Given the shortcomings of this West Indian team, how would one rate India's ODI series triumph in the Caribbean?
While it would be hard to take away credit from Suresh Raina's team — the side has shown flair, fight and end-game skills — the victories here might not be a great pointer to the future.
Stiffer tests await these young cricketers against better sides on livelier pitches.
Yet, there have been some positives for India from the series.
Fringe cricketers have shown they can come in when the big names stay away and perform under pressure situations. Winning is a lot about confidence and this side here is not short of belief.
Some more players, left out of the series so far, are likely to receive a look-in in the fourth ODI at the Vivian Richards ground here on Monday.
At least three among the four, R. Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Manoj Tiwary and Vinay Kumar could play. Raina said, “There is every chance that we will try to give everybody a chance.”
Raina's role
Raina has led the side with imagination. He has shuffled his bowlers capably and has been smart with his field placements. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, in particular, has been handled well by Raina.
Rohit Sharma has been the biggest gain for India from the series. Apart from batting with great maturity and determination, he has also worked on his technique.
There was a tendency in Rohit to shuffle across, particularly early in his innings. He was a candidate for leg-before decisions.
Now Rohit's bat comes down straighter. Importantly, he has added steel to his game without compromising on fluency. He still looks good, still times the ball like a dream.
When a man with a wealth of strokes plays the waiting game, it is a dangerous sign for the opposition.
Calm Rohit
During his innings on Saturday, the calm Rohit comprehended the situations; he knew when to play it safe and when to attack. He has all the traits to be a finisher in the ODIs.
Leg-spinner Mishra has made an impression as well. He is imparting more revolutions on the ball and consequently there is greater fizz off the surface for him.
He has also controlled the extent of spin, varied his trajectory and mixed his leg-spinner with the googly effectively.
The Indians have been hungry on the field, seized in on the opportunities. And there has been no dearth of useful contributions.
Parthiv's cameos
Parthiv Patel has played cameos at the top of the order and kept wickets reasonably well. Seamer Munaf Patel has bowled with zest and control and senior cricketer Harbhajan Singh's combative instincts came to the fore once again.
And Praveen Kumar's blitz with the willow at the death on Saturday reflected the fight in the Indian camp.
Nightmare
For the West Indies, the series has been a nightmare in daylight. The team has lacked spirit and focus, allowed the crucial moments to fly away. This side has crumbled from dominant situations.
After three games, the West Indies has still not got the pacing of its innings right and appears increasingly vulnerable against spin.
Andre Russell's smashing unbeaten 92 under duress — he surfaced at No. 9 — has been the only bright spot for the West Indians.
A natural athlete — Russell is a former football goalkeeper and a 100m sprinter — he could be the pace-bowling all-rounder that the West Indies seeks.
The host will now play for pride in this series.
The teams (from): India: S. Raina (captain), S. Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, V. Kohli, S. Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan, A. Mishra, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, R. Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, M. Tiwary, V. Kumar, W. Saha.
West Indies: D. Sammy (captain), L. Simmons, K. Edwards, Darren Bravo, R. Sarwan, M. Samuels, K. Pollard, A. Russell, C. Baugh, D. Bishoo, K. Roach, A. Martin, D. Hyatt.
Play starts at 6.30 p.m. (IST).
