Kolkata, Oct. 8 -- Much more is at stake than another India victory at Ranchi for the second T20I against West Indies. With the 2028 T20 World Cup still some distance away, India have something increasingly valuable-time. This is the phase in which they can afford to ask questions of their bowling resources, and, perhaps more importantly, give themselves enough answers to survive the demands of a crowded international calendar.

At Lucknow, Naman Dhir provided one. He wasn't supposed to be the main story of India's bowling attack. Yet on a surface that offered enough uncertainty to reward restraint, Dhir bowled with the assurance of someone who had been doing this for years. He flighted the ball, changed his pace, and rather than retreati...