India vs West Indies: Will the core for India’s future emerge from this tour?

While the tempest rages at home and established players study their options, India’s cricketers in the West Indies will find life a little more tranquil. The waters are turquoise, the sea is calm, the pitches are slow and the opposition inexperienced. If you want to live with beauty and win matches, currently the West Indies offer the best combination.

There are, of course, two West Indies teams at the moment. One thrills the world, makes friends, fills stadiums and plays outrageous cricket. Their game is done in 120 balls. The other wears white, provokes prose filled with lament, has players who come and go before you can remember their names and don’t exactly trouble those that write headlines. The first of those dashed Indian dreams in March, the second is unlikely to be as bothersome over the next month.

The last time the West Indies played India at home was five years ago and only two players remain from that team. The last time they played in India, was two and a half years ago and only two that played that test will play the first of this series. The Indian team analyst will be as hard at work as the players in helping them prepare against a team they know so little about.