From biting cold to tropical heat, is Indian cricket truly moving in one direction?

With India's tough selection policies producing instantaneous result, Dhoni's young brigade have earned the right to cherish the moment and celebrate the occasion. After all, winning the Champions Trophy is no mean feat considering that it includes only the top eight ranked teams. The win becomes that much more sweeter when one takes into account that only four players from the 2011 World Cup team were part of the winning campaign in England.

The panel led by Sandeep Patil has clearly shown the gumption to drop senior pros in Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, a quality visibly lacking in the previous panel headed by Kris Srikkanth. The system of rewarding fine performances in domestic cricket and IPL has brought rich dividends with the results for all to see.

Look at the replacements. M Vijay has scored more Test centuries in one series than Sehwag did in two years. Shikhar Dhawan's performances in the last four months have clearly overshadowed Gambhir's achievements over the last three years. Debatably Yuvraj's ODI place went to Ravindra Jadeja and the south paw has just gone from strength to strength. All along Bhuvneshwar Kumar has ensured that the team has not missed the presence of the once dependable Zaheer Khan.

While all players and pundits alike applaud Team India, it is quintessential for the men in blue to start winning abroad on a consistent basis. That is the true test of strength, that is one mountain that needs to be climbed at a steady pace.

The sub-continent like conditions in England worked brilliantly in India's favour as it ensured that the batsman consistently raked up totals in excess of 300, with the pitch assisting spin bowling later on in the innings, aiding the team's unbeaten run at the tournament.

However, it is rightly said that when a team enjoys a string of victories , its negatives are quickly placed in the back burner. India will do well to address the key issues that need to be sorted out if they have to start winning abroad regularly.   

Despite the ominuous form shown by both the openers, Rohit Sharma's inability to capitalise on the start is definitely a cause for concern for the team management. While he has done enough to merit his place in the side albeit as a make-shift opener, having specialist openers in Vijay and Rahane waiting in the wings, Sharma's inability to make a big score at the top won't be tolerated for long.

Bowling in slog overs has been a perennial problem for Team India. With Yadav, Ishant and Kumar unable to make much use of the two bouncer rule, India's bowling inadequacies in the end overs have been exposed time and again. Even in the Champions Trophy final against England, with the match reduced to a T-20 encounter, Dhoni opted to go for Jadeja and Ashwin for over number 19th and 20th respectively, clearly showing the level of confidence or the lack of it he had in his faster men. 

Having  a strong, fit and in-form bench strength is the hallmark of a successful team. Murali Vijay, Amit Mishra and Vinay Kumar who didn't get a single game in the recently concluded Champions Trophy, will be hoping to play a decisive role in the Caribbean tri-series involving Sri Lanka and West Indies.

In cricket, defeat is a habit and so is winning. Hopefully, India will now travel better and not be pushed onto the back foot in foreign conditions. They must enjoy this and they will, but the ultimate test awaits when they begin touring away for Tests, at the end of this year. That will be the key indicator to judge what the real progress has been.

Why England is poised to win the Ashes for third straight time?

With the recent shambolic  turn of events notwithstanding, cricket fans worldwide finally have a reason to cheer. A riveting contest is on the cards involving two bitter rivals pitted against each other in the oldest format of the game in a historical series whose origins can be traced way back to 1882.      

Yes, the 'ASHES' are back and this time it is going to be played in England.

While this celebrated rivalry involving England and Australia has always evoked strong responses from  cricketers - both past and present, with the usual series predictions, verbal confrontations; in cricketing parlance known as the 'normal Ashes banter' et al, what makes this Ashes series particularly interesting is the fact that both the teams are enjoying absolutely contrasting forms.

From the humiliating 4-0 whitewash against India to their winless Champions Trophy campaign, Australian Cricket seems to be at its lowest ebb. Add to it the in-house drama, with the Warner scandal and the abrupt sacking of Mickey Arthur, it won't be wrong to say that Australian Cricket is in tatters. The Poms on the other hand seem to be going from strength to strength. Having completed a series whitewash against the hapless Kiwis, they were the runners-up in the tensely fought final in the just concluded Champions Trophy.

