3 areas of concern for India from the 3rd T20I vs West Indies
Although they secured a whitewash in the three-match series with a 17-run win in the final T20I against West Indies on Sunday, India still have a few questions to address as they build towards this year's T20 World Cup in Australia.
Key players like Virat Kohli, Yuzvendra Chahal and Rishabh Pant were rested for the third T20I, with India making as many as four changes. Not all of their personnel modifications yielded dividends, though, as the Windies pushed the hosts to the limit in the series.
Here are three areas of concern for India from the third T20I against West Indies.
#3 India's fielding remains a problem
Over the three-match T20I series, India made several fielding lapses that could've cost them dearly.
Ravi Bishnoi shelled a catch in each of the first two games, handing Nicholas Pooran lifelines on both occasions. Bhuvneshwar Kumar shelled a caught-and-bowled chance in the second T20I that could've derailed India's bowling plans.
Even in the third T20I, India dropped a couple of straightforward chances. Venkatesh Iyer grassed a tough low chance at long-off, while Ishan Kishan failed to gather a nick off Pooran's bat cleanly and slipped while trying to pull off a run-out. Harshal got his hand to an extremely tough return catch, too.
The Men in Blue had their moments in the field as Kishan redeemed himself with a smart high take and Rohit plucked a diving catch at cover. But the Indian skipper, who spoke about his team needing to improve their fielding at the end of the second T20I, won't be too happy.
#2 India's batting unit hasn't fired in unison
Several Indian players came up with match-defining contributions in the T20I series.
Rohit Sharma pulverized the Windies bowlers in the opening T20I, while Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant struck fifties in the second game. Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer shone in the first and third matches, with others like Ishan Kishan contributing runs even if they weren't at a great strike rate.
But overall, India's batters didn't fire in unison. Runs often came from only one end, with middle-order heroics salvaging top-order mistakes and vice versa. Rohit's men need to find a way to get their batters to click together, and a change in role for big names like KL Rahul and Kohli might be the way forward.
#1 India's pacer merry-go-round could come back to bite them
With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami rested, India had the option to try out several fast bowlers in the T20I series against West Indies.
Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel played all three matches, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shardul Thakur did well in the opportunities they were offered. Avesh Khan struggled on debut in the third T20I, but the young pacer showed glimpses of his immense potential even then.
Mohammed Siraj warmed the bench throughout the series, but he was among India's best performers in the ODI series and is firmly in the team's plans. With others like Prasidh Krishna in the mix as well, the Men in Blue have a problem of plenty on their hands in the pace department.
What happens when Bumrah and Shami return? Harshal offers an enticing death-overs option, while Chahar is a skilled new-ball exponent. Thakur's batting and wicket-taking ability are the stuff of legend, while Siraj and Avesh offer extra pace and aggression. Bhuvneshwar has something left in the tank as well.
India can pick only three frontline pacers and will need to tailor their team to Australian conditions during the T20 World Cup. Selection will be in the spotlight in the lead-up to the marquee ICC event, and India can't afford to make mistakes in that department.