aim to give Gill his debut in the coming home series against SA and BD. Make Rahane sit out while he is in good form and not wait for him to suffer in home conditions again and lose his mojo. We need Rahane to do well in the NZ away series next year.

[prasen9]

I am fine with Easwaran or Panchal but I am not enamoured by either.

[Sin Hombre]

Throw in Gill as the opener then, think he opens for Punjab in FC.

[ssp]

Agree with previous comments about Rahul, Rohit & Dhawan.
Vihari has looked very good, unlike Rahul who has been pretty bad to anything just outside off stump.

Bowlers have been fantastic, helped by the pitches and poor Windies batting. Even Ishant has impressed me!! His batting was a welcome & overdue bonus. Shami should look at his batting. Just hang in there for a few overs at least. Bumrah is excused everything because of his fantastic bowling

[PKBasu]

Comfortable 2-0 series win, with Jadeja getting 3 wickets in the final innings. Vihari has been the find of the series.

[prasen9]

Jadeja was somewhat underwhelming even though the pitch had bounce and spin. I believe Ashwin would be a better bowler although with Jadeja you get slightly better batting. And he did come through with the bat somewhat. For more batting pitches as we find in Australia, I would have Kuldeep. In India, I would have all three. Or else, we need to get Vihari to bowl a lot and get much better as a bowler to be able to be the fifth bowler in India.

[PKBasu]

Jadeja got what could have been a fourth wicket with a no-ball, and had a couple of catches dropped off his bowling. So he was quite effective in the final innings of the series. He is picked because his fielding and batting add to the mix, and he and Ashwin are considered equally good bowlers (borne out by the numbers).

[prasen9]

Yes, I saw most of the final day's bowling/batting. It is a shame that he bowled two no-balls. The second one how or where the umpire saw a millimeter behind the line I do not know. I think Tucker gave him the benefit of doubt because the field umpire had not called it a no-ball. Essentially, he bowled with a bit of spin and the pitch and the ineptitude of the WI batsmen did the rest. I suppose Ashwin also depends upon the pitch to take wickets but he does a bit with variations of his speed, etc. The person who generates real spin is Kuldeep, of course. Wrist spinners can create stuff on pitches that are not assisting.

His fielding is great but in tests, where there are not very many risky singles, the impact is not that great. Yes, he can create the magical runout that Kohli did but that occurrence is rare to be negligible.

With the ball Jadeja averages 35 abroad. Ashwin 31.39. Jadeja has a better record in Australia, and South AFrica while Ashwin in England, West Indies, and Sri Lanka. All these are small sample sizes though.

[PKBasu]

Shubman Gill is called up to join the test side for the South Africa series, replacing KL Rahul. Rohit Sharma is set to open the batting in tests, too. Gill may not play the first test, but he is competing for either an openers' or middle-order slot (now likely with Pujara, the only one to have failed completely in the West Indies).

[prasen9]

I do not think this selection committee goes by failure of success in one series of two matches. Rahul was axed for a prolonged slump. And that is the right way to do things. Pujara, given his form in Australia, is there to stay. And, he knows how to bat in India and bat long. So, he will be fine. Looks like Gill will have to bide his time.