Five reasons why India will defeat England to win the Champions Trophy

India came into this tournament as World Champions, but nobody really thought that they would be favourites in English conditions. The perceptions began to change when India defeated South Africa in the first group encounter after two convincing performances in the warm-up matches. India’s traditional strength, batting, was at the forefront of the this charge once again, but it was ably complemented by the agile fielding. The latter has been critical to this change of perception as the energy on the field has been seen an indication of a general psychological change, marked by greater self-belief, that has come about in Indian cricket. The bowling department has performed for India in this competition, but that remains an area where improvement can still be made. They will be the favorites even when they face the home side in the final of Champions Trophy 2013.

The only weakness that this Indian side may suffer from is complacency. They have not really had to battle their way to the final; they have been comprehensive and convincing. They have chased down low totals and when they have batted first, their opening batsmen have performed. It will be interesting to see what happens if their top order has a meltdown at Edgbaston. England is very much capable of inflicting that and their semi-final performance against the Proteas is a testament to that.

Here is a list of five reasons why India are favorites to win the Champions Trophy by defeating England at Edgbaston:

5. Indian Fielding

The Indian fielding unit is the best in this competition. They put in a stunning performance against the South Africans, hindering their charge as they looked set to chase a massive total set by India. Not only does the fielding effort consolidate upon the bowling performance, it also adds an element of psychological strength. With a number of players being complete live-wires on the ground, the effect runs through the entire set-up in form of a positive attitude and confidence. Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik and Shikhar Dhawan are all quality fielders and there is no real appalling loophole in the fielding department. They are likely to outdo the English in this department.

4. Match Winners

India have a lot of match winners who can deliver massive individual performances. We have already seen Shikhar Dhawan doing so twice in the group stages. Virat Kohli has been threatening to explode in the last few games, and the half-century against Sri Lanka in the semi-finals does not augur well for the English. He has the ability to keep the score ticking in a tight situation that requires rebuilding, and can wield his willow devastatingly when the conditions are favourable. The conditions are likely to be suitable for batting at Edgbaston, where the pitch will be dry and hard. Dinesh Karthik produced two consecutive centuries in the warm-up games and has done the job whenever called upon in the competition. No player in this side is having a bad patch.

3. The Opening Partnership

The new ODI rules have exponentially increased the importance of the first 10-12 overs as two new balls are used from different ends. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were put together in a haste after Murali Vijay’s failure in the warm-up games and they have clicked wonderfully. Two consecutive century partnerships were followed by convincing displays against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sharma complements the aggression of Dhawan; and if he can control that odd false shot against England, the pair can once again create a strong foundation for the middle order to build upon.

2. The Spin Wizards

India’s spinners have lead the attack in England where conditions have offered greater assistance to the fast bowlers. R. Ashwin and R. Jadeja form a formidable partnership as MS Dhoni uses them to shackle the run-rate in the middle overs. Jadeja’s natural variation with the odd turning ball is complemented by the diverse repertoire of Ashwin’s bowling. Together, the two have scalped a stunning figure of 16 wickets in 4 games. England are no more particularly vulnerable to spin, but if conditions offer a bit of spin and bounce, as they usually have done in this tournament, they will have to bat well to quell the threat of the spin wizards.

1. Captain Fantastic : MS Dhoni

The Indian captain is a big match player. He came up the batting order against Sri Lanka in the World Cup final and smashed the bowlers all around the park to take India home. There might be no need for him to do that this time around; but with him stationed in the lower middle order, little can go wrong for India. His leadership abilities alone make him an asset to the side and he has drastically improved his game behind the stumps. With all major trophies except for the Champions Trophy on his resume, he will be hungry for this one.