Putting the contrasting form of the teams in the back burner, here is an in-depth analysis of the personnel in both the teams :  for ASHES

The captains

Here are two phenomenal players who seem to have been inspired to new heights by the captaincy and increased their potency since rising to high office. While both the players are enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment, it is rather their leadership style that is getting much highlighted. 

As a leader, Clarke, a disciple of Shane Warne, is more proactive and more inclined to do unusual things, like getting keeper Matthew Wade to have a bowl in Hobart when he was struggling for wickets. 

Cook is like Andrew Strauss in style but it was seen in India that he is not afraid to quickly change things if they are not going right, like replacing Joe Root at silly point with Ian Bell in the final Test at Nagpur to immediate productive effect as well as leaving out a senior bowler like Stuart Broad after the Mumbai Test.

The bowlers

On paper Australia have an excellent attack full of potential but the challenge for them will be keeping their bowlers fit because they have had one injury after another. The bowling attack made up of Starc, Siddle, Pattinson, Harris, Bird and Lyon is quite well-suited to exploit English conditions -with the only question mark being over a backup for Lyon. With Ashton Agar and Fawad Ahmed still in selectors thoughts, pending his eligibility to represent Australia , it would not be surprising to see late changes to the spinners spot during the Ashes.

England, in contrast, have strength in depth and are raring to go. They have been able to rest and look after their bowlers - with the fast-medium bowler Tim Bresnan and the No. 1 spinner Graeme Swann, both coming back successfully from elbow injuries. In James Anderson who is arguably the best swing bowler and Stuart Broad who can tear any team apart, along with the likes of Steven Finn, Graham Onions and Monty Panesar, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that England hold the bowling edge.

The batsmen

It is especially in this department that Poms hold the aces. The red hot form of Joe Root who has replaced a seething Nick Compton following a solitary poor series, England’s batters just seem more ready for Test cricket in recent times than Australia’s when they are introduced. With experienced stalwarts in Cook, Trott along with the maverick Pietersen, this batting unit definitely knows how to perform in their own conditions.

While for the Aussies, it's a more of a case of less said, the better. Barring Clarke who has had a Bradmanesque  year, all other batsmen in the team have failed miserably. The recall of Chris Rogers-who last played in a solitary match against India in 2008 has been surprising to say the least and clearly shows the panic in the ranks, the hard hitters in the side viz. Shane Watson and David Warner have on most occasions flattered to deceive. With the highly regarded Phil Hughes and Ed Cowan failing to make much of an impression in the Test arena, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the Aussie batting at the moment is in a state of complete disarray.

The keepers

In Matt Prior, England have the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the world. Prior who was declared as England's Player of the Year for 2012-13 is really the finished product. While Brad Haddin has come into the side primarily due to Matthew Wade’s below par performances with both bat and gloves , Haddin's batsmanship will provide the much needed impetus to a middle-order that has been woefully devoid of runs in recent Tests.

It seems it's not too difficult to find out why England are primed to record their first hat-trick of Ashes triumphs since 'Botham's Ashes' in 1981. Having said that, the Aussies are a fiercely competitive side and their never-say-die attitude has bailed them out on quite a few occasions. But will it be enough ? Going by the betting odds, it doesn't seem so.

India vs England: Top 5 key moments which added to the excitement

With persistent rain in Birmingham reducing the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 to a Twenty20 contest amidst umpteenth stoppages, the men in blue pulled off a stunning win to beat the hosts by five runs in a tense thriller. Here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing moments from the match.

1) Crucial toss won by England - With Dhoni himself conceding that the toss held the key in the all important final, it was no surprise when England won the toss and opted to field as  the pitch had been under covers for some time following overcast conditions. While the match was reduced to a T20 affair soon after, it was advantage England even before the match could start.

2) Bopara's triple strikes - Ravi Bopara's introduction in the eighth over was instrumental in derailing the momentum of the Indian innings. Shikhar Dhawan until that point was in a rampaging mood slamming 31 in just 24 balls, before Bopara's length delivery outside off was played uppishly towards cover by Dhawan in a rather soft dismissal. In his brilliant third over, Bopara got the prized scalps of both Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni resulting in not only  a double-wicket maiden, but also a game changing over.

