About three weeks ago the India players looked like they were being led to the gallows. Dispirited, just turning up to take their beating. No matter how ordinary England have been as an ODI side, the comeback, in spirit and in their minds, has been remarkable. This ODI series could easily have ended as an extension of the Tests. Losing can become a habit hard to kick. Sometimes when you lose as badly as they did - their opening stands over the last four Tests added up to 187, only a few more than Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawanat Edgbaston - you become your own opposition.
India haven't, and they have improved every game. It needed an inspiring knock, which came from Suresh Raina, to start them off. Two matches later they played the near-perfect ODI. MS Dhoni thinks so, too. "The good thing is, we have kept improving from the first ODI on," he said. "That's definitely a big positive.
It was a good toss to win today. The fast bowlers bowled really well initially and gave us those early breakthroughs, because of which we were able to put pressure on their middle order. Overall, I'm very happy. Jinks [Rahane] also got a century. We got an opening partnership. So a complete game for us."
When wins come about so easily for a team that failed to win a single game on their last two ODI tours, when the opposition is so clearly out of their league, it is well advised to not get lulled into a false sense of confidence. However, Dhoni won't have the sense of achievement questioned.
He was asked after the match if he felt his side was pushed and tested enough by England, keeping in mind their previous two overseas series and with an eye on the World Cup. "How do you want us to be tested?" an unimpressed Dhoni shot back. more >>
'complete' victory
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