Rain ruined play on the final day, and washed out possibilities of a result in two corners of the world on successive days. After Manchester, where England were denied a series-levelling win against Australia, the rain clouds travelled about 4709 kms south-west to Port of Spain, to prevent India from going for a series-sweeping win against West Indies.
Rain was forecast for the fifth day of the second and final Test. But unlike the previous two days, this was no passing shower. It started pouring from the morning and kept pouring with small intervals in between, leaving India stranded in their quest for eight wickets. Just 299 overs were bowled in the Test instead of a maximum of 450. The draw dashed Indian hopes of collecting full points from their first series in the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
The series marked the beginning of a transition phase in Indian cricket nonetheless. New faces, players who did not get many chances in the past and some old names were under the scanner, and their collective output was a mixed bag, with positives slightly overweighing the negatives. Here is a look at some highlights, performance-wise.
Arrival of Jaiswal
Undoubtedly, the first name in the list of hits is Yashaswi Jaiswal. His appetite for runs and outstanding record in domestic cricket was well known. What the 21-year-old displayed was temperament to score at this level. The attack was not the most challenging, but did make him work hard for runs at times. Jaiswal saw through those periods with the patience expected of a Test opener. The 171 on debut was a testament to his determination to succeed at this level. That he struggled to middle the ball in the first innings of the second Test and still made 57 showed that even on bad days, he can get a few. Bigger tests await him though.
Old firm stands firm
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli getting runs in every outing was a relief from the team’s and the players’ points of view. Cheteshwar Pujara left out, selectors looking for new faces, there was pressure on the seniors to deliver, after not doing well in the WTC final. Not that they were under trial, but they needed runs under their belt. In the end, both got them in convincing manner. But they have to wait until December 26 to play another Test. In an ideal world, both would have liked to carry this form into a few more Test matches.
Spots of bother
India got almost nothing from No. 3 and No. 5 in this series. Shubman Gill made 6, 10 and 29 not out. Ajinkya Rahane managed 3 and 8. While Gill is expected to get more chances to get adjusted to the position occupied by Pujara, the same may not be said of Rahane. Having snatched a lifeline following a gritty 89 in the WTC final, he got the vice-captaincy surprisingly. Now was the time for Rahane to score and he failed in the first opportunity, possibly against the easiest of attacks India will face in this cycle. With Shreyas Iyer nearing match fitness, the pressure on Rahane will rise.
New-ball options
Mukesh Kumar was another who caught the eye on debut. The pacer who represents Bengal was spot-on with his length bowling first change in the first innings. The ball was pitched up, but not at driving length. Match figures of 23-11-53-2 suggested he was economical too. With Jasprit Bumrah’s long-term future uncertain and Mohammed Shami getting on in years, Mukesh has arrived at the right time. It was also heartening that Mohammed Siraj bowled a fiery spell on a lifeless pitch in the second Test. Briefly, he took to mentoring Mukesh and advising him. If Siraj emerges as the leader of the pace pack and Mukesh clicks, India will have a few bases covered in the fast-bowling department.
Unadkat’s barren run
If Jaydev Unadkat’s comeback to Test cricket was a fairy tale, his returns have been anything but. In three Tests since Bangladesh last December, the Saurashtra captain has taken three wickets. In West Indies, he failed to take even one in 28 overs. He brings variation to the attack as a left-armer. The Indian team has been looking for one for some time. Despite being economical, for Unadkat to be that man he has to take wickets. Unfortunately for him, he too has to wait until India’s next Test starting in South Africa on December 26. Not a part of the white-ball set-up, Unadkat’s challenge will be remaining in the notebooks of selectors for a good five months.