5 takeaways from India's tour of Zimbabwe 2016

Even as a second-string side made way for Zimbabwe, it was always expected that they would win their matches without any hassle. This sense was further vindicated by the dominating performance of the Young team in the 3-match One Day International series as they crushed the hosts by 9, 8 and 10 wickets respectively.

The bowlers exploited the favourable conditions on offer at the Harare Sports Club and the hosts never looked settled against the swing and seam. Their techniques were exposed thoroughly in all the 3 matches.

Going into the Twenty20 series, much of the same was expected but then Zimbabwe decided to play and miraculously won the first match in a final ball humdinger. This then set up the 3-match series beautifully and suddenly India had to make the running. India did so and much more as they thrashed the hosts by 10 wickets in the second match and then held their nerve to win the final match by 3 runs in the final match.

The performances in the Twenty20s were far from convincing, but the young turks have created significant impact and have made use of the chances handed over to them.

We take a look at 5 takeaways from this tour.

---

#1 KL Rahul can be an impact in limited overs too

One of the biggest positive emerging from this tour is the form and impact of KL Rahul. The 24-year-old has emerged as a viable option for limited overs format as well. He sprung to the attention of the Indian selectors with his sparkling form in the Indian Premier League. This helped him earn a National call for the tour to Zimbabwe. He did not disappoint there either and became the first Indian batsman to score a century on his ODI debut.

He carried his form right through the ODI series and then into the Twenty20s too, and save a first-ball duck in the first T20, Rahul has certainly put his name firmly forward in white ball cricket.

"Obviously, with good performances in the last couple of months the confidence is there and I always knew I had the game and I had the skill sets to be successful in all the three formats," Rahul said, visibly exuberant after his innings.

#2 Barinder Sran can be invested into

India have never been very lucky with fast bowlers. Bowlers burst on to the scene and then slowly fizzle out. One just hopes that the promise shown by Barinder Sran in this series can be properly monitored and the left-arm swing bowler can develop into a long-term prospect.

Sran, who has repeatedly said that he learnt a lot from Ashish Nehra during the IPL, showed that he has the ability to bring the ball back into the right-handers and then vary it with the ball holding its line. He became the second most successful bowler in his T20 debut in the second match of the series when he picked up 4 wickets for just 10 runs.

With the late swing at his disposal, he can be quite a handful in favourable conditions. He now has to fine tune his action and develop consistency to work the batsmen out. Apart from all the skills, Sran gave a good account of his temperament too.

In the final match, when 21 runs were needed in the final over, Sran bowled a length ball which was swung out of the ground. He then bowled a wide, a high no-ball and seemed to lose it all. But then he came back with two successive wide yorkers to win the game for his team. He was adjudged the man of the series.

Certainly, a bright prospect going ahead!

#3 Axar Patel as the all-rounder

Axar Patel finally displayed that he can blossom into a genuine all-rounder for India in the near future. He was one of most frugal bowlers this series and none of the batsmen could ever get stuck into him. He kept bowling a tight line and length and choked the run flow during the middle phase of the innings.

The biggest positive however was his batting. He had displayed his talent in the IPL by hitting clean sixes in several matches. He continued to do the same in this series and provided the late kick whenever it was needed. His 11-ball 20 in the final T20 was the difference in the end between the two teams. Having done that he came back and bowled a decisive spell of 4-0-18-1.

Has India's perennial quest for a genuine all-rounder finally found an answer?

#4 Ambati Rayudu deserves a longer rope

Ambati Rayudu might not have the presence of a Virat Kohli or the aesthetic appeal of a Rohit Sharma, but the man has done whatever has been asked of him.

He has forever been in the shadows and has never disappointed in the limited opportunities which have come his way. Even in this appeal, Rayudu was the senior player and did justice to the tag. He batted with caution and a sense of responsibility at all times.

In the field, he was running around, throwing himself and giving it all. It will be a shame if Rayudu is shunned after this series. The man has done enough to merit inclusion into the main team, and not just in the squad but in the playing XI. With the spot left vacant by a struggling Suresh Raina, Rayudu now deserves a longer rope.

#5 Jasprit Bumrah has matured

Ever since his debut, Bumrah has impressed one and all by his pace, control and variations. He took giant strides in this series and without a doubt was the leader of the Indian bowling.

Bumrah has emerged as India's most bankable bowler with the White ball, and hence it is no surprise that with 24 wickets he has become the most successful bowler in a calendar year.

Bumrah was used by MS Dhoni as first change and then in the middle overs during the One Day Internationals. Not only did he stem the flow of the runs, he also picked up wickets to thwart Zimbabwe.

According to the latest ranking, Bumrah is now ranked number 2 in T20s, which is a testament to his growth and form right through the year.