Monday 24th June 2013

India were theoretically the away side at Edgbaston but were roared on by a crowd that was weighed heavily in their favour.

After the game was reduced to 20 overs a side following almost six hours of rain, Dhoni's side looked set to send them home disappointed.

From 66 for five, Virat Kohli (43) and Ravindra Jadeja (33no) hauled India to the relative respectability of 129 for seven, but England still appeared favourites.

At that stage a washout and a share of the trophy seemed India's best prospect.

But Dhoni refused to let his players hope for rain and instead gave them the confidence to secure outright success as England fell short on 124 for eight.

"Before going on I said 'let's get rid of the feeling that this is a 50-over game'," he said.

"It was a 20-over game and we have seen at the IPL and in Twenty20s that 130 can be a very difficult target to achieve.

"Also I said nobody could look to the left side of the pitch where the rain was coming from.

"I said 'God is not coming to save us, if you want to win the trophy we have to fight it out'.

"We are the number one ranked side, let's make it show. Let's make them fight for 130 runs and not look for outside help."

Dhoni, as magnanimous a leader as India have had, even found time to query the very format that had brought his side success.

"I think it is a bit unfair in the ICC Champions Trophy that we had to play a 20-over game to find a winner of the 50-over format," he said.

"Still, they (the ICC) needed a result. This means a lot because we are playing here against some of the best sides in the world and to beat England in a 130-run game is very difficult."

Dhoni was left to offer individual praise for man of the tournament and top run-scorer Shikhar Dhawan and leading wicket taker Ravindra Jadeja for their efforts in the competition.

"Shikhar is a slightly different character. He's a fun-loving guy but he backs himself to play big strokes. That has helped him in this tournament and he'll gain a lot from the way he has played over here.

"And Jadeja is someone who keeps it very simple. He looks to hit the right area and the ball does the talking."