Two weeks into the Champions Trophy and India look easily the best side in the tournament. This does not mean that the title is guaranteed. Indeed even a place in the final has still to be earned. Yet, as I write this on the eve of the match against Pakistan, there is consensus among rivals, experts and aficionados that M.S. Dhoni’s team — on form and performance — have been exceptional.
Having come to England with the spot-fixing controversy raging back home, India were under enormous scrutiny for reasons beyond cricket. Poor results overseas in the past two years had only added to the pressure.
Privately and publicly many critics — even well-wishers — thought that India’s challenge would fizzle out prematurely. Instead, there has been a remarkable revival. The batting has been brilliant and aggressive, the bowling unexpectedly incisive and the fielding a revelation.
Victories in the two warm-up matches were well-fashioned yet hard fought. In both games, the Indians lost early wickets only to recover smartly. But the two in the league stage main tournament were emphatic to the point of disbelief. So what’s changed so much in just a few weeks?
Several theories emerge, but of the lot the two that seem most plausible in my reckoning are (a) the pressure of the spot-fixing scam brought the players together, and (b) the smart work of the selectors is paying dividends.
In fact I would rate the second aspect as the more important because if the talent isn’t good enough, no amount of pressure can produce good performances consistently. The selectors, always much-maligned, deserve kudos when it’s due.
It’s quite extraordinary that this tour has not seen any notable failure barring M. Vijay who had only the warm-up games in which to adjust to the conditions. Suresh Raina is the only one in the top order not to have a decent score and he has had only one knock.
Vijay lost his place to Dinesh Kartik who has batted with such assurance and aplomb that it will be difficult to dislodge him now. Rohit Sharma, who won favour over Vijay as an opener, made the most of Dhoni’s gamble to notch up two superb half-centuries and now looks settled in the role.
The two best performers so far, however, have been Shikhar Dhawan and Ravindra Jadeja.
Skeptics doubted the ability of either to show the technique to succeed in English conditions (Dhawan plays too loose, they said, and Jadeja just does not have the class) but they have proved their detractors totally wrong.
Dhawan’s been spectacular with hundreds in successive matches, which makes it three on the trot in international cricket including his scintillating Test debut century against Australia. Jadeja has shown such rapid improvement in his all-round prowess that he is being touted as India’s key player in this tournament.
The key to their success, according to me, is fearlessness, chutzpah and deep ambition.When these qualities acquire a collective expression, you have the makings of a champion team.
In one sense the success of these players gives an idea of the intense competition for places in the side which is making them strive harder, but the more important aspect is that a well-rounded team — with depth in batting and bowling and vastly improved fielding — is emerging for the future.
The World Cup is less than two years away but I can see the team to play in that tournament taking shape already.
It would presumptuous to predict the squad so early, but if India win the Champions Trophy that task could become easier.