India, Feb. 2 -- India beat New Zealand 4-1, piled up 238, chased down 209, hunted down 154 in 10 overs, then got skittled for 165, and finished with 271. That is a series that screams "champions", but also whispers "not quite settled."

With the T20 World Cup starting in a week, the bigger story isn't what India did right. It is what this series didn't force them to decide, because knockout cricket won't wait for another experiment.

The series vs New Zealand was supposed to be the final audition. Instead, it became a tug-of-war. Abhishek Sharma looks locked: powerplay intent, clear role, no overthinking. The other opening slot is the problem India tried to solve. and arguably made noisier.

Sanju Samson's returns didn't justify the "Gil...