Well, this recent and last-ever ICC Champions Trophy tournament has provided a means by which India's positive changes could be on exhibition for all to see. Initially toted as a side in transition which would struggle in what were preconceived to be unfamiliar conditions, India has surprised even the most optimistic of Indian fans. A team with a previous reputation of consisting of lazy, unfit fielders, buffet bowlers, and batsmen who tremble at the sight of a fast-moving or bouncing ball, the Men in Blue have managed to replace the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Sehwag and Harbhajan with astonishing ease.
In fact, Kohli, "Captain-cool" MS Dhoni and Raina are the only three players left over from the same side that played in the 2011 World Cup final. The catastrophe which was to follow was one which made Indian fans, in the space of 6 months, go from jubilant to dejected. To witness the debacle of 4-0 whitewashes in England and Australia was the worst I ever had as an India supporter, a debacle which culminated with an embarrassing home series defeat to England in 2012. This Indian side looked bereft of confidence, inspiration, and expected skill. Duncan Fletcher's succession of Gary Kirsten as coach was met with frustration, with many seeking the former-England coach's sacking.
However, 2013 saw a discernable turnaround, as many youthfully-exuberant yet still fairly-experienced players were introduced into the side. This turnaround was evident firstly in India's ODI series victory at home to England, after which India's improvement was put on show against the visiting Australians.
The Home Test Series against Australia
This turnaround continued into a staggering 4-0 Test whitewash of a visiting Australia, a team which admittedly is still struggling to adjust to the departure of their greats. Nevertheless, this had been the first time in over 4 decades that Australia suffered a whitewash series defeat. A stunning feat by a young side. There was an evident intrepidity which hadn't been seen in the previous 18 months.
What we saw was the emergence of Ravindra Jadeja as the missing link in this side: a genuinely-superb all-rounder who can make a squad for either his lower-order batting or his top-class spin bowling alone; not to mention his brilliance and athleticism in the field. In this series, it was his spin which stood out, as he was second only to compatriot and fellow slow bowler Ravichandran Ashwin in number of wickets. with 24 in the 4-match series.
Even though he only played the one innings, Shikhar Dhawan made himself known to the world as an able, if not better replacement of the inconsistent Virender Sehwag. He had the honour of scoring the fastest ever debut century, in an eventual man-of-the-match performance of 187. This was a sign of things to come later on this year for the bustling left-hander.
Murali Vijay had been given a few chances which were not taken. A talented player as seen in the domestic circuit and the IPL, he finally showed his ability, ending as the leading run scorer in that test series.
Cheteshwar Pujara again showed his ability and temperament with the bat, scoring some breathtaking hundreds, and indeed, fifties as well. He and Virat Kohli are looking more and more like the future of the Indian middle order.
Ever since his amazing T20 debut against Pakistan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been branded as the swing-sensation in Indian cricket. He was largely underbowled in the series, but in a couple of occasions, it was his early swing-bowling and key top-order wickets which proved vital for Team India en route to victory.
Last, but not least, who could forget the emergence of Ravichandran Ashwin. He has established his role as the frontline India spinner, and ended as the leading wicket-taker, with 29 wickets in the 4 matches. Australia had no clue of how to play his unique brand of off-spin. Looks like Harbhajan has had to make way.
The Key Competition of the Year- the 2013 Champions Trophy
In this, the final ever Champions Trophy tournament, India had been overlooked as favourites to the likes of Pakistan, the West Indies and hosts England. Maybe it was this lack of expectation from non-devout Indian supporters which turned out to be the key for the team. After two blistering warm-up perfomances against Sri Lanka and Australia, India showed what they had the capacity to do in unfavorable English conditions.
The group stage really showed what India had in its artillery as what stood out most was the opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, the former of whom was granted the faith of a new role by Fletcher and Dhoni. The two played with such freedom and positivity, setting the foundation for blistering batting performances in the group stages and beyond, with the latter instilling fear in opposition bowling attacks for his amazing strokeplay and century-hitting.
