The tour of Sri Lanka was one of total domination for India in all senses, as they first whitewashed the home side 3-0 in the Tests, and then backed it up with another strong all-round 5-0 display in ODIs.
For Sri Lanka, it was a complete disappointment, as they were not only outplayed consistently by the visitors in the last couple of weeks but they also squandered their chances of directly qualifying for the 2019 World Cup, as they have to now depend on the outcome of the upcoming England vs West Indies ODI series. Apart from failing to cross the 250-run mark in all the five matches, their fielding and bowling lacked discipline as well. In addition, they were also hit by other controversies. The spectators resorted to bottle pelting during the third game. Off the field, the Sanath Jayasuriya-led selection panel too resigned as a result of the poor display by the Lankan outfit.
Also not to forget the home side's injury crisis, apart from their frequent change in leadership.
The Indian team, on the other hand, went ahead with their roadmap of experimenting with playing combinations ahead of the next World Cup. While they left out veteran all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, the senior spin-duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were rested too. In the pace department, both Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav were kept out of the side, while Mumbai lad Shardul Thakur became the 218th Indian player to make his international debut. Indian skipper Virat Kohli went on to equal Sachin Tendulkar's record of highest rating points pocketed by an Indian in ICC batting charts, apart from scoring two consecutive tons to touch the magical figure of 30 centuries, just 19 behind Master Blaster. Rohit Sharma too had a good time out in the middle, smashing back-to back 100s.
Here are some of the important takeaways of India's successful Lankan outing.
'Dhoni-The Finisher' isn't finished yet: The former Indian skipper faced some criticism after failing in the ICC Champions Trophy final against Pakistan a few months back. The following five-match ODI series against West Indies was too a mediocre one for the 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, as he could manage only two half-centuries. His 114-ball knock of 54 runs in the fourth ODI, which India lost by 11 runs while chasing a meagre 190-run target, gave rise to the debate of whether his finishing skills were done and dusted.
Before the Lanka series, the Chief selector MSK Prasad had reportedly remarked that the Jharkhand dasher might be replaced if he didn't deliver. But in the last couple of weeks, Dhoni fans again got the glimpse of his 'finisher' avatar. He first played a rock-solid inning of 45* in the second ODI at Pallekele, where India slumped from 108-0 to 131-7, while chasing 231.
In the following game too, he rescued India with a patient 86-ball 67*, along with opener Rohit Sharma, when the visitors were tottering at 61-4, chasing 218 to win. In fourth ODI at Colombo, he hit a quick fire 49 ball 42* (with five fours and one six) and forged a 101-run sixth wicket partnership with Manish Pandey. This time, his knock helped India to put a massive total of 375-5. Also, he surpassed former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin in the list of all-time leading Indian run scorer in ODIs. His heroics made the India coach Ravi Shastri to admit that, "MS Dhoni is a massive influence on the team. He is a living legend in the dressing room and an ornament to the game. By no means or by any stretch of imagination he is finished or even half finished yet."
The middle desperately needs some order: In the Champions Trophy final against arch-rival Pakistan, the star-studded Indian batting line-up collapsed to 158, while chasing 339. After the early departure of the in-form trio of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli within the first ten overs, the middle order consisting of Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni further added to the woes, leaving India to 72-6. In the following Windies tour, the middle order again underperformed in the fourth ODI at Antigua, where India slumped from 101-4 to 178 all out, while chasing 190.
This had lead to the selectors to look for other options in the Lanka series, as they selected Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Kedar Jadhav and Ajinkya Rahane, leaving Yuvraj out. This move failed too. In second ODI, while chasing 231, Kohli and Co. saw a slide from 109-1 to 131-7. In the following game too, India got a horrible start, as they were struggling at 61-4 before the Rohit-Dhoni partnership of 157 runs helping them chase down the 218-run target.
In the fourth match at Colombo, the same syndrome struck again. During this time, from a comfortable start of 225-2, India were again slumped to 274-5 in the 38th over, before Dhoni and Manish Pandey helping them to reach 375-5.
While Rahul could manage only 28 runs in three innings, Jadhav also faced a horrid time, as his total runs in the same number of outings were 64, with the highest being 63 at the fifth ODI at Colombo. Pandey, who staged a comeback in the national side, had a decent run, as he scored 86 runs in two innings. With only two fifties coming from the middle order in the entire series, skipper Kohli would like to find a quick solution before the 2019 World Cup.
More alternatives in the spin department: India went ahead in the ODI series while resting the experienced spinner-duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. It was a golden opportunity for Akshar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal and Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav to present their cases for the 2019 World Cup. While Akshar and Chahal grabbed eleven scalps together in four games, Kuldeep too carried on his good work in the remaining two games of the five-match series, as he got three wickets.
The trio also managed to maintain economy rates below four throughout the series. Lanka's failure to even cross the 250-run mark in all the five games can be attributed to the way the trio kept it really tight in the middle overs. Their persistence with maintaining a good mixture of spin and accuracy kept the steady pressure on the inexperienced Lankan batting, as they could hardly create a launch pad in all the five games to put big totals. With the trio's successes, now the team management faces the 'problem of plenty', as they look on further to build the bench strength.
Bright prospects for new-ball attack: Apart from spinners, the brilliant display from fast bowlers ensured that Indian bowling attack would come out and perform collectively throughout the series. Jasprit Bumrah returned with a rich return of 15 wickets in five games, thereby jumping to the fourth position in the latest ICC bowling rankings. His partner Bhubaneshwar Kumar, despite managing only five scalps in four games, played the perfect role of second fiddle, as the new ball attack ended the series with an economy rate below five. Both Bumrah and Kumar dictated the terms to the Sri Lankan batting, as they brought a lot of variations and zip.
Their ability to use slowers, bouncers and yorkers effectively, especially in the death overs made sure that Lanka won't be able to get anywhere close to 300 or more than that. On the other hand, Shardul Thakur, who made his ODI debut during the series, impressed everyone with the ability to swing the ball effectively, while maintaining a steady pace. Although he conceded 74 runs in his two appearances during the series and got only one wicket, the selectors would be looking to invest on him too, keeping in mind the swinging conditions of the England and Wales, venue of the next World Cup.