India won the 2013 ICC World Twenty20 (I mean the Champions Trophy with a 20/20 final!)
They won all five matches on their journey to glory against five different opposition. They defeated South Africa at Cardiff, India at the Oval and Pakistan at Edgbaston during the group stages. They then defeated Sri Lanka in the semi final in Wales before going on to hold their nerve to take out the title in the final against England in Birmingham. Prior to the tournament they won both warm up fixtures against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston and bowled out Australia for double digits at Cardiff.
Today, a year on from their championship glory, they are arriving in England for five test matches, five one day internationals and a T20 fixture at Edgbaston to conclude the international summer.
It was fitting that in the week surrounding the 30th anniversary since the historic 1983 World Cup win, that India won another eight team trophy in the same month, same country and similarly like 1983 managed to scrap to defend a low total in the final. In both games it was highly entertaining bowling dominant drama. Like the 1983 World Cup final, an Indian all rounder bagged the man of the match in the final. Ravi Jadeja was a revelation as a canny left arm spinner, athletic fielder and handy lower middle order batsman. The CSK man was the leading wicket taker, although narrowly missed out on the man of the series award behind Dhawan.
India achieved the treble in doing so. Being World champions in three ICC ODI titles simultaneously. The World Cup, U-19 World Cup and they could now boast of a Champions Trophy, too. This was their fifth ICC title since just 2007, adding the 2007 World T20 and 2008 U-19 World Cup triumph under Virat Kohli. They became the first team after Australia to be holding the World Cup and Champions Trophy at the same time. Talking of Australia, India now shared the joint highest tally of Champions Trophy titles with them having won the 2013 edition under the calm leadership of MS Dhoni, who could add the ICC Champions Trophy to his impressive CV of international achievements. India were fast establishing their status as white ball kings. They were closing in on Australia in terms of equaling the record for the most ICC major competition titles to their credit. This was their 8th adding the 1983 World Cup, 2000 U-19 and the 2002 Champions Trophy final in Sri Lanka where the trophy was shared after two days of persistent bad weather. It's highly impressive how they have won so many different high profile global crowns in different conditions for a team who are not known to travel well, particularly outside the subcontinent.
It was heartbreak for England who were unable to break their 38 year ODI drought without a global title to speak of, the only major force remaining to have not won a World Cup or Champions Trophy, despite hosting many and reaching finals. Like 2004, losing a Champions Trophy home final in a game they were controlling. It was exactly the same date when they lost the 1979 World Cup final against Clive Lloyd's West Indies. They bottled it again.
The tournament was significant for India for two main reasons. It followed a controversial IPL. It was India's first visit to England after the 2011 8-0 winless debacle. India needed to do well. 7-0 this time, including the televised warm ups. The men in blue were invincible, they were clinical. The fact that the team only had 3 players in the final XI that featured in the 2011 World Cup final, was a reflection of how far the youth was progressing in the country which owned the biggest franchise money making domestic league in the game.
Like the 2002 Natwest final, India won a decisive game when they were up against it. Self belief was paramount. They beat England in the 1983 World Cup semi final. And they won the 2013 Champions Trophy. Clearly, they had the upper hand over England in important ODI championship fixtures in England and they confirmed that by winning the Champions Trophy final in front of a populated Indian crowd on a damp day in Birmingham.
India would have taken plenty of confidence from their undefeated championship glory going into the 2015 Cricket World Cup and given the conditions they did it in and the young resources at their disposal, perhaps even as far as the 2019 World Cup to be hosted by England. They certainly took plenty of confidence from their Champions Trophy showing for an impressive run in Bangladesh for the 2014 World T20 where they were the dominant side leading up to the final and for all money looked like they were going to complete the treble of the three most popular ICC competitions at the same time, before being beaten in the grand final at Dhaka. They certainly can take hope going into the forthcoming England tour from the way they played here in 2013 to banish those forgettable memories of 2011.
India carried on their upward form following the Champions Trophy in ODIs. They won a tri series in the Caribbean. They beat Zimbabwe 5-0 with a second string side. They won home ODI series against Australia and the West Indies. They had a year to remember and not just in ODIs, rather on the whole, but the Champions Trophy was undoubtedly the highlight with the 4-0 whitewash of Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series at home a close second.
It was a rare overseas success for them in recent times, but one they can be very pleased with nevertheless. The most pleasing aspect was that they did it with the exuberance of youth. Their fielding and running between the wickets in particular surprised many who hadn't been connected with the latest developments of Indian cricket in the UK. Of course, they would have preferred to do it in a full 50 over final, but it was not to be, with the absence of a reserve day.
