The series appeared done and dusted when in the 4th ODI on Sunday India began a modest 190-run chase but their intimidating batting line-up fell short by 11 runs in a stunning turnaround on a slow pitch.
West Indies' skipper Jason Holder conceded that his side were always playing 'catch-up' game throughout the first Test against India, which they surrendered meekly losing by an innings and 92 runs.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed five for 52 as Indian bowlers dominated the proceedings to bowl out West Indies for a meagre 196 on Day 1 of the second Test in Jamaica.
At the close, after 75 overs were squeezed in around two lengthy rain interruptions, the West Indies were 207 for six with Denesh Ramdin on 23 and Carlos Brathwaite not out 35 after winning the toss.
The second Test between India and Bangladesh at Kolkata's Eden Gardens will be the first day-night Test on Indian soil, making India the seventh country to host a day-night Test.
India finished the second day on 308 for four in 81 overs. They trail West Indies by just three runs, after the visitors were bowled out for 311 earlier in the day.
Maverick batsman Chris Gayle opted out of the ODI and T20 series against India citing personal reasons as the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) named three fresh faces for the assignment.
India would be aiming to seal the series with yet another resounding performance against a below-par West Indies.
A formidable India will fancy their chances of taking an unassailable 2-0 lead against a weakened West Indies when the two sides lock horns in the third game of the ongoing five-match ODI series, in North Sound, Antigua, on Friday.
Yuvraj Singh's patchy form and fear of inclement weather will be paramount when India take on the West Indies in the second One Day International, in Port of Spain on Sunday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's late assault and some fine bowling by the spinners saw India crush West Indies by 93 runs in the third One-Day International at North Sound in Antigua, on Friday.
A confident India, with a new coach at the helm, will seek to record a third consecutive Test series triumph on the Caribbean soil when the Virat Kohli-led side clashes with an inexperienced West Indies in the first cricket match, in Antigua, on Thursday.
Star all-rounder Kieron Pollard will lead the Trinidad side whereas Darren Sammy will lead the Caribbean Select XI.
Rain is expected to play role in 5th ODI in Thiruvananthapuram even as the wicket-keeper batsmen will look to complete 10,000 ODI runs.
West Indies captain Jason Holder demanded discipline from his bowlers in the remaining four ODIs of the five-match series against India, saying picking up wickets upfront would be crucial.
The last time West Indies won a Test series against India was at home in 2002. The team has lost six straight series against India since then.
With Jason Holder's men just about managing to draw the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan 1-1, there is no doubt that the current Indian team are a few notches ahead in terms of quality.
A second-string West Indies which never looked like challenging India enough in this series, scored a modest 189 for nine, but sluggish batting by the visitors specially Mahendra Singh Dhoni (54 off 114 balls) turned it into a winning total.
West Indies have lost their last four Tests, two to Australia and two to Sri Lanka, and have not enjoyed a single win in Australia since the 1996-97 tour.
India will look to find the 'perfect' balance in their playing eleven when they take on a resurgent West Indies in the fourth One-day International in Mumbai on Monday. The decision to play with five specialist bowlers in Saturday's third ODI in Pune did not work for India and they ended up as the losing side for the first time in the home series against the West Indies.
Formidable India will hope to get more answers for their unsettled middle-order puzzle when they take on a reeling West Indies in the five-match ODI series, starting Sunday and ticking off the home team's countdown to the 2019 World Cup.
The West Indies bowling could have been taken to the cleaners, but the skipper hit only 10 fours in his knock -- significantly less than Shaw's 19 boundaries and Pujara's 14 hits.
'I was not thinking about it as my first game, I was just thinking that it's another game and it just happened.'
India recovered to 234 for five at stumps on Day One of the third Test against the West Indies, courtesy an unbeaten 108-run stand between Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha.
Shikhar Dhawan has always had the uncanny knack of producing goods when the chips are down which he attributes to his 'big heart' and the 'backing' he has got from skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble.
While Ajinkya Rahane always scores good runs, he seldom scores them quickly enough. And he doesn't bowl, although he is a handy fielder. Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji assess the India-West Indies ODI series.
Who was the most valuable player of the India-West Indies ODI series?
On a high after sealing the series with comprehensive victories, an upbeat India will be aiming to complete a 3-0 rout in order to retain it's No 1 Test ranking, when they meet a listless West Indies in the final Test match of the series in Port of Spain on Thursday. Having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series after their crushing 237-run win in the third Test, Virat Kohli and his men will be aiming to go for the kill and keep their top ranking in Test. India were reinstated as the No.1 Test side after Australia 0-3 whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka.
Stung by a remarkable fightback from West Indies on the final day of the rain-hit second Test, India will have to look at their bowling combinations and get back to winning ways when the third cricket Test begins in St. Lucia, on Tuesday.
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