India's 2-0 one-day series win over Bangladesh is significant in many ways. It may not quite offer them a ladder to the land of glory, but it went at least a little distance towards making up for their inglorious World Cup exit.
There were enough positives for Rahul Dravid and his men to take into the Test series beginning on Friday. The steady growth of Mahendra Singh Dhoni from a downright stroke-maker to a rounded cricketer who can shoulder responsibility is a welcome sign for India ahead of a packed international schedule. Dinesh Kaarthick too is not far behind; the Tamil Nadu batsman has shown in recent times that he can be a doughty customer.

Fighting spirit
The stumpers’ duo had bailed India out of trouble in the first one-dayer in Dhaka, displaying fighting spirit and the will to win. They joined forces when India were staring down the barrel at 144 for five, still hundred-odd runs short of victory. Dhoni – batting at number three – and Kaarthick batted sensibly to exterminate any hopes Bangladesh might have cherished of another victory over India. A defeat would have been calamitous and these youngsters should be given full credit for salvaging pride.
Dhoni's was a match-winning knock, but Kaarthick's innings was a statement that he merits a place in the team purely as a batsman.
Dravid too acknowledged that fact when he said, "He has been taken in this team as a batsman. He has shown enough ability and promise with the bat to be considered as a batsman. Of course, he is a wicket-keeper and people have started labelling him as a wicket-keeper. But that is another string in his bow.
“In his short international career, he has seen us to a victory in Cuttack, nearly saw us to victory in Rajkot. He finished a close Twenty20 game for us in South Africa. He has batted brilliantly in a Test match abroad. Let's not label him as just a wicket-keeper. If he shows promise with the bat, why not consider him a batsman?" 
The performance of Piyush Chawla too radiates some positive vibes. The 18-year-old grabbed three wickets in the second one-dayer in Chittagong on debut. It might not have set the tongues wagging, but if nurtured properly, the Uttar Pradesh lad can be an asset to the team, especially with Anil Kumble having retired from one-day cricket.

Biggest worry
India still have to sort out some areas before they face tougher opponents. The biggest worry is the form of Virender Sehwag. The Delhi batsman showed an alarming propensity to throw his wicket away in the first two matches and was denied a chance of redemption when the third one-dayer was abandoned due to inclement weather.
Dravid has been the biggest supporter of Sehwag for his match-winning abilities, but even the Bangalorean's patience is wearing thin as the opener has not shown any indication of improvement. With Gautam Gambhir making a hundred and other three openers – Robin Uthappa, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly – very much available, it is no exaggeration to say that Sehwag is in a spot of bother.
The others areas demanding immediate attention are bowling and fielding. The Indian bowlers, especially Zaheer Khan, looked out of sorts when Tamim Iqbal and Aftab Ahmed were on the rampage.
Bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad will have to spend some extra hours to find a suitable solution. The fielding – first one-day in particular – was abysmal and though they showed improvement in the second game, overall it can be rated as only lethargic.
While the series win away from home was a heart-warming effort, it also revealed the need for swift improvement to avoid further embarrassments in a hectic season.