However, what also stood out was the stunning fielding display. With direct-hit runs outs from Jadeja and Kohli and seeing diving saves at the boundary, it was a delightful, if not unbelievable sight to behold.
India has also been branded as a side over-reliant on batting, with mediocrity in the pace bowling department, which was even more scrutinized as a weak point due to the fact that the lineup consisted of the inexperienced Bhuvneshwar, the wayward Yadav and the inconsistent Ishant Sharma. However, bar the first game of the competition, the bowlers performed admirably, keeping sides to small totals. Bhuvneshwar got the early breakthroughs, and Ishant and Yadav used their pace to good effect.
Jadeja was the standout in this bowling attack though. Initially seen as support to Ashwin, he blew sides away almost single-handedly with his accurate, meandering spells of bowling, leaving Ashwin to play the supporting role, one he did admirably as well.
No one could stop India, as they bulldozed their way to the final to face hosts England. India's batting (in particular Shikhar Dhawan) had always previously taken their opposition to the cleaners, but the final would highlight how multi-faceted India's game had become.
India's batsmen were put to the test, and thanks to Kohli and Jadeja, mustered a below-par total in a 20 over reduced contest. In this nailbiting finale, Ashwin and Jadeja gave India a whiff of victory. However, the Bopara-Morgan partnership looked to have sealed it for England, with Ishant bowling a previously-poor spell. However, Dhoni is Captain Cool for a reason. His faith in Sharma, and his unorthodox and risky captaincy turned out to be the catalyst for an unlikely Indian victory. Ishant's two wickets in two balls turned the game on it's head, sparring an England collapse which sealed a 5 run Indian victory as 2013 ICC Champions Trophy Winners.
But wait, wasn't this in English conditions where India lost 4-0 in a Test Series less than 2 years before? Well, it seems as though youthful exuberance was really what India was looking for. Dhawan's player-of-the-tournament, sensational batting, the general agility and secure catching in the field, superb bowling led by bowler-of-the-tournament Jadeja, and of course, the superb captaincy of MS Dhoni were able to silence all the critics, and win over the hearts of a one-and-a-half billion strong fan base.
India staring down defeat...don't worry, I'm here.
Yet another, albeit somewhat insignificant, trophy in the bag
MS Dhoni has had the pressure of batting, wicket-keeping and being captain for over 6 years, and now, he's won everything there is to win for India. One cannot over-emphasize the amount of responsibility and expectation on those shoulders. He responds, at least on the surface anyway, with a calm demeanor, which spreads into the mindsets of his own players. That is what makes Dhoni work. The fact that he never seems to succumb to pressure, and is willing to take the most unorthodox, if not outlandish of approaches without the pessimism of any possible repercussions.
The proof is in the pudding. Look at all he's won for his team. Yes, he has had his share of low points as well, but the fact that the old guard has been replaced with young and multi-dimensional talent means that Dhoni himself has undergone a renaissance in confidence, both in his team, and in himself.
What makes things even more upbeat is that there are so many other young talents knocking on the door as well, the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Ajinkya Rahane. If anyone in this established XI is short of form or injured, they have a more-than-able replacement on hand.
Now, the next target is the 2015 World Cup, and with such a young outfit, and the country's greatest-ever leader, you wouldn't bet against India defending their World title.
In fact, Kohli, "Captain-cool" MS Dhoni and Raina are the only three players left over from the same side that played in the 2011 World Cup final. The catastrophe which was to follow was one which made Indian fans, in the space of 6 months, go from jubilant to dejected. To witness the debacle of 4-0 whitewashes in England and Australia was the worst I ever had as an India supporter, a debacle which culminated with an embarrassing home series defeat to England in 2012. This Indian side looked bereft of confidence, inspiration, and expected skill. Duncan Fletcher's succession of Gary Kirsten as coach was met with frustration, with many seeking the former-England coach's sacking.
 |
| Dhoni (right) and Tendulkar (left) look on after a humiliating whitewash at the hands of England |
However, 2013 saw a discernable turnaround, as many youthfully-exuberant yet still fairly-experienced players were introduced into the side. This turnaround was evident firstly in India's ODI series victory at home to England, after which India's improvement was put on show against the visiting Australians.
