England vs India 2014: 5 positives from the ODI series for MS Dhoni's men

The Indian cricket team, coming off a Test defeat against England, did not return empty handed from the country as they inflicted a series defeat on Alastair Cook’s men in the 5 match ODI series 3-1, with the first game having been washed out due to rain.Losses in the bilateral ODI series away in South Africa and New Zealand, and an early exit from the Asia Cup earlier this year had raised doubts whether the Men in Blue were capable of winning in the shorter format overseas. Questions were also asked on whether the team could defend their World Cup crown next year or not.The ODI series win not only silenced all the critics, but also gave the team a few positives which augurs well ahead of a gruelling year.

#1 Spinning their way to victory

Considering that the pitches outside Asia won’t assist spinners much, the strategy to go in with two full-time spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in overseas conditions made us question Dhoni's line of thinking.

However, in this particular series, Ashwin and Jadeja kept a check in the flow of runs and got important breakthroughs whenever the opposition was running away with the game.

Ashwin and Jadeja picked up 14 wickets between them with the former having an economy rate of 4.4 and the latter going for 4.8 runs per over. Raina, who bowled 25 overs in the series, chipped in, as well, with his handy off-spin picking up 4 wickets.

However, the fact that they struggled to have any impact in their last two overseas ODI series, in New Zealand and South Africa, shouldn’t be forgotten. It can also be argued that the pitches in England, just like during the Champions Trophy 2013 that the Indian team won with ease, provided considerable assistance, which can’t be expected Down Under.

We can, however, take heart from the fact that, if there is any little assistance, these two will make complete use of it.

#2 Suresh Raina silences doubters

With Yuvraj Singh having very little chances of making it to the 2015 World Cup, it is now all up to Suresh Raina to act as the intermediate between the top 3 and MS Dhoni. His problems against the short ball meant he was dropped from the last two ODIs played in New Zealand and was subsequently not picked up for the Asia Cup this year. In his words, “The break allowed me to focus on my game and I knew the England series would be my only chance to prove myself.”

The southpaw, managing to get his place in the team on the back of his Indian Premier League (IPL) form, wasted no time in cementing his place for the time being. He stormed to his first century outside the sub-continent, in the 2nd ODI, in only 75 balls. Raina finished the series with 160 runs in 3 innings averaging 53.3 with a strike rate of 114.

He also picked up 4 wickets and was a delight to watch on the field. Unless he loses the plot in the Australia series later this year, he has all but sealed his World Cup spot. The 27-year-old needs to prepare himself for some chin music, though.

#3 Improvement in fielding standards

Over the years, the Indian team’s fielding has hardly been talked about. Even if it was in the news, it was because of the misfields and the “lacy bunch of boys” and hence Sunil Gavaskar’s remark that “this side is the best fielding unit” might have surprised many. This series witnessed a spirited Indian team on the field who dived and saved boundaries at will.

Over the course of the 4 matches, the likes of Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Jadeja saved almost 64 runs and dropped only one catch. The slip-catching too was a sharp contrast to the Test series, where nicks had almost always found ways to not stay in the hands of fielders.

Good fielding not only encourages and boosts the morale of the bowlers, but also goes a long way in frustrating the batsman.

Even though the Indian side has done away with the “donkey” tag - a term used by Nasser Hussain in 2011 to describe the Indian fielding - they should remember that fielding efforts can often be misleading and could all drop down in the next series depending on the wins or losses recorded by the team.

#4 Emergence of a fast bowling pair

Mohammad Shami, who was dropped from the last 2 Test matches and had an indifferent IPL season, managed to overshadow Bhuvneshwar Kumar to top the bowling charts with 8 wickets at an economy of 4.7. His yorkers impressed Dhoni and he was the only bowler who stood out in the death overs when others went for plenty.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an impressive Test series, where he scalped 19 wickets, and though he picked up only 5 wickets in the shorter format with an economy of 4.3, there is no denying his talent. Shami is good with reverse swing and hits the bat hard whereas Bhuvneshwar troubles batsman with deliveries going both ways, and the success of the team will undoubtedly depend on their bowling forms.

However, their record in South Africa and New Zealand left much to be desired and the tour to Australia later this year will be a litmus test for them.

The BCCI will have to look after them well, as the options are limited and an injury to either bowler could spell havoc for India, who have managed to find an effective bowling pair after a long time. The lad from Uttar Pradesh played every match on tour and looks overworked, and it will do him a world of good to be rested for the India vs West Indies series.

#5 Much needed confidence

Except for the last ODI, which can be termed as a bad day at office, all departments finally came off good for India. The series win was much needed after lacklustre performances in England and Australia in 2011-12 and in New Zealand and South Africa earlier this year. The early elimination from the Asia Cup, which was played in the sub-continent, raised doubts about the Indian team, and this win goes a long way in boosting the confidence of the team.

However, all said and done, one must keep in mind that the conditions offered in England were very similar to the ones at home - lateral movement, no bounce with some assistance for spinners. The team would do well to remember that their performances in bouncy and swinging conditions still leave a lot to be desired and hence shouldn’t get complacent ahead of the tour to Australia, followed by the World Cup, where the conditions are unlikely to support them.