It might only have been three ODIs, but India ticked a lot of boxes for their ICC Champions Trophy defence, with several players stepping up to show they can be counted on come the big tournament in the summer in England.
India vs England T20 series squads
Virat Kohli was a success as captain and, obviously, batsman-in-chief.
Yuvraj Singh made a booming comeback into the side, belying his years and showing there is plenty still left in that tank.
Not-the-captain-anymore MS Dhoni played a wonderful knock in the second ODI, which will give Kohli and Anil Kumble plenty to smile about, because No.5 is such a crucial position.
Kedar Jadhav showed he can be the finisher for India, while Hardik Pandya was quite promising in the all-rounder role, doing the business with bat and ball.
The spinners picked up crucial wickets in the middle overs, so key to curtailing the run rate in modern-day ODI cricket.
And the fast bowlers, while Jasprit Bumrah might have had a forgettable series, showed they can be relied on as well, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar's death bowling skills a big bonus. Add Mohammed Shami to the mix, and that department looks pretty good.
The only problem, and a major problem it is, was the opening. Shikhar Dhawan failed in his two innings, KL Rahul in three and Ajinkya Rahane could not to take advantage of the one opportunity given to him to make a mark at the top.
Rohit Sharma will definitely come in as one of the openers when he is back fit, but the big question remains, who will partner him. Kohli is a fan of Dhawan and Rahul, so they are the favourites to take up the other two spots in the squad for the Champions Trophy, but there will be one other player, who wasn't a part of the ODI team, but will feature in the T20s against England, who will hope to sneak his way in.
Rishabh Pant is an explosive left-hander, who has the ability to smash the new ball to all parts of the ground. Pant is coming off a strong domestic season, and while he might have missed out on a Test call-up when the experienced Parthiv Patel was preferred as the replacement for the injured Wriddhiman Saha, the 19-year-old will hope his time comes in this T20 series against England.
If he plays, and that is a big if, Pant needs to make a case for inclusion in the Champions Trophy by scoring big. A quickfire 30 or 40 will not do, he needs to make 70s and 80s to convince the selectors he can be a really good option in the 50-over game.
We all know what Dhawan brings to the table, and even his biggest fans will have to admit that those powers have started to wane. One great innings in ten is just not good enough anymore, not for this India team, and while he remains a match-winner on his day – the main reason he keeps getting picked – and has a strong ODI career record – he still averages over 40 – patience will surely be running out.
The ODIs were Rahul's big chance to cement his place in the team, and while he will get more chances in the T20s, he really should be kicking himself for not taking them.
In a way, it helps Dhawan that there are no more ODIs for India to play, because it keeps him in the reckoning, without having to bear the brunt of another possible failure.
Performances in IPL 2017 will play a big part in the decision-making process for the Champions Trophy, but if Pant can make a stirring start to his international career, it would really help his cause.
He needs to be picked in the playing XI first, and that is far from a foregone conclusion, considering Dhoni is the undisputed wicketkeeper and there are two other batsmen – Rahul and Mandeep Singh – vying for positions at the top.
But, if he does and goes on to make a couple of really big scores, he will give the selectors a major headache – while also opening up the possibility of another left-handed option other than Dhawan, which can never be a bad thing – and the more headaches the selectors have the better it is for Indian cricket.
