Sri Lanka vs India 2017: 5 questions India need to answer in the ODI series

If there was one series that could be a template to define the ceaseless dominance of one cricket team over other, it was the recently concluded Test series between India and Sri Lanka.

The Indian team was hosted by Dinesh Chandimal's men in their own backyard, but it seemed like the Sri Lankans were playing on another planet. A planet where it was difficult for them to even breathe, let alone play.

The Indians, however, were over the moon for the entire series.

They bowled well. They batted better. Even the toss, which has always been an antagonist for Virat Kohli, went his way in all the three matches. His side didn't exude weakness for even one session of the series, and went on to win it asserting power, ruthlessness and clinical professionalism through its length.

Maybe that is why they're the world No. 1 Test team in the world right now.

While Kohli's team seems to have everything sorted in the longest format of the game, it still needs to address some prominent issues in ODI cricket. With the ODI Cricket World Cup looming, finding answers to these imperative questions should be Job One for the Indian cricket management. They can put the same in motion in the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka, which is set to commence on Sunday, August 20.

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#1 Where will MS Dhoni go from here?

MS deserves to go out on his own terms. If he believes he can play the next World Cup, who is to doubt him? He is a very modest and honest man. If he thinks he cannot contribute to India's cause in the World Cup, I don't think he will be there. At 36, he is still one of the fittest players. He knows his game and he looks after his body well. So he knows when to call it quits: Michael Hussey

Life is an irony.

The man with the Midas touch struggles to find his touch with the bat today. The same fans who worshipped his legacy are waiting for it to end. A skipper who lifted the World Cup for his country after 28 years, might not be a part of its upcoming edition.

Life is cruel. Sport is crueler.

The toughest challenge before Kohli and his team management is to sketch a roadmap for the remainder of MS Dhoni's international career.

If you consider where Dhoni stands as an Indian cricketer today, three things are surer than the next day:

Impeccable glovework: There is no wicket-keeper in the country who can go step-to-step (and glove-to-glove) with Dhoni's keeping prowess even today. The man's hands are as quick as a table tennis player, and his agility can put a youngster to shame. Moreover, his calls with respect to the DRS are so accurate that they might as well rename it to the Dhoni Review System!

Fit as a freak: Even today, 36-year-old is a living example of ultimate fitness and power not just in the Indian team, but in world cricket. His speed hasn't slowed by even a metre and he is a panther between the wickets. The recently-conducted yo-yo test at the NCA in Bangalore is another testament to his undoubtedle vigour: the entire Indian squad took the test, and only Manish Pandey and Kohli could overtake Dhoni as he managed to score better than everyone else in the team.

Tactical genius: The man from Jharkhand is still one of the quirkiest cricketing minds in the world. Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane recently revealed how Dhoni's experience helps captaincy easier for Kohli. He helps the skipper in making difficult on-field calls and is always active in setting the field.

In spite of these points, doubt looms over Dhoni's ability as a batsman, and by extension, a finisher. His skills with the willow seem to be receding and are no longer akin to their former glory.

To answer this question, India first need to decide whether they want to take Dhoni to the 2019 World Cup in England. If yes, they need to establish a clear route for him and ensure that they extract the most from the veteran and his extensive experience.

Will batting higher up the order release the pressure on Dhoni's well-built shoulders? Can Hardik Pandya and Kedhar Jadhav take joint responsibility for fishing the innings? Should Rishabh Pant be groomed to fill Dhoni's big and bold shoes?

These questions are difficult to answer. The Sri Lanka series presents India with an opportunity to do the same!

#2 When will India live up to the 'excellent fielding' tag?

India have been surprisingly below par in the field

We need to tighten our fielding to compete hard against the best teams. I would give our fielding 6/10, and that also, I would give all 6 points to Ravindra Jadeja: Kohli (after India's opening game of ICC Champions Trophy 2017)

Kohli, Dhoni, Jadeja, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey...

This isn’t a fielding lineup that warrants a speck of doubt. In fact, it paints an intimidating picture in the eyes of the opposition: a picture where a speeding ball is stopped dead in its tracks, and hurled at the stumps by blue, blurry forms: over after over, match after match.

