It was a morale-boosting win for India at Lord's. The 23-run win over England on Sunday also ended their winning drought. India lost the series, but the win came as a much-needed relief for all the team members. It only suggests how badly India needed a favourable result.
The dysfunctions of the team that were discussed for over the last two months should now hopefully come to an end. The boys really applied themselves with rigour and resilience to get out of the rough patch. A victory always brings back the self-confidence among the players and they start looking at the game in a new light. The communication within the team also gets a lift, propagating positive feelings for one another.
It was a great sight to watch Ashish Nehra running in with more purpose. As the new ball bowler, that's the kind of response expected from him. After his World Cup heroics against the same opponents, Ashish had not really inspired confidence. Under the present situation, it may be hard to leave him out of the team. But at the same time, it would be difficult for him to be the first choice for the final eleven. Captains sometimes find it hard to evaluate such players.