1,052 runs in three games: India's ODI bowling experiment has failed, and injuries are making it worse

India won the ODI series against West Indies 2-1, but nobody in the dressing room will be celebrating the bowling. Across three matches, India's bowlers conceded 1,052 runs and took just 19 wickets. On Saturday in New Chandigarh, West Indies chased 352 with 10 balls to spare, with Shai Hope making 162 not out.

With the World Cup in South Africa starting in October 2027, India have a problem they can no longer ignore.

The numbers: India's bowling vs West Indies

• 1st ODI, Thiruvananthapuram: West Indies 295/7 (India won by 8 wickets)
• 2nd ODI, Guwahati: West Indies 405/7 (India won by 8 wickets)
• 3rd ODI, New Chandigarh: West Indies 352/5 in 48.2 overs (West Indies won by 5 wickets)
• Total: 1,052 runs conceded for 19 wickets, an average of over 55 runs per wicket and more than 7 runs an over

West Indies made 300-plus twice and passed 290 in all three games. Four of their batters made hundreds in the series: John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo and Shai Hope, who did it twice.

Three debutants in three games

India used the series to try new bowlers, and the results were hard to watch.

• Auqib Nabi made his debut in Guwahati and went for 84 in 8.5 wicketless overs.
• Gurnoor Brar conceded 96 in 10 overs in the second ODI, though he did take two wickets.
• Anshul Kamboj made his debut in New Chandigarh and conceded 82 in nine overs without a wicket.

Ravindra Jadeja was left out of the last game for Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Mohammed Siraj only came in for the final match. Giving young players a chance is right in a bilateral series, but changing the attack every game meant no settled combination ever emerged.

Captain Shubman Gill admitted as much before the third ODI: "Our bowling line-up has been a bit inexperienced."

Discipline: wides, extras and dropped chances

The problems weren't only about inexperience. India gave away 23 extras in Guwahati, 20 of them wides, and 19 more in New Chandigarh. Shai Hope was dropped by Virat Kohli in the second ODI and went on to make a hundred.

When you're giving away an extra over or more in every innings, even 350 isn't safe.

The fitness problem

The bigger worry is that India's best fast bowlers keep getting injured.

• Prasidh Krishna pulled up with a hamstring injury in the second ODI after bowling only five overs and was ruled out of the third.
• Harshit Rana injured his knee in a warm-up match in February and missed the T20 World Cup, and has had more fitness setbacks since.
• Washington Sundar was ruled out of the New Zealand T20Is in January with a side strain.
• Jasprit Bumrah, whose workload is carefully managed, was with the Asian Games T20 side rather than the ODI squad.

That leaves India picking from a list of whoever is fit, rather than their best attack. It also puts more pressure on the bowlers who are fit, which raises the risk of further injuries.

The bright spots

It wasn't all bad. Kuldeep Yadav took 4 for 40 in the first ODI and reached 200 ODI wickets in the second. Siraj looked sharp in his return, taking Campbell's wicket early in the third game. Naman Dhir's part-time off-spin has been useful.

But two good performances can't hide a series in which India conceded more than 350 twice.

What India need before the 2027 World Cup

1. A settled first-choice attack. India need to pick their best four or five bowlers and give them a run of games together. 2. Fitness first. The BCCI's Centre of Excellence has to get Prasidh, Harshit and others fit and keep them fit, with Bumrah's workload planned around the World Cup. 3. Better discipline. Fewer wides and extras, and safer hands in the field. 4. Less experimenting. Trying new players is fine, but not three debutants in three games with a World Cup a year away.

India's batters chased 296 and 406 in this series, and Rahul's 129* on Saturday showed the batting is in great shape. The bowling is where the World Cup will be won or lost.

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