3 positives for India from the 3rd T20I vs West Indies

Modified Feb 20, 2022 22:50 IST

Opener Ishan Kishan struggled to get going once again for India

Rohit Sharma's India continued their impressive white-ball form as they clinched a 17-run win over West Indies in the third and final T20I at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, February 20.

With Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant being rested, India made four changes to the team that beat West Indies by eight runs in the second T20I. Although their experimentation didn't yield the results they would've liked, the Men in Blue will take heart from a series whitewash that was orchestrated by consistently smart planning and execution.

Here are three positives for India from the third T20I against West Indies.

#3 Suryakumar Yadav is here to stay

If there was any doubt whether Suryakumar Yadav is part of India's strongest white-ball side, there isn't any now. The classy right-hander played an incredible innings under pressure in the third T20I, striking the ball at will around the ground and taking India to a competitive total.

Suryakumar started positively against the West Indies spinners and soon found his groove. Clearing the boundary seven times, he used the area behind square on both sides to great effect and threw the opposition bowlers off their rhythm. He was dismissed on the last ball of the innings for a 31-ball 65, a knock which typified his confident start to international cricket.

Suryakumar is a unique player and has shown his worth to the team constantly in international cricket. He must be part of India's first-choice white-ball side.

#2 Venkatesh Iyer could be a massive value addition for India

Coming into the T20I series against West Indies, Venkatesh Iyer was in a spot of bother. He had been dropped from the ODI squad and wasn't even certain to be part of India's playing XI for the three-match assignment. But at the end of the series, it's safe to say that the all-rounder was one of the team's best performers.

With scores of 24*, 33 and 35*, Venkatesh proved why he is more than capable of batting in the lower-middle order as a finisher. He weathered top-order collapses and attacked both pace and spin with ease, stitching together meaningful partnerships with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav.

Venkatesh bowled only 3.1 overs in the series, but he managed to make an impact even then. He scalped two wickets in the third T20I as the Windies batters went after him. He's going from strength to strength, and it won't be long before he becomes a regular member of the side.

#1 India's approach to team selection was spot-on in the third T20I

India's new era under Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid has gone to plan for the most part. Team selection, in particular, has always been in the spotlight, but the new leadership group has come up with smart decisions under pressure.

In the third T20I, with the series already in the bag, India played around with their team combinations. Rohit moved down to No. 4, letting Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer play at their preferred slots. In the pace department, the Men in Blue fielded a four-pronged pace attack by opting to rest Yuzvendra Chahal, letting the quartet function in their ideal roles.

Things didn't exactly go to plan for India. While Kishan and Rohit struggled in the middle, Gaikwad was dismissed cheaply. Deepak Chahar had to go off with a serious-looking injury and debutant Avesh Khan looked nervous throughout his spell. However, the thinking was spot-on from the team management in what was a positive sign for Indian cricket.