MS Dhoni's Team India: The great Indian juggernaut? Or maybe not!

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JUNE 24: (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. (Photo by Paul Thomas/Getty Images)

But the fairy tale wasn’t without its blemishes; in fact there were two in its climactic act itself – the batting brain-freeze that led to a middle-order collapse and almost a premature end to the Indian innings and the loose bowling in the middle overs that almost allowed Bopara and Morgan to run away with the match after the initial strikes.

It was all set for an anticlimax, until the two successive strikes delivered by Ishant were fully capitalized upon by a levelheaded Dhoni to edge out England by a narrow margin. It is said that all is well that ends well, and it did end well for the Indians – after all, they were not only the champions, but also the only undefeated side throughout the tournament, warm-ups included.

But, what was half-exposed during the Champions Trophy final was laid bare by West Indies and Sri Lanka in the first two group matches that India played in the tri-series that immediately followed it. Having backed themselves into a corner and needing to win with a bonus point in both the remaining matches, that too without their captain cool, India, through some gritty performances and help from rain-spiced pitches, somehow managed to come on top.

Although the late resurgence ensured that India’s dominance continues for the moment, two undeniable weaknesses were exposed for the world to see: The top-order’s susceptibility to a collapse in the event of a shaky start and the impotence of bowling unit on ineffectual pitches.

Ishant Sharma, aptly named blunt spear-head by his critics, is only one of the many problems with the Indian bowling unit (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

And the first chinks in the armor of invincibility that shrouded India ever since the Champions trophy started to appear soon after the first ODI in the home series against Australia. Fully exploiting the age old nemesis of Indian batsmen, the short ball, and an insipid performance from the bowlers, Australia made a strong case for why they deserve the champion’s throne.

India’s comeback in the second ODI, on a much flatter track, might have been like a wounded champion’s pride yelling at a spunky challenger, “Is this all you’ve got?”. But, it couldn’t help hide the fact that the throne was giving away underneath them and unless they did something, they might win a bout or two, but lose the title ultimately.

They were no longer the arrogant, redoubtable champions that sealed the final edition of the Champions trophy with their name on it. And the third ODI proved it. Watching the third ODI, was like watching a flashback from the England series at the start of the year. In fact, Team India look very much like they were when they first became the champions – Dhoni salvaging a top-order collapse, tight bowling in the middle overs, and poor death-bowling proving a ruin.

They might not lose their champion status in this series; even on their worst run they wouldn’t probably lose 1-6 in their backyard. No, it isn’t their champion title at stake in this series; it is their credibility as a champion that is at stake. Will India bounce back and show the world why they were called the merciless juggernaut or will they remain a tame champion, counting days at the throne, the next four ODIs will tell.