Yet, India has failed to live up to the hype created around its fielding, more so in the past few months. It’s not that players are not throwing themselves around and affecting impossible looking run-outs.

However, they’ve made a mess of straightforward chances lately, missing running and diving catches that you expect them to grab. Direct hits from 30 yards have gone a-begging, and bowlers have even forgotten to back incoming wayward throws, they tend to make a mess of the most straightforward chances at times.

This isn't how a modern limited-overs side can function. This isn't how a limited-overs side can run.

Mind you, this is still the best fielding side India has ever produced and undoubtedly one of the best in the world right now. However, they can live up to these words only if they maintain their standards every time they step onto the field.

This isn't a nitpicking spree, but if a team wants to go big at the 2019 World Cup, it needs to be at the top of its fielding game. It is high time India reduce (and cut off) these occasional but glaring fielding errors; the Sri Lanka series will give them the window to try and work with different fielding combinations and hone their now renowned prowess on the field.

#3 Who will bat at Number 4?

Yuvraj Singh is rested for the series and is uncertain for the World Cup

That’s where I bat, the middleorder. That’s somewhere I have been batting for long time. The game I played in Australia, I batted No.4, that’s where I normally bat, and that’s where I know how many overs I have to play. That’s where I have batted in my entire career: Manish Pandey

Batting slots number 1 and 2: Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, the most consistent opening pair in the world.

Batting slot number 3: Kohli, best limited-overs batsman in the world.

Batting slot number 4: ......

This is where the seamless fairy-tale abruptly steps into a confusing story. Lokesh Rahul, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik are the batsmen contesting for that spot.

This question might be an extension of the first in this list if Kohli decides to throw caution to the world and promote MS Dhoni to number 4. Then, 3-down becomes a spot for which the aforementioned cricketers will compete with more names like Pandya, Kedar Jadhav and Rishabh Pant.

If Suresh Raina manages to make a comeback to the side, he will also be a contender for the middle-order.

Being privy to too many options isn't always a good thing, and the number 4 situation is a perfect example of that. Kohli needs to find a permanent answer to this as soon as possible so that the batsman he settles for gets a substantial amount of time in that position.

The Indian skipper has Rahul, Rahane and Pandey at his disposal for the Sri Lanka series. With his trial-time running out with every passing match, he must make the hard choice straight off.

#4 What to do with the sporadic batting collapses?

India have been prone to sudden and unexpected disintegrations of the batting order

In the ten times that India has suffered ODI losses since January 2016, they bowled first in 5 matches. Of these failed chase attempts, the batting collapsed four times.

Those are some numbers and they tell a clear story: sporadic batting collapses are a real problem for Kohli's team right now, and they can't afford them in big tournaments like the World Cup.

The answer to this question is in establishing a batting order that not only looks explosive, but reliable as well. How Kohli manages to address comes under his prerogative as the team leader.

Rahane might be a good anchoring option to try in the middle order, especially in overseas conditions. Promoting Dhoni and his calm to Number 4 might work too, if India can turn Pandya into a dependable finisher down the order.

India must look to concentrate on this problem in Sri Lanka and make sure that it is uprooted from their batting unit as soon as possible.

#5 How to incorporate the rotating selection policy?

MSK Prasad, head of the National Cricket Selection Committee

We've started a policy where a set of players will be given chances for next 4-5 months.

The national selectors have chosen a practical and different path to go about the World Cup selection this time around. Referring to stats and analyzing performances from recently concluded series will definitely make their job easier.

However, will it work positively for the team as well?

The captain tries to build a team that he can rely on through the toughest matches and the hardest series. Can he do the same if the players are selected on a rotation policy?

It might affect the team chemistry and bonding between its players. Moreover, Kohli might not be able to fall back on his most-reliable players always, considering they might be rested anytime in the near future. The rested cricketers might also feel that their position in the squad is threatened.

This will be the first series that will see the rotation policy in effect. Yadav, Shami, Yuvraj, Ashwin and Jadeja are not in the squad. Youngsters like Chahal, Patel and Thakur have taken their place. The team needs to find a way of incorporating these changes in their stride and to ensure that it does not affect their results in a negative manner.