IND vs WI | Indian unit is smooth machine, believes Kris Srikkanth

A fine team in 50-overs cricket and an even better one in Tests, India are a force to be reckoned with currently. In the heart of it was the evolution of solid bench strength and formulaic display in all three departments. With India suddenly moving to 50-over cricket after a heavy bout of T20Is, Srikkanth believes that it would just be another day in the middle for the "smooth" Indian team.

"The Indian unit is a smooth machine and one that should look at getting better with every opportunity. Add Shikhar Dhawan and Jasprit Bumrah, and this becomes one of the best combinations. However, the speedsters meeting with constant injuries and the back-up seamers not exactly firing can be a cause for slight concern against better opposition, especially away from home," Srikkanth wrote in his column for Times of India.

"Bhuvneshwar Kumar's absence could be felt. He brought in his experience in the T20I series and it's unfortunate that he would be missing the one-day leg. The return of Bumrah from the next series is heartening news and so is the reported comeback of Hardik Pandya. I would love to see India’s best combination turn out regularly. I can see this side dominating 50-overs cricket if they remain injury-free," Srikkanth added.

However, the situation is totally different for Windies now, who despite a 3-0 series win against Afghanistan lately, hasn't been at his best in the 50-over format. They could only win a couple of games in the World Cup, and despite running in close against Australia and New Zealand, they failed to close the game in their favour. Srikkanth is of the opinion that the key for West Indies to do well in 50-overs cricket is to "sustain momentum" for a longer duration.

"The biggest challenge for West Indies has been to find a way around 50-over cricket. As for Test cricket, they have found a separate set of personnel that might carry them but the one-day format throws an array of questions at them consistently. A big part of the problem for the West Indians has been their inability to sustain momentum over a considerable period of play. They have power-hitters and bowlers blessed with speed through the air and variations. The poor results are primarily because they have not found a game plan," the former Indian player added.