Five lessons India learnt from the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

(L-R) Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja of India during ICC Champions Trophy Winners Photocall at the Birmingham City Council Building on June 24, 2013 in Birmingham, England. (Getty Images)

India have always played better with the tag of underdogs but the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 was different. They looked like world beaters from the first match they played on English soil. This kind of victory has an entirely different impact on the confidence of the players as not only did they win, they won convincingly. It infuses within each member of the team, and in the team culture, self-belief that translates into the virtue of psychological strength.

Observe the great West Indian side of the 70′s and 80′s, the Australian side under Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting and you will notice one standout factor in their campaigns of domination. You will discover that they were special because when they entered the ground as favourites, they lived up to it. That is what is meant by absolute domination.

This team must strive for nothing less than that. In MS Dhoni, India has a leader of great stature. He has every major ICC trophy on his resume now and he knows how to win. The nucleus of this team is formed by a number of young players, who can play for India for a long time if they continue to hone their skills.

As we saw with the 1983 World Cup victory, such events are not isolated moments of celebration but they inspire and create a generation that is hungry to replicate that success. India must realise that and continue to build.

Here is a list of five lessons India learnt from their Champions Trophy victory:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India (L) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Kusal Perera of Sri Lanka (not pictured) during the ICC Champions Trophy Semi Final on June 20, 2013 in Cardiff, Wales. (Getty Images)

5. Swing Success

India’s pace bowling is not renowned in the world. We are not producing bowlers who bowl with a great deal of pace, and though that trend has changed at some level with the appearance of Shami Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, it is swing that gets you success at the international level. It is a precious commodity in all conditions and its value has increased all the more with the introduction of the two new balls.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a sensation for India getting the all important early breakthroughs and never giving away anything. In conditions that offered some assistance, we saw Umesh Yadav cut down a yard of his pace to extract some swing and he was effective. We must ensure that we give this skill to our bowlers by developing helpful conditions at the domestic level may it be quality coaching or greener surfaces.

MS Dhoniof India celebrates with his team-mates as India beat England to win the ICC Champions Trophy Final at Edgbaston on June 23, 2013 in Birmingham, England. (Getty Images)

4. Trust the leader

MS Dhoni contributed little with the bat in this tournament but his role as skipper was more than impressive. In the opening game against South Africa, India were on the back-foot in spite of putting up a massive total on the board as the Proteas got off to a healthy start. MS Dhoni used the spinners and his tactical skill to shackle the run rate. The net-run-rate began to climb and a number of run-outs were testament to the panic that was created by the mounting pressure.

He was equally good against England in the last match setting aggressive fields to defend a low total. One can pick out an odd moment in that match – Ishant Sharma’s two consecutive wickets for instance – and say that it was lucky but he still had to put the right man at the right place.

India’s Suresh Raina (R) celebrates with India’s Virat Kohli after Kohli had run out Pakistan’s Junaid Khan during the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England, on June 15, 2013. (Getty Images)

3. The 12th man

India’s fielding efforts have been heavily rewarded in this competition. They have improved in that area gradually and the origin of that cultural change can perhaps be traced back to the Sourav Ganguly – John Wright regime. Since the advent of MS Dhoni, India have invested a lot of faith in youth.

The youngsters are more agile and more importantly they carry a positive attitude. As Dhoni pointed out in the post-match interview, the source of that change is the growing infrastructure in Indian cricket. The new generation of Indian cricket is more athletic, more willing to put their bodies on the line and that is a huge step forward. Efforts must continue in this direction.

Shikhar Dhawan of India celebrates scoring his century during the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match against West Indies at The Oval on June 11, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)

2. Class is temporary, Form is permanent

Sounds odd, but there is a grain of truth to that statement. The Indian selectors carried out a heavy task by leaving out Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh. In the past, players have been dropped but as soon as a major event came around, they were recalled to add experience to the side that they said would be needed in hostile and alien conditions.

In the process a lot of talent was neglected. It is really important to monitor the performances of players in the domestic circuit. Good performances must be acknowledged and rewarded. Shikhar Dhawan is a pertinent example. He would have never been in the squad if the selectors had continued to bank upon the past laurels of certain players.

Ravindra Jadeja of India appeals during the Group B ICC Champions Trophy match between India and South Africa on June 6, 2013 in Cardiff, Wales. (Getty Images)

1. Spin Kings

India’s traditional strength was on exhibition at the Champions Trophy. The void created by the retirement of Anil Kumble was further aggravated by the fading performances of Harbhajan Singh. England came to India and their spinners looked superior. The Champion’s trophy was sweet revenge. It was a joy to see the English batsmen panic like fish out of water when they were exposed to a track that offered spin and bounce.

England has not been a happy hunting ground for Indian spinners in the past but the pitches offered a little more assistance this time around and full advantage was taken. R. Jadeja was awarded the golden ball whereas Ashwin played a massive role in the key victory against England. We must not neglect this traditional strength of ours but cultivate it into a force.