3) Jadeja's late assault - Coming into bat in the 13^th over of the innings, Jadeja had the unenviable job of not only stabilising the innings, but scoring runs at a fair clip in order to ensure that the team posts a competitive score. Jadeja along with Kohli who top-scored with 43 runs revived the Indian innings as the duo blazed to 47 runs in 33 balls in a partnership that wrested back the initiative from England. Jadeja's unbeaten knock of 33 came off just 25 balls, powered with two hits to the fence and two over it, helping India post a challenging 129 for 7 in the final.

4) Early pressure from Indian bowlers - Taking early wickets was the only way India could have made a match out of this and the bowlers happily obliged. Having the presence of Cook, Bell and Trott in the England top-order, it didn't take long for India to tie the batsman down as the hosts kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The introduction of spinners kept the English batsman on a tight leash as they stifled the scoring rate resulting in a rare top-order collapse.

5) Ishant's double blows - Requiring 20 runs off 16 balls from an unbroken 5^th wicket partnership of 54 runs between Morgan and Bopara , it seemed all but over for India. But there was a twist in the tale as Ishant managed to get rid of both the batsman in consecutive balls of the 18^th over resulting in England needing 19 off the last two overs. With India holding their nerves till the very end, the tournament favorites beat England by five runs in a tense finish to clinch the last edition of the Champions Trophy in Twenty20 style.

Top 5 factors which helped India whip Sri Lanka

With both teams vying to play England in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, the second semi final between India and Sri Lanka proved to be a rather lopsided affair. In a surprisingly  lackadaisical performance by the men from the Island nation, India proved yet again why they are heralded as tournament favorites as they marched to an 8 wicket victory. Here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing moments from the match.

1) Dilshan retired hurt - Sri Lanka were dealt a body blow right at the start of their innings, when their opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was forced to retire hurt in the fifth over. Dilshan was batting fluently till he hurt his right leg, running for two after working the ball off his pads through mid-wicket. After several minutes of on-field treatment, he managed an over and a half but was forced off the field on 12.

He came back to resume his innings in the 48^th over, eventually scoring an unbeaten 18 off 21 balls. While he was unable to take the field for the remainder of the match, his invaluable off-spin was sorely missed on a track that aided spin bowling.

2) Slip catching by Raina - In a position hitherto unseen for arguably India's best fielder, Suresh Raina was a revelation at second slip, holding three catches one after another. The Indian pace bowlers zipped the ball both ways off a full length as Perera (4) and Thirimanne (7) quickly fell to smart catches at second slip by Raina. He snaffled a third when Sangakkara (17) fended a nasty delivery low to his right, thereby reducing Sri Lanka to 41 for three after 18 overs.

3) Abysmal batting performance by Sri Lanka - Despite being asked to bat in conditions heavily weighted in favour of seam bowling, much was expected out of the batting unit comprising of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan. For the second straight match, Sri Lanka went to bat first and struggled. In an inspired bowling performance by the three Indian quicks upfront, the Lions were unable to force the issue as the scoring rate was kept under a tight leash throughout the innings. Kusal Perera's miserable run with the bat continued as he was caught by Raina in the third over for 4. With the inform Dilshan having to retire hurt in the fifth over of the innings, Sri Lanka's misery was further compounded when they slumped to 41 for three after both Thirimanne and Sangakkara fell to well-taken slip catches by Raina off Ishant Sharma. 

Such was the confidence in the Indian camp, that Dhoni himself came on to bowl in the 24^th over, nearly getting the prized scalp of Mahela Jayawardene, as he bowled four impressive overs conceding 17 runs. The captain Angelo Mathews battled hard for his top score of 51 in an innings where no other batsman made more than Jayawardene's 38. But the fact that Mathews took 89 balls for his runs, including just one six and one four, was testament to the grip India's bowlers exerted, with the final score reading 181 for eight. 

