Team India started off the the tour of the West Indies on a bright note. After scalping the Test series 1-0 and the ODIs 2-1, all hopes were on Hardik Pandya's men to perform well in the T20Is. However, after losing the first two games, the Men in Blue bounced back in style by squaring the series 2-2. But, the fifth and final T20I saw India's batters put up a poor show as West Indies romped home to win and take home the series 3-2.
However, the T20I series saw many young stars emerge who could earn a spot in the next T20 World Cup. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar shone but regular stars such as Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan underperformed in the T20I series.
Sunil Gavaskar, former India great, gave an intriguing analogy looking at the way the West Indies tour came to an end.
"A player could do well at the franchise level, but when it comes to playing for the country, it's a different ball game of pressures and expectations. It is one step up, which can be too steep for even some of the best performers at the franchise level. How often have we seen this when the Under-19 performers just aren't able to take that one step up from a boys' tournament to a men's competition?," he wrote in a column on Sportstar.
"Yes, the kids look great playing against kids, but when they come up against the men, they suddenly find that what looks like a piece of cake at the under-19 level is more like mud at the senior level. That's why so many who looked good at the boys' level have been found wanting at the senior level. It's not just the temperament; even the skill set is way below the standard required at the franchise level. Then, having been bought for crores, some of these youngsters lose the fire in the belly and are happy to cruise along in later years and get their contracts extended, even if it is for a lesser amount," he further penned.
'Sunny' stated that the T20I series defeat against the West Indies shouldn't dampen the mood of the Indian team as the hosts have themselves won the T20 World Cup twice in their history.
"The loss to West Indies should not be a dampener. Don't forget that they have won the ICC T20 World Cup twice, and their players are matchwinners for the different franchises they play for in the IPL. So, they are a top-class T20 team, and there's no shame in losing to them. It should be a wake-up call, though, to see the areas where India needs to improve to strengthen its side. Some of those who were rested for this series may not be around for too long, so their replacements need to be found pretty quickly too, as the next ICC T20 World Cup is just a year away," he explained.
