The outcome of the two-Test series against the West Indies was more or less expected; a 2-0 sweep. With two emphatic wins at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, the home team led by the new captain in Shubman Gill continued its winning run against the West Indies at home for exactly 23 years having started it all in the Wankhede Stadium Test of October 2002 when the Sourav Ganguly led team trounced the Carl Hooper shepherded West Indies by an innings and 112 runs.

The recently-concluded series began with the team sporting the burgundy leading 14-13 in 27 Test results out of the 47 played in India. The win by seven wickets in the second and final Test saw India nudge out its rivals to lead 15-14. No one knows when the two teams will meet in India; it would be a milestone of sorts, a 50th clash. This was the West Indies’ first visit in seven years. A crowd puller of the past, the team with no super star player in its ranks, failed to appeal to the fans, both at Ahmedabad and New Delhi. The turn out at both venues said it all.

The super stars of yesteryears, Sir Vivian Richards, Brian Lara and Richie Richardson saw their team show the stomach for a fight in the second innings with opener John Campbell and middle order Shai Hope scoring memorable centuries on a black soil surface that became flat and offered very little for the Indian spinners.

The two wins raked in 12 points each for the home team to retain its third position in the ICC World Test Championship table and look to repeat the show in the two Test series against South Africa in Kolkata and Guwahati in mid November when the temperature would have dipped considerably in Eastern India.

The 2-0 result enabled Gill’s team to cause a quick turnaround in fortunes after a shattering 0-3 reverse against New Zealand exactly a year ago. That defeat, following a strategic failure of opting for turners in Pune and Mumbai after the loss in Bengaluru, turned out to be a massive setback vis-a-vis qualifying for the WTC final. The team led by Rohit Sharma then fell like lemmings to the left arm spinners Mitchell Santner in Pune and to Ajaz Patel in Mumbai. The 1-3 result in Australia made sure that the WTC final would be contested between South Africa and Australia.

Well, Indian cricket has moved ahead with Ravichandran Ashwin, Sharma, Kohli quitting the scene and Mohammed Shami not in contention. Now 35, Shami played his last Test in against England at the Oval in July 2023 and the seamer is unlikely to get a recall from national selectors.

For a significant reason attention was riveted on the home team after its stout-heated display in England where it drew the series 2-2 to earn WTC points from two wins and won more admirers. The focus was also on Gill who led by example in his first series as captain, amassing 754 runs with four centuries including a 269 in the second innings of the Edgbaston Test.

Leading towards the series, the selectors took a firm call on the status of Karun Nair after his dismal showing in England. In fact at the team announcement press conference Chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, made no bones about Nair’s lacklustre showing in England and that the committee and team management was moving forward with left hander Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Parikkal.

With K. L. Rahul replacing Sharma as the opener (for the five Test series in England) with left hander Yashasvi Jaiswal as his partner, India’s national team in whites was firmly placed at the top order and with Gill occupying the No. 4 slot. It was not a surprise that Sudharsan was chosen ahead of Padikkal for the No. 3 slot, a position that has been held by stalwarts like Rahul Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohinder Amarnath, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ajit Wadekar and V.V.S. Laxman ( he batted in this position in 37 innings).

Not cut of the same cloth as Dravid and Pujara, the Tamil Nadu batter, Sudharsan - who fitted the bill because he is also a left hander - resembled more like Wadekar who was aggressive and looked to score runs. Sudharsan scored 140 runs in six innings in England with a high of 61, but improved his showing with 133 runs in three innings against the West Indies with 87 in the first innings of the second Test. He will be tested by the South African fast bowlers at the Eden Gardens and Guwahati, but he looks to have the wherewithal to defy Kagiso Rabada and company.

It was a no-brainer that India chose Dhruv Jurel as a replacement for Rishabh Pant, still recovering from the foot injury he suffered in England. Jurel did not waste the opportunities scoring a century in the first innings in Ahmedabad.

Another important event of the series was the return to the playing XI by chinaman (left arm wrist) Kuldeep Yadav; his 12 wickets on red soil and black soil pitches may have brought out the folly of not fielding him in any of the five Tests in England. India’s spin department with left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja as the foil for Kuldeep - off spinner Washington Sundar did not have much role to play - made use of the pitches in both Tests, although they had to toil at the Feroz Shah Kolta.

The short series proved that Gill - with counselling by Head Coach Gautam

Gambhir - was in full control as captain. He also got a century in the first innings of the second Test. It proved that Mohammed Siraj can manipulate the seam expertly, especially with the shining ball, and that Jasprit Bumrah can play back to back Tests.

In a month’s time action against South Africa will start at the Eden Gardens before Guwahati becomes a new Test centre.

Then on, India will prepare for the ICC World Twenty20 - in India and Sri Lanka - in February-March 2026.

As for immediate action, India will feature in white ball series in Australia- 3 ODIs and 5 Twenty20s- from October 19 with Gill at the helm, taking over the captaincy mantle from Sharma, who along with Virat Kohli will figure in the score sheet after seven months.

The emphatic victory against the West Indies has only raised hopes of the team competing hard against a tough rival like Australia. Gill has come out with flying colours in the two Test series he has been on the job; he will be put through the wringer down under in the ODI series.