India made a commanding start to the three-match ODI series against West Indies, cruising to a comfortable victory in the opening game. But with the second ODI coming up in Guwahati, the bigger question is whether the visitors can find a response  or whether another long evening awaits Shai Hope’s team.

West Indies’ problems extend beyond this series. They missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup and will now have to come through the global qualifying tournament next year. It is a familiar problem for a side that also failed to make it to the 2023 World Cup.

The first ODI offered another reminder of why they face such a difficult road ahead.

West Indies appeared to be in control at 176/1 before Kuldeep Yadav triggered a dramatic collapse. They eventually managed 295, but India chased the target without too much fuss.

Shubman Gill continued his excellent ODI form with another century, while Virat Kohli produced an unbeaten 130. Kohli’s nine sixes were particularly eye-catching, and the innings also saw him become only the second batter in history to reach 15,000 ODI runs.

For all the dominance with the bat, however, India’s bowling attack left plenty to be desired.

Kuldeep was the obvious exception, but Prasidh Krishna conceded at around six runs an over, while Nitish Reddy was expensive and failed to make an impact. Gurnoor Brar went wicketless, while Ravindra Jadeja also finished without a wicket. That makes it another ODI in which questions remain about his role in the format. Naman Dhir’s spin was hardly convincing either.

India will therefore be looking for improvement in Guwahati  particularly in the field and with the ball. They will also want runs from Rohit Sharma.

After such a one-sided opening game, the second ODI could reveal whether India can sharpen those areas while West Indies attempt to prevent the series from slipping away completely.