The Home Test Series against Australia
This turnaround continued into a staggering 4-0 Test whitewash of a visiting Australia, a team which admittedly is still struggling to adjust to the departure of their greats. Nevertheless, this had been the first time in over 4 decades that Australia suffered a whitewash series defeat. A stunning feat by a young side. There was an evident intrepidity which hadn't been seen in the previous 18 months.
What we saw was the emergence of Ravindra Jadeja as the missing link in this side: a genuinely-superb all-rounder who can make a squad for either his lower-order batting or his top-class spin bowling alone; not to mention his brilliance and athleticism in the field. In this series, it was his spin which stood out, as he was second only to compatriot and fellow slow bowler Ravichandran Ashwin in number of wickets. with 24 in the 4-match series.
Even though he only played the one innings, Shikhar Dhawan made himself known to the world as an able, if not better replacement of the inconsistent Virender Sehwag. He had the honour of scoring the fastest ever debut century, in an eventual man-of-the-match performance of 187. This was a sign of things to come later on this year for the bustling left-hander.
Murali Vijay had been given a few chances which were not taken. A talented player as seen in the domestic circuit and the IPL, he finally showed his ability, ending as the leading run scorer in that test series.
Cheteshwar Pujara again showed his ability and temperament with the bat, scoring some breathtaking hundreds, and indeed, fifties as well. He and Virat Kohli are looking more and more like the future of the Indian middle order.
Ever since his amazing T20 debut against Pakistan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been branded as the swing-sensation in Indian cricket. He was largely underbowled in the series, but in a couple of occasions, it was his early swing-bowling and key top-order wickets which proved vital for Team India en route to victory.
Last, but not least, who could forget the emergence of Ravichandran Ashwin. He has established his role as the frontline India spinner, and ended as the leading wicket-taker, with 29 wickets in the 4 matches. Australia had no clue of how to play his unique brand of off-spin. Looks like Harbhajan has had to make way.
 |
India after the Australia whitewash
The Key Competition of the Year- the 2013 Champions Trophy
In this, the final ever Champions Trophy tournament, India had been overlooked as favourites to the likes of Pakistan, the West Indies and hosts England. Maybe it was this lack of expectation from non-devout Indian supporters which turned out to be the key for the team. After two blistering warm-up perfomances against Sri Lanka and Australia, India showed what they had the capacity to do in unfavorable English conditions.
 |
| Shikhar Dhawan- the new opening sensation |
However, what also stood out was the stunning fielding display. With direct-hit runs outs from Jadeja and Kohli and seeing diving saves at the boundary, it was a delightful, if not unbelievable sight to behold.
 |
| Swing-sensation Bhuvneshwar Kumar |
 |
| "Sir" Ravindra Jadeja |
No one could stop India, as they bulldozed their way to the final to face hosts England. India's batting (in particular Shikhar Dhawan) had always previously taken their opposition to the cleaners, but the final would highlight how multi-faceted India's game had become.
India's batsmen were put to the test, and thanks to Kohli and Jadeja, mustered a below-par total in a 20 over reduced contest. In this nailbiting finale, Ashwin and Jadeja gave India a whiff of victory. However, the Bopara-Morgan partnership looked to have sealed it for England, with Ishant bowling a previously-poor spell. However, Dhoni is Captain Cool for a reason. His faith in Sharma, and his unorthodox and risky captaincy turned out to be the catalyst for an unlikely Indian victory. Ishant's two wickets in two balls turned the game on it's head, sparring an England collapse which sealed a 5 run Indian victory as 2013 ICC Champions Trophy Winners.
