With the series done and dusted going into the last match, both teams rung in the changes.

Pakistan lent some respectability to the scoreline with a 31-run victory, but Shoaib Malik's men will know that they were completely outclassed for a major part of the series, and will need to do some soul-searching before the Test series begins on Thursday.

Speaking of which, I feel that Yuvraj Singh is primed for a Test recall.

The man of the one-day series is in the form of his life, and it will be silly to dismiss his recent run of scores as having come only in the Twenty20 and one-day versions. It is as important to focus on the quality of his batsmanship as on the quantity of runs that have flowed from his stinging blade.

Different Yuvraj
I admit Yuvraj’s Test record doesn't do justice to his talent, but I am also convinced that we are seeing a vastly different Yuvraj now from the one that last played in a Test match.

In some ways, the knee injury he picked up during last year’s Champions Trophy was perhaps a blessing in disguise, because it gave him time to introspect and see how his career was shaping up.

Yuvraj has always been a very good limited-overs player, but as any cricketer worth his salt will tell you, nothing provides more satisfaction than doing well at the Test level. The reason I believe Yuvraj is more ready for Test cricket than he ever has been is the increasing maturity he has shown in the last few months.

His shot selection is much better than it used to be, and it appears as if he is relishing the additional responsibility of the vice-captaincy of the one-day team.

Distinct change
Temperamentally too, I see a distinct change. He is far more in control of himself, no longer the young turk but in his mind a senior player in the side and therefore feeling the need to lead from the front and set an example.
Quite obviously, he has worked on his batting too. Not so long back, Yuvraj struggled to find his bearings if he walked in with the spinners in operation.

Today, while he doesn’t exactly take them apart from the word go, he is more at ease, working the gaps and playing himself in before unleashing his impressive range of strokes. It shows that he is thinking about his cricket, and constantly finding means to get better as an international batsman.

Pakistan will rely quite heavily on Danish Kaneria’s leg-spin to make an impact in the Test series. Yuvraj being a left-hander will be to India's benefit as it will be easier for him to play with the turn.

Particularly when India are faced with the prospect of life beyond their batting spearheads of the last several years, it will make sense too to ease Yuvraj back into the Test eleven, and allow him to blossom further in the company of the likes of Sachin, Rahul, Sourav and Laxman.

Of course, one of Sourav or Laxman will miss out if Yuvraj has to play. Play he must, I firmly believe, but will he?