3 biggest positives for India from Test series against West Indies

West Indies vs India 2-match Test series, has been won by India 1-0 after rain interrupted Day 5 of the 2nd Test match in Port of Spain on Monday. The kind of cricket West Indies displayed in the two games won’t serve as a good gauge of where the Indian team actually stands with five months to go before their next tour of South Africa.

India had a fully dominating performance throughout the Test series. They were poised to clinch a clean sweep after defeating the West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in Dominica, but the rain had other plans. After the draw in the 2nd Test due to rain, India will now play the hosts in three-ODIs. With powerful performances of the openers and bowlers shining on dead pitches, there are a lot of key takeaways from the two-match test series.

Here are the 3 biggest positives for India from Test series against West Indies— 

3. Debutants shines 

There were three debutants for India in the two-match test series against the West Indies. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan, and pacer Mukesh Kumar. Jaiswal finished the two-Test series against the West Indies as the highest run-scorer with 266 runs, including a lengthy 171 in Dominica in the first Test. He wasn’t the only Indian rookie to make an impression in the series.

In the second innings of the Trinidad Test, Ishan Kishan scored an unbeaten 34-ball 52 to bring up an early declaration. Mukesh Kumar, who made his debut in the second Test, too bowled economically. The newcomers seizing their opportunities with both hands is undoubtedly a start, and it will please the think-tank as the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle progresses.

2. Mohammed Siraj emerged as a bowling leader

Mohammed Siraj’s first-innings spell in the 2nd Test was very impressive. On a dead pitch, he assisted India in keeping the hosts under 300. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, the pacer has set an example for the young bowling attack against the Windies.

Siraj’s recent form may have come as a relief to Indian selectors ahead of the ODI World Cup. The Hyderabad bowler has also performed admirably in white-ball cricket for the national squad and in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

1. Virat Kohli’s form  

Virat Kohli scored a tenacious 76 in the first Test, which followed with his 29th Test Century in the 2nd Test match in Port of Spain. He ended his overseas century drought after five years in the format in Trinidad. The 34-year-old has been restricted from scoring freely in recent years, so his century in Trinidad is a huge boost for India, before the ODI World Cup. 

The former Indian captain’s performance of 121 runs in 206 deliveries was critical for India’s total of 438 runs. In his 500th International encounter, he also set a few records, becoming the first player to score a century in his 500th match.