4) Solid partnership by Indian openers - Taking early wickets was the only way Sri Lanka could have made a match out of this, but the ominous form of both the Indian openers prevented that as they raced to 77 in 17 overs, thereby giving the side a solid start and ensuring that the team chased the target of 182 comfortably.

5) Half-centuries by Dhawan and Kohli - Making most of the three dropped catches, Shikhar Dhawan continued his purple patch, as the stylish southpaw scored his second ODI half-century in a stroke filled innings of 68. With Virat Kohli finally among the runs and scoring an unbeaten 58 en route to his 23^rd ODI half-century, Team India cantered into the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 dismissing Sri Lanka by 8 wickets.

India vs Pakistan: Top 5 game changing moments

Despite the showpiece game of the eight-nation event being reduced to a dead rubber, with India already qualifying to the semi-finals and Pakistan crashing out of the race to be in the last four, there was no love lost when the Asian giants took on each other in Edgbaston on friday. And courtesy an impressive all-round performance from the men in blue, India romped to an 8 wicket victory against Pakistan. Here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing moments from the match.

1) Dhoni's decision to bowl first - When it comes to the tie between the arch-rivals, it is widely considered a safe bet to win the toss and bat first. Having won the toss, Dhoni stumped many when he decided to field on a used pitch that was not only dry but was prone to assist the spinners later on in the match. His logic of doing so was simple, as he knew that the rain factor will play a role in deciding the outcome of the match. With Misbah opting to do the opposite had he won the toss, Dhoni's decision was vindicated in no uncertain terms as the match progressed.

2) Opening burst by Bhuvneshwar Kumar - An incisive opening burst by Kumar was instrumental in India gaining the early momentum. Opener Nasir Jamshed, whose previous five innings against India included three centuries and a half-century, managed only two when he was snapped in the slips off Kumar, while Hafeez fell on the first ball after resumption following a rain interruption, edging Kumar to a diving Dhoni behind the stumps, in a probing spell of two for 19 in 8 overs.

3) Reduction of match to 40 overs a side - Multiple rain stoppages as well as a near three-hour long delay due to inclement weather, mid-way during the Pakistan innings was enough to reduce the match to 40 overs per side, resulting in an obvious disadvantage to Pakistan.

4) Dismal batting performance by Pakistan - Rain interruptions notwithstanding, it was yet another disheartening performance from Pakistan's batting unit. With scores of 170 and 167 all out in previous two matches, much was expected out of this misfiring unit in this crunch game, but it once again looked totally clueless, crashing to their lowest total in the tournament without even consuming the full quota of 40 overs. Barring Jamshed, all other batsman got starts but were unable to capitalise on it as the side lost wickets at regular intervals and consequently, in absence of any substantial partnerships, could only muster a paltry total of 165.

5) Solid partnership by Indian openers - Taking early wickets was the only way Pakistan could have made a match out of this, but the ominous form of both the Indian openers prevented that as they raced to 58 in 10.4 overs, thereby giving the side a flying start and ensuring that the team chased the revised target of 102 in 22 overs in a clinical manner.

India vs West Indies: Top 5 game changing moments

With both teams playing their second match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, India once again showed its supremacy by coasting to an 8 wicket victory against West Indies and marching into the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time in 11 years. Here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing moments from the match.

1) Early fall of Christopher Henry Gayle - Hailed amongst the most destructive opening batsman ever to have played the ODI format of the game, much was expected out of a certain Chris Gayle. While at the crease and threatening to explode, he was brilliantly caught by Ashwin of the bowling of Kumar for an 18 ball 21, thereby ensuring the Gayle storm fizzled early in the match.   

2) Jadeja strikes - It is becoming something of a routine for Ravindra Jadeja to answer the clarion call of his captain by becoming the go-to man when the team is in trouble. With Johnson Charles going all guns blazing, West Indies were threatening to cut loose, before Jadeja came into bowl. While his very first over was a maiden, his probing line and length was too much for Charles, who was trapped plumb in front for a quick fire 60. His immaculate left-arm spin was instrumental in ensuring a mini-collapse for the Windies, when he snared the all important wickets of Charles, Samuels and Sarwan in a span of 6 runs, en route to a maiden 5-wicket haul.  