But wait, wasn't this in English conditions where India lost 4-0 in a Test Series less than 2 years before? Well, it seems as though youthful exuberance was really what India was looking for. Dhawan's player-of-the-tournament, sensational batting, the general agility and secure catching in the field, superb bowling led by bowler-of-the-tournament Jadeja, and of course, the superb captaincy of MS Dhoni were able to silence all the critics, and win over the hearts of a one-and-a-half billion strong fan base.
 |
| India- 2013 ICC Champions Trophy winners and World Number 1 ODI team |
The Celkon Mobile Tri Series 2013
There is the present-day complaint by pundits that players are suffering from exhaustion from too much cricket. Well, due to the evident folie by the WICB, Indian and Sri Lankan boards, India's celebrations were to be short-lived, as they had to take part in a ridiculous tri-series in the Caribbean with Sri Lanka and the West Indies, with the same batch of players.
Well, the staggering number of games seemed to have taken its toll on Captain MSD, as he suffered a hamstring injury, and under Kohli's interim leadership, we saw, in the beginning, the India of old, the India which buckles under pressure and bowls buffet balls, losing their first two games. However, the determination and drive of the ridiculously-talented Virat Kohli saw a massive turnaround which helped India make it to the final to face Sri Lanka. In this, we saw the return to form of the Rohit-Dhawan opening partnership, Kohli at his best, and the Bhuvneshwar-Yadav-Sharma pace trio taking the leading role in blowing away the West Indies and Sri Lanka the second time around.
| Virat celebrating his hundred against the West Indies |
After Dhoni's return to an inconsequential final, Bhuvneshwar and co. again showed their ability with the ball as India bundled Sri Lanka for only 201 and seemed to have sealed yet another title. However, there was to be a relapse. That's right, the India of old looked like rearing its ugly head again. A massive batting collapse somehow left Dhoni with the responsibility of scoring 15 off the last over. Well, I've highlighted the work of all the others in the team, while only giving a slight mention to MSD's role as captain. Maybe that's how he likes it to be.
However, he couldn't ignore his significance to the team, and as Shaminda Eranga ran up to bowl with 15 needed off 5 balls, the script was written for a calm character in MSD to steal the show. 6,4,6, almost nonchalantly, and somehow, Dhoni managed to win yet another title. Game over. Ishant at the other end was going crazy with jubilation; Dhoni just had a gentle smile on his face. India won the Celkon Tri-Series Cup. Job done.
However, he couldn't ignore his significance to the team, and as Shaminda Eranga ran up to bowl with 15 needed off 5 balls, the script was written for a calm character in MSD to steal the show. 6,4,6, almost nonchalantly, and somehow, Dhoni managed to win yet another title. Game over. Ishant at the other end was going crazy with jubilation; Dhoni just had a gentle smile on his face. India won the Celkon Tri-Series Cup. Job done.
India staring down defeat...don't worry, I'm here.
Yet another, albeit somewhat insignificant, trophy in the bag
MS Dhoni has had the pressure of batting, wicket-keeping and being captain for over 6 years, and now, he's won everything there is to win for India. One cannot over-emphasize the amount of responsibility and expectation on those shoulders. He responds, at least on the surface anyway, with a calm demeanor, which spreads into the mindsets of his own players. That is what makes Dhoni work. The fact that he never seems to succumb to pressure, and is willing to take the most unorthodox, if not outlandish of approaches without the pessimism of any possible repercussions.
The proof is in the pudding. Look at all he's won for his team. Yes, he has had his share of low points as well, but the fact that the old guard has been replaced with young and multi-dimensional talent means that Dhoni himself has undergone a renaissance in confidence, both in his team, and in himself.
What makes things even more upbeat is that there are so many other young talents knocking on the door as well, the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Ajinkya Rahane. If anyone in this established XI is short of form or injured, they have a more-than-able replacement on hand.
Now, the next target is the 2015 World Cup, and with such a young outfit, and the country's greatest-ever leader, you wouldn't bet against India defending their World title.
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