India handed debut caps to quite a few young players during the T20I series against West Indies.
One of the two Tests ended in a draw due to rain and cost the visitors crucial WTC points, while the three-match ODI series went down to the decider before India clinched it 2-1.
The Men in Blue fought back from 0-2 down in the five-match T20I series but succumbed to a series-conceding eight-wicket defeat in the decider.
Many rookie players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson and Mukesh Kumar were part of the side for the Caribbean tour. While a few of them did well in individual capacity, they didn’t shine as a team.
Reflecting on the performances of youngsters, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said the transition from dominating at the franchise level to donning the national colors is quite challenging.
“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,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
He also cited the ‘boys vs men’ analogy to mention that the switch from U-19 to the senior team is difficult.
“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? 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,” Gavaskar stated.
“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 remarked.
Gavaskar further said that the T20I series loss should be a wake-up call for the Indian team.
“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 wrote.