India vs West Indies 2016: Top 5 performers from the series

Anil Kumble’s first assignment as the newly-appointed coach of the Indian cricket team ended on a successful note as India clinched the four-match away Test series against the West Indies 2-0, after the fourth and final Test at Port of Spain was called off due to a persistently wet outfield.

Only 22 overs were bowled in the entire Test that saw cricketing action only during the first session on Day 1, as after that, despite the relatively clear weather for the remaining four days, no play was possible because of the damp outfield that was marred even further by an improper drainage system and the absence of a super sopper to dry the outfield.

Notwithstanding this disappointment, the series saw some high-octane cricketing action take place and the West indies, who were downplayed as the minnows despite being the hosts showed some good, disciplined performances in order to prove that the young Test team that they have been fielding for the past couple of years now has finally started reaping rewards.

While the likes of Jermaine Blackwood and Kraigg Brathwaite showed some promise with the bat, Roston Chase impressed one and all with his all-round abilities.

However, the visitors were just too strong and too experienced for the hosts – who are still in transition – and match-winning contributions from Ravichandran Ashwin – both with the ball as well as with the bat – Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Mohammad Shami and the captain Virat Kohli proved out to be too much for the Caribbeans. Here, in this piece, we pick out five of the best performers from the series and elucidate their performances.

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#5 Roston Chase

Chase’s unbeaten 137 in the second Test in Jamaica helped the West Indies save the game

Roston Chase was the surprise package that emerged out of the series – not just for the West Indies but for the cricketing world at large. Being handed his Test cap during the first Test of the series in Antigua, it only took the 24-year-old two Tests to make his mark on the international scene.

With his and the team’s backs against the wall, and facing the probability of another innings defeat, Chase combined with the likes of Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder, to put up a display of grit, determination and a never-say-never attitude, that not only helped him scale his maiden Test century in only his second Test, but also pulled out one of the most unlikeliest of draws in modern cricket history.

His 5/121 in India’s first innings combined with his unbeaten knock of 137 in West Indies’ second was enough for him to be adjudged as the Man of the Match and create a considerable impact on the series. Overall, Chase finished with 190 runs from 4 innings at 38.00 with 1 century.

While that batting average might not look very promising, one must remember that his career is only four Tests old, and the patience that he showed at Jamaica consolidated on his reputation of a patient, promising first-class batsman. Chase also picked up 8 wickets from these games through his handy part-time off-spin.

#4 KL Rahul

KL Rahul has transformed himself into an all-formats top-order batsman

The man who has been on a mission ever since he made his Test debut against Australia in 2014, and who, of late, has transcended formats and has transformed himself into an all-formats batsman, KL Rahul, delivered once again while playing his debut Test series in the Caribbean.

Being given the opportunity to open the innings after Murali Vijay suffered a blow to his fingers during the first Test in Antigua, Rahul made sure that he made full use of the opportunity that was being given to him and hit a magnificent 158 in India’s first innings in Jamaica during the second Test.

While that Test was drawn, courtesy Chase and company’s heroic efforts, Rahul did not let his guard down and backed his century with a well-timed half-century in the first innings of the third Test at St. Lucia. Overall, the Karnataka-born right-hander accumulated 236 runs from 3 innings with one hundred and one fifty to his name, at an average of 78.66.

With India already suffering from the problem of having too many batsmen for the top-order, Rahul may give some tough competition to his mates Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay for a spot in the team come the New Zealand series.

#3 Virat Kohli

Kohli scored his maiden Test double-hundred during the 1st Test in Antigua

Much was being talked about the need for the Indian captain to take his limited-overs form into the Tests and speculations were being raised as to whether Kohli was still a good enough batsman for all conditions in Test cricket. It took just one innings for the skipper to silence all of that.

A magnificent double-hundred in the first innings of the first Test in Antigua set the right tone for his teammates to follow throughout the series. His knock of 200 was his first double-century in Test cricket, and evidently, his career-best knock.

However, Kohli’s consistency dwindled thereafter as he could manage only 51 runs in his next three innings, two which – the scores of 3 and 4 in St. Lucia – came at No. 3, a territory that has been unchartered for him in Tests, yet.

Although, that majestic double hundred meant that Kohli finished at the top of the table when it came to the leading run-scorers in the series and had a batting average of 62.75.

#2 Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane has become synonymous with the term consistency, as far as the Indian batting lineup is concerned

Ajinkya Rahane has become the synonym of consistency, as far as the Indian Test team is concerned. No matter where India travel, or what opponent they play against, Rahane’s name in the run-charts has become a symbol of permanence.

The trend continued in this series as well, as another Indian batsman playing his debut Test series in the West Indies was at complete ease throughout his stay at the crease. With 1 century and 1 half-century, Rahane scored 243 runs from 4 innings at a stupendous average of 121.50.

While KL Rahul’s 158 took a large share of the limelight during India’s first innings at Jamaica, Rahane made a century of his own, batting at No. 5, and finished unbeaten on 108 as India declared their first innings at 500/9.

In the following Test at St. Lucia, the Mumbaikar played an aggressive innings of 78 off 116 balls to help India accelerate the scoring rate on Day 4 after a complete day was lost due to incessant rains. He combined with Rohit Sharma for an 85-run stand for the 5th wicket and took India’s lead past 200 runs thereby helping the visitors set an imposing target for the hosts to chase down in the 4th innings.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin’s emergence as an all-rounder was a major talking point of the series

While the performances of the other three Indian batsmen in the list were a part of the norm, what happened out of the ordinary for India was Ravichandran Ashwin’s emergence as a genuine all-rounder. When the off-spinner walked out to bat ahead of Wriddhiman Saha in the first innings at Antigua, a few heads did turn and a few questions were raised.

However, all those speculations were put to rest when Ashwin, the batsman, scored his third Test century (113) – the previous two had come against the same opponent – and backed it up with 7/83 in the second innings to round up a comprehensive win for the visiting team.

However, Ashwin was not to stop here. After a five-wicket-haul in Jamaica in the first innings, the right-handed batsman re-emerged in St. Lucia, as the Chennai-born batsman combined with Saha to bail India out of trouble – India were 126/5 at one stage – and take them to a solid total through his 4th Test century, a knock of 118 that well complemented Saha’s maiden Test ton (104).

In total, Ashwin was the 4th highest run-getter for India in the series with 235 runs from 4 innings at 58.75 and the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with 17 wickets from 4 Tests at 23.17.