It was a TEAM performance. Jadeja, Dhawan, B Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashwin were the architects of lifting Indian cricket at a time of need with their spirited showings under the backing of Dhoni. The bowling led the way. They restricted West Indies brilliantly at the Oval, they humiliated Pakistan with the ball, they restricted an experienced Sri Lankan batting line up in the semi final for fewer than 200 albeit on a wicket which was offering plenty for the seamers early doors, before successfully defending 130 odd against the hosts in the final on a turning wicket. India's bowling has been severely underrated when it really matters in white ball cricket. Their bowling has been a central reason behind their successes in multinational carnivals and this 7th Champions Trophy best typified that. Indeed, several of their bowlers featured in the official competition XI.
A short concentrated world championship in the country that has the most experience in hosting international cricket competitions and it was MS Dhoni and India who took the honours. The word was that it was going to be the last competition of its kind. But thankfully at the beginning of the year following the ICC proposals with the Big 3 takeover, it's restored and in 2017 it will return instead of the proposed World Test Championship.
It was a better and more comprehensive win than any other ICC Trophy India have won from a cricketing point of view above all else. They were not favourities. They had a young side. They were clinical. There were no associates or minnows along the way. Sometimes in ICC Events the best team doesn't necessarily triumph, but it certainly was far from the case here.
India in England Successes
Won the 1983 World Cup
Won a Test Series in 1986
Won the Natwest final 2002
Won a Test series in 2007
Won a Champions Trophy in 2013
India in England Failures
1999 World Cup
2004 Champions Trophy
2009 World T20
2011 Tour
The tournament was significant for India for two main reasons. It followed a controversial IPL. It was India's first visit to England after the 2011 8-0 winless debacle. India needed to do well. 7-0 this time, including the televised warm ups. The men in blue were invincible, they were clinical. The fact that the team only had 3 players in the final XI that featured in the 2011 World Cup final, was a reflection of how far the youth was progressing in the country which owned the biggest franchise money making domestic league in the game.
Like the 2002 Natwest final, India won a decisive game when they were up against it. Self belief was paramount. They beat England in the 1983 World Cup semi final. And they won the 2013 Champions Trophy. Clearly, they had the upper hand over England in important ODI championship fixtures in England and they confirmed that by winning the Champions Trophy final in front of a populated Indian crowd on a damp day in Birmingham.
India would have taken plenty of confidence from their undefeated championship glory going into the 2015 Cricket World Cup and given the conditions they did it in and the young resources at their disposal, perhaps even as far as the 2019 World Cup to be hosted by England. They certainly took plenty of confidence from their Champions Trophy showing for an impressive run in Bangladesh for the 2014 World T20 where they were the dominant side leading up to the final and for all money looked like they were going to complete the treble of the three most popular ICC competitions at the same time, before being beaten in the grand final at Dhaka. They certainly can take hope going into the forthcoming England tour from the way they played here in 2013 to banish those forgettable memories of 2011.
India carried on their upward form following the Champions Trophy in ODIs. They won a tri series in the Caribbean. They beat Zimbabwe 5-0 with a second string side. They won home ODI series against Australia and the West Indies. They had a year to remember and not just in ODIs, rather on the whole, but the Champions Trophy was undoubtedly the highlight with the 4-0 whitewash of Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series at home a close second.
It was a rare overseas success for them in recent times, but one they can be very pleased with nevertheless. The most pleasing aspect was that they did it with the exuberance of youth. Their fielding and running between the wickets in particular surprised many who hadn't been connected with the latest developments of Indian cricket in the UK. Of course, they would have preferred to do it in a full 50 over final, but it was not to be, with the absence of a reserve day.
It was a TEAM performance. Jadeja, Dhawan, B Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashwin were the architects of lifting Indian cricket at a time of need with their spirited showings under the backing of Dhoni. The bowling led the way. They restricted West Indies brilliantly at the Oval, they humiliated Pakistan with the ball, they restricted an experienced Sri Lankan batting line up in the semi final for fewer than 200 albeit on a wicket which was offering plenty for the seamers early doors, before successfully defending 130 odd against the hosts in the final on a turning wicket. India's bowling has been severely underrated when it really matters in white ball cricket. Their bowling has been a central reason behind their successes in multinational carnivals and this 7th Champions Trophy best typified that. Indeed, several of their bowlers featured in the official competition XI.
A short concentrated world championship in the country that has the most experience in hosting international cricket competitions and it was MS Dhoni and India who took the honours. The word was that it was going to be the last competition of its kind. But thankfully at the beginning of the year following the ICC proposals with the Big 3 takeover, it's restored and in 2017 it will return instead of the proposed World Test Championship.
It was a better and more comprehensive win than any other ICC Trophy India have won from a cricketing point of view above all else. They were not favourities. They had a young side. They were clinical. There were no associates or minnows along the way. Sometimes in ICC Events the best team doesn't necessarily triumph, but it certainly was far from the case here.
India in England Successes
Won the 1983 World Cup
Won a Test Series in 1986
Won the Natwest final 2002
Won a Test series in 2007
Won a Champions Trophy in 2013
India in England Failures
1999 World Cup
2004 Champions Trophy
2009 World T20
2011 Tour
