3 Indian players who failed to grab their opportunities during the West Indies ODI series
The recently concluded three-match ODI series against West Indies will likely go a long way in Team India's planning and preparation for the 2023 World Cup, which will be held later this year.
The Men in Blue need to make a few key selection decisions, and they don't have much time to do it. They might have to name their contingent for the marquee tournament before the ODI series against Australia and the Asia Cup. This makes the players' displays in the Caribbean all the more important.
Ishan Kishan plundered three half-centuries on the trot to be adjudged the Player of the Series. Shardul Thakur and Mukesh Kumar impressed in the pace department, while Kuldeep Yadav was as lethal as ever.
At the same time however, there were a few players who didn't make a mark against the Windies. In a cut-throat Indian side, getting even one chance is sometimes a lucky break, and those who don't step up to the plate are often (rather unfairly) disposed of.
Here are three Indian players who failed to grab their opportunities during the West Indies ODI series.
#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad
This is definitely a harsh one. Ruturaj Gaikwad warmed the bench for the first two ODIs before being drafted in for the decider, batting slightly out of position at No. 3. He had also played only one game for India in the format before being included in the side.
Despite these factors, Gaikwad had a few things going for him as well. The 26-year-old came to the crease after Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill set an excellent platform. The ball wasn't doing much, and conditions in Tarouba were conducive to batting.
However, Gaikwad not only failed to deliver but also looked extremely shaky at the crease. He barely found the middle of the bat, and once he finally did with a pull off Alzarri Joseph, he immediately nicked off.
Gaikwad will get more chances to make his mark on the international stage, but he could've changed the narrative with a decent display in the third ODI.
#2 Umran Malik
Umran Malik has played 10 ODIs for Team India, with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.54. He came into the West Indies series on the back of four wicketless outings to round off the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), and his fortunes didn't improve greatly.
Umran played the first two matches and bowled three overs each, going for 0/17 and 0/27. While he occasionally hurried the West Indian batters with his pace and uneven bounce, he was taken for boundaries rather easily. The express pacer lost his place in the playing XI for the decider, with Jaydev Unadkat playing his first ODI in almost a decade.
Some fingers can be pointed at the way in which India used Umran, but the 23-year-old needs to take some accountability for his lack of consistency. The selectors clearly had hopes of him being an X-factor for the World Cup, but he didn't grasp the chances that came his way in the ODI series.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav had endured a miserable run of form in ODI cricket heading into the West Indies series, but there was enough belief in him managing to turn things around. After all, his T20I displays indicate that he can take the game away from any side on his day in white-ball cricket.
However, Suryakumar didn't justify the management's faith in him in the Caribbean. He registered scores of 19, 24 and 35 in the three matches, and while his knock in the final ODI wasn't the worst, he wasn't anywhere close to his fluent best. The batter's struggles against left-arm spin came to the fore once again as Gudakesh Motie had him in distress in the first two matches.
With Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant currently injured, Suryakumar had an excellent chance to stake his claim for a spot in the first-choice ODI side. He arguably didn't do enough, though.