3) Cameo by Sammy - With the team tottering at 163 for 6, Sammy had the unenviable job of not only stabilising the innings, but scoring runs at a fair clip in order to ensure that Windies post a competitive score. Having little help from the other end, Sammy, who scored only five runs in the first 15 balls, shifted gears to reach his half-century in the next 20 balls. His unbeaten knock of 56 came off just 35 balls, powered with five hits to the fence and four over it, helping West Indies post a challenging 233 for 9.

4) Century stand from Indian openers - For India to chase down a target of over 230, it was imperative that the top-order batsman lay a solid foundation. The openers did just that as Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan continued in the same vein as they had in the previous match against South Africa, adding 101 runs in only 15.3 overs thereby giving the team a flying start. While Sharma made an assured 52, Dhawan was at his fluent best smashing an unbeaten ton.

5) Shikhar Dhawan's unbeaten century - The stylish left-hander yet again sizzled on the international stage, notching up his second successive ODI century with a slashed six off Dwayne Bravo over backward point. Dhawan remained not out on 102, smashing 10 fours and a six in the process, guiding India to yet another emphatic victory and knocking arch-rivals Pakistan out of the race.

Top 5 game changing moments in India vs South Africa match

With India registering a fine 26 run victory against South Africa in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing moments from the match.

1) Absence of Dale Steyn - One of the key reasons why South Africa is regarded amongst the best bowling units is due to a certain Dale Steyn, who is inarguably the best fast bowler going around at the moment.  And with him missing this crucial tie against India due to the back stiffness, he suffered in the warm-up match against Pakistan, the embattled Indian openers could finally afford a sigh of relief.

2) Team composition gone wrong - In a move that was aimed at exploiting India's weakness against fast bowling, the Proteas packed their side with as many as 4 fast bowlers . However that move proved to be counterproductive, as with negligible swing and seam on offer and the ball coming onto the bat nicely, the Indian batters were more than happy feasting ,what was on offer. With their leading bowler in Morne Morkel injuring himself halfway into the innings, it was clear that they had missed a trick in not including another spinner in Aaron Phangiso. 

3) Promotion of Rohit Sharma - Rohit as a cricketer has time and again failed to justify his prodigious talent in the international arena. With scores of 5 and 10 in the warm-up ties against Sri Lanka and Australia, Rohit was widely expected to sit out of the playing eleven in today's match. But trust Dhoni  to do things differently. This time, in a move that raised quite a few eyebrows, Rohit was promoted at the top to partner Shikhar Dhawan. And what a masterstroke that turned out to be. The achilles' heel of Indian batting-the openers finally delivered and how. Rohit was breezy in his knock of 65 runs while Dhawan carried on from where he left in the Test against the Aussies to slam a resplendent maiden century on his ODI comeback , in a solid opening partnership of 127 runs.

4) Fall of Robin Peterson - In a throwback to the early 90's, AB de Villiers sent in Robin Peterson at No. 3 as a pinch hitter. Playing the role of the aggressor, Peterson along with the captain himself who came in at No. 4, ensured that the asking rate was always kept in check. Their third wicket stand was quickly taking the game away from the Indians, before a dash of brilliance in the field by Jadeja resulted in Peterson falling short of the crease by quite a distance. An unfortunate end to a brilliant knock of 68 runs was perhaps the stroke of luck that Indians required to get back into the game.

5) Sir Ravindra Jadeja - He may be the butt of jokes on Twitter, but Ravindra Jadeja definitely knows how to perform on-field too. With a direct competition from Irfan Pathan for the place of an all-rounder in the team, Jadeja excelled in all the departments of the game admirably. While coming into bat at No. 7, he was instrumental in ensuring an excellent finish to the innings, with a punishing 47 run knock laced with some crisp boundaries. In the field, his was his customary brilliant self. While the South Africans were threatening to run away with the game, his athleticism again came to the fore , when he dived full length to run out Peterson. His miserly spell along with a couple of wickets made sure that India opened their account in this tournament in a clinical manner.