India's big gains in one-day series win against England

Rohit-led team managed to answer key queries ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy from Feb 19

- Rasesh Mandani

will be a far stiffer challenge; what with the pressures of a world event and matches against different opponents demanding distinct strategies. To begin with, the England series helped India identify their preferred first 11. Be it after a round of trial and error. Gambhir has been sold to the idea of using left-right batting combinations as a tactical weapon. India began by handing out a debut to Yashasvi Jaiswal to partner Rohit at the top. Jaiswal's opportunity was to come at Shreyas Iyer's expense in the middle order, until Virat Kohli got injured. By the end of the series, Jaiswal has been phased out of the squad and Iyer came through with flying colours at No.4. Shubman Gill reunited with Rohit, their opening partnership has been one of the most prolific in recent years.

Gill leading the way Gill was head and shoulders above everyone else in the series (259 runs, avg 86.33). One of the game's brightest prospects, he was able to switch gears effortlessly. Gill allowed Rohit to hit the high notes in Cuttack. In the other matches when Rohit fell cheaply and Virat Kohli took time to find his groove, the right-hander exhibited an array of strokes.