Team India's dream run decoded: How Men in Blue reached CWC final

Team India trounced New Zealand in Wankhede on Wednesday to book their slot in the Cricket World Cup 2023 final. Their unbeaten run in the marquee tournament continued beyond league matches as they beat NZ in the crucial game. Here is Meenakshi Rao deciphering the Men in Blue's sensational performances throughout CWC.

Mumbai: India are in the World Cup Final, and how! The dream run has come gift-wrapped in a Grand Slam trajectory, powered by a celestial team completeness, led by a fearless and selfless captain, deifying the hitherto ordinary Indian bowling department – this Class of 2023 is well and truly a class act.

The total dominance that the Indian batters showed in the semifinal against a team that gave them heartbreaking World Cup history, speaks of the unbreachable, unbeatable quotient that has been systematically inserted into the DNA of Rohit Sharma’s infantry unit.

The great Indian roadshow, crisscrossing nine cities across the country, trounced every opposition in the tournament with a clinical strategy put into place by the team think tank headed by Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid.

The only boon in disguise that was not sorted and planned was the injury to Hardik Pandya which brought in the great Mohammed Shami and his deadly sniper instincts that aided and abetted the Indian campaign.

Almost the entire team of 11 rose to become individual fables in their own rights. The skipper emerged as a fiery but selfless starter of the show, repeatedly throwing up fearless bat cameos at the mouth, not bothering to build personal records but breaking some of them nevertheless; the Kohli folklore should need no introduction but more than towering the century corner as Mr 50, his tale is about taking tenacity and perseverance to another level.

Eight 50s, three centuries, shielding the team from any possible plummet, emerging as the highest run-getter in World Cups at 711, the Kohli fable is far from finished. And, Shreyas Iyer’s is starting. Amid all talk of short ball vulnerabilities, small scores in the initial stages of the tournament to a young gun with two centuries in his debut World Cup, one in the crucial semifinal, all eyes on him in this World Cup and beyond.

Then there is Shubman Gill who put himself into the consolidation corner after a dengue run-in but played the best supporting man to his skipper, digressing into aggression only when required.

K L Rahul, nothing to beat his comeback from a frustrating and difficult injury layover of close to six months. His presence behind the wicket was as respected as his batting though many a time his contribution was eclipsed by the Kohli demonstrations. His fable? The trusted wicketkeeper, a breathtaking diver, and an immaculate bat. Mr Raymond, quietly and humbly so.

Ravindra Jadeja, the most unread fable of the team, doing his job with the ball and the bat with quick clarity and results when his partner Kuldeep Yadav needed help. He scored some crucial end-over runs which the team needed in rare situations and took wickets to break budding partnerships.

Jadeja could well be in contention for the unsung hero award if the tournament had one. Coming to Kuldeep Yadav, the Chinaman with golden locks and wrist. He emerged as the middle-over folklore, a left-arm wristy wonder boy who taught the spinners of the world how to bowl with a big heart and esteemed fearlessness. Down and out in the first spell, he would come back with renewed vigour to make a mark, and that’s when he would render wickets in time of need.

Coming to the bowling unit. The fable find of the tournament. The quicks troika of Jasprit Bumrah-Mohammed Shami-Mohammed Siraj hunting in packs with their own brand of delivery – Bumrah, the precision master, the asphyxiator, the early picker, the yorker specialist, good as an opener, better in death; Siraj, the pace-master with good length, off-stump swinging stuff that legends bowed to.

And Shami, rose from the bench to kiss the skies of success with his upright seam dazzlers and his five-fors. His fable? Ignore me at your own peril. The three hunted in packs and yet to the naked eye one could see how distinct their roles were.

Coming to the role play part of the team strategy. The processes followed; the boxes ticked; the roles assigned were followed to perfection. From the start, the captain and the head coach spoke of how distinct tasks were assigned to every individual and how well they were performed.

It is this well-rounded, chiselled strategy that has worked for the team which even factored in the fun and frolic required to pep up the non-cricket moments. Paragliding, fashion shows peppered the usual football breaks, the hotel huddles, the fielding awards and the birthday parties were all planned to keep up the spirit of excellence, commitment, and determination that have become the hallmarks of the Men in Blue Breadcrumbs to carry for any team India story: Dominance; serial run mastery; consistency; tenacity; execution; aggression; caution; forethought; courage and fearlessness. To name a few of their favourite things!

With such an awesome variety in their armoury – they are now on their way to challenge and conquer the Final frontier at the Motera mammoth.