After a long time, I have been able to watch an entire ODI series ball-by-ball due to the current WFH situation - and here are my 2 cents on India, a team that I have followed for the best part of almost 3 decades.
Here is my rating for the team (feel free to disagree with these)
Firstly, what happened to India!! I feel like with Kohli gone as captain the energy that always surrounds the team seems to have completely dissipated. Even Kohli himself seems subdued and passive in the field.
1. KL Rahul - (5/10) For some time now, I have noticed his change of role from the usually attacking batsman that broke into the side to a real passive strike rotator for both Punjab Kings and India. I guess he aims to bat through the innings like a Joe Root but seems a waste when you already have Kohli for that role at 3.
2. Shikhar Dhawan - (8/10) No real complaints about him, went out and played his shots and got India off to decent starts in all the ODI's - good half-centuries and at a good pace.
3. Virat Kohli - (8.5/10) Once again, literally nothing to complain about. People keep raging on about the lack of a 100 but he is still hitting solid half centuries and doing his role well - the 100's will come when they come, its just a matter of time
4. Rishabh Pant - (6.5/10) Extremely talented lad! Definitely something special but just like everyone says needs to just use his brain a little more. Horrendous shot to get out in the last game that too off the first ball. Should really be the one guiding the chase - did a great job in the second game and should have scored an easy 100
5. Shreyas Iyer - (5/10) - Once again, same as Pant. Definitely a guy for the future but I feel he is playing a spot lower than he should. Ideally, he should be at 4 with Pant at 5. I think teams have started to notice his vulnerability to the short ball and have started to exploit it.
6a. Venkatesh Iyer - (4/10) Too small sample size to judge but don't really see the point of including him as an allrounder. Doesn't seem anything at all special to play as an allrounder especially if he struggles to get wickets in the first two games where the pitch would have suited his style of medium pace dollies. I assume its a like-for-like replacement of Hardik Pandya's power?
6b. Suryakumar Yadav - (6/10) Really like him as a batman but you can't play him the low - it's a completely wasted slot for a genuine batsman.
7a. Deepak Chahar - (7/10) Obviously a decent swing bowler and can definitely swing the bat a bit - can't complain about his performance
7b. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar- (2/10) Honestly he is done as an opening bowler in ODI's - waste of bowling slot. How can your premier front line seamer have an average of 35??? Survived so long by finishing the games well as a death bowler but complete waste in the XI.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin - (6/10) Decent in ODI's as he has always been but always seem to lack the potency. Nothing new - seem to be a recurring theme with him. Once again, his batting gives him an edge over others.
9. Jasprit Bumrah - (7.5/10) - UNPOPULAR OPINION but Bumrah is completely wasted opening the bowling especially when the likes of Bhuvi are bowling in tandem. Batsman knows just to play him out and get the runs with Bhuvi or the other end. He has only taken 2 wickets in the first 10 since the 2019 WC. He's a class act and one of the best at the death and always the go-to for a wicket. Better of using him in the middle and end, maybe bring him on as a 3rd seamer.
10. Yuzvendra Chahal- (6/10) Decent leggy, seems to always be a little unlucky with his bowling and seems to lose it a little when the batsman make an effort to go after him - as Rassie did for his 100 and Bavuma for his
11. Prasidh Krishna - (6/10) Tall guy with a decent bouncer but I feel like he will a USP - don't seem to be a swing or seam bowler nor got that pace to trouble the batsman - will observe him a bit more. Saw him get taken to the cleaners a little in the IPL.
Feel free to disagree with those ratings but India in this ODI series (and the later stages of the Test Series) has been nothing short of shoddy against a bowling lineup that doesn't even include Nortje or Rabada. You can complement the Saffer's batting to put on those decent totals and chase but at the end of the day, India's batting has been completely toothless in those chases - and not to mention these pitches weren't too dissimilar to Asian tracks that India would have played on at home with the ball keeping low and turning. The bowling has been absolutely mediocre and unable to tie down or attack the opposition. I feel in a couple of years time with Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Dhawan coming to the end of their respective careers - it might actually expose a few problems in Indias order unless a few individuals step up.