India vs West Indies ODI series 2018: Report card for top 10 Indian players
The Indian team has won the ODI series 3-1, with one match ending in a tie. The Windies team gave the hosts a scare in the first three games, where they showed some resistance and managed to tie and win the 2nd and 3rd ODIs respectively. But India made a strong comeback in the last two matches and won the series comfortably in the end.
Here are the ratings of the players' performances in the ODI series.
1. Shikhar Dhawan
Rating - 3/10
Shikhar Dhawan got off to a good start in almost every match but couldn't capitalize on it a single time. He averaged 22 in the series, which is very poor especially for an opening batsman and against this kind of bowling attack, which lacks both experience and quality.
Dhawan needs to lift his game a bit and become more consistent because KL Rahul is waiting for his opportunity. If Dhawan keeps failing to convert his starts, then the Kings XI Punjab opener might get an opportunity.
2. Rohit Sharma
Rating - 9/10
Scoring 389 runs at an average of 129.6 in the series, there are no adjectives to describe how thoroughly Rohit Sharma destroyed the Windies bowling. He was batting as if he was playing against a club team; he smashed every Windies bowler to all parts of the ground.
Rohit's confidence at the moment is sky-high. The way he played in this series was quite heartening to see for the fans, and they would hope that he continues to perform the same way in the upcoming games as well.
3. Virat Kohli
Rating - 9/10
Kohli scored 453 runs at an average of 151 in this series. There is no need to say anything more about this guy.
The only reason he didn't get 10/10 is because in the third ODI he should have finished the game after scoring a century. But still, he had an incredible series, and the way he has played this whole year has just been outstanding.
4. Ambati Rayudu
Rating - 8/10
Rayudu performed exceptionally well in the series, averaging 72.3.
Even though he didn't get many opportunities because Rohit and Kohli played most of the overs, he made the most of whatever he got. He scored a century and a half-century and made a strong statement for himself.
5. MS Dhoni
Rating - 5/10
Dhoni had a pretty ordinary series as a batsman, and averaged just 12.5. But his wicketkeeping skills and tactical decisions remain as sharp as ever, so he deserves those five points because of the value he brought to the table.
There isn't much to talk about Dhoni as he is almost at the end of his career. But the team needs his experience in the World Cup, and if he starts to contribute with the bat then the Indian team can probably be considered as the favourites for winning the World Cup.
6. Ravindra Jadeja
Rating - 7/10
Ravindra Jadeja was pretty handy in the series, continuing his good form from the Asia Cup. In this series, he got 7 wickets in 4 games with a decent economy rate.
The only thing Jadeja needs to improve is his batting. He has got the potential to become a genuine all-rounder, but he needs to start scoring more runs.
7. Kuldeep Yadav
Rating - 8/10
Kuldeep Yadav bowled brilliantly in the series, bagging 9 wickets in just 4 games. The way he bluffed the Windies batsmen was quite mesmerizing to watch; he tossed the ball up, inviting the batsmen to play big strokes, and ultimately stole their wicket.
The one thing he can still improve on is being a bit quicker through the air so that the batsman gets less time to read his deliveries and react.
8. Khaleel Ahmed
Rating - 7/10
Khaleel was absolutely brilliant, especially in the last two games of the series. He got 7 wickets in 4 games, and the way he bowled in the 4th ODI was just amazing.
Khaleel swung the ball both ways and bowled a tight line as well. He can certainly be in contention for the third or maybe fourth seamer's spot.
The youngster has got good control now on his wrist, and he even has a nasty bouncer and an accurate yorker as well.
9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Rating - 5/10
Bhuvneshwar's performance was below average in this series but that can be understood because he was suddenly called into the side and may not have been fully prepared. He was smashed for plenty in the 3rd ODI and he managed to pick up only 3 wickets in 3 matches.
10. Jasprit Bumrah
Rating - 10/10
Bumrah was absolutely lethal, and the Windies team didn't have any answer to his bowling. He picked up 6 wickets in 3 games and hardly gave away runs.
Bumrah has been an important player of this team for a while, and the best thing about him is that he always tries to improve as a bowler and learns quickly from his past mistakes.
There were also Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Shami, Kedar Jadhav and Rishabh Pant, who didn't play enough matches and so were not considered here.