Men in Blue continue to rule the world cup 2023 campaign, with their dominant performance. With their victory against Netherlands, they registered their longest winning streak in world cup, by winning a total of 9 consecutive matches and breaking their previous record of 8 consecutive wins in 2003 world cup. Winning most of these games without much trouble, the team is making a strong statement to get the trophy back home. If they do, they will equal the Australian record of winning streak of 11 matches. And the way they are cruising ahead, any sane person knows that it stands as the highest probability.

It was almost certain for the viewers to witness a rather one sided encounter between India and Netherlands. And likewise was the case. Continuing their rich vein of form in batting, India batted exceptionally well to cross to the 400 mark. Skipper Rohit launched the initial onslaught like every other match, Gill played a innings of his calibre, Virat yet again went beyond the 50 run mark, and Iyer and KL Rahul owned the Chinnaswamy stadium with their staggering centuries. The only occasion of top 5 batters reaching 50 run mark in world cup history, India went on to score 410 runs. And considering their bowlers' performance, it was known that the match wouldn't last long. But some good resistance from Dutch team ensured they reach to 250 before being bundled.

Just like every other victory, this one was important for India. But more importantly, it was the way the entire tournament has unfolded for the team. Less than 3 months back, there was a time when fans were reluctant to watch the games of the team. It was a time when disappointment had grabbed the minds of fans owing to the team's performance. It was only after the Asia Cup victory, and particularly the final of Asia cup when the fans started to follow the game like before. And since the tournament began, Indian team has successfully brought back the interest of fans and viewers back with all their might, in just a matter of 9 matches. And that is truly amazing to see.

It's a result of a process, which team and the management have followed. Which is why the team which struggled right in the first match with 3 wickets for 2 runs against Australia, became the top contender for the trophy in a period of 5 weeks. Thinktank, selector Ajit Agarkar and Coach Rahul Dravid need to be credited for the turnaround they brought in the team's atmosphere in a short period of time. Some time back, when India was struggling badly with middle order and with pace lineup, everything was a question. That's when Dravid said he wasn't worried as he knew that most of the members of the squad were injured at that point and he was firm to include them later on. He was trolled heavily for it, but then seeing the performance of Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami, one can now say that Dravid was absolutely right.

The thought process of a team goes unnoticed. But if is right, it yields good results. The Indian team is a perfect example of it. When Rohit- Dravid were constantly crucified by the media and fans, they were sure about their actions, and hence were relaxed, even when the country was busy terming them as a failure of leadership. They were short of good players, but had faith in NCA and their prime players who they backed after their injuries. Also the clarity of thought reflected when skipper Rohit and selector Agarkar went in front of press to speak about the thoughtprocess of selection. And they didn't shy away from giving unconventional responses to the media, knowing the reasons on why the players they selected were best in the interest of the team. This kind of press conference was a common phenomenon before, but vanished in the past decade, and it coming right before the most important tournament was certainly a right step.

And so was the induction of right players at the right time to give them the confidence on their comebacks. Bumrah's comeback helped the team find some lost rhythm in bowling. Iyer's comeback showed the team the perfect number 4 they were looking for. And KL Rahul's comeback ensured his rock solid position in middle order along with his calm headed approach in batting. Shami's return helped India place a formidable bowling unit with Siraj peaking in form, and Bumrah's great return to international cricket. The effect of all these together helped the side gain confidence, and win matches in the Asia cup. And with the alleviated instincts, the team was firm to rule the world at the grandest stage of cricket - The World Cup.

A fighting victory against Australia eliminated the fear of a middle order scare. The match with Afghanistan brought the beast in form of Rohit Sharma back to be the best version of himself. The one-sided encounter in high voltage match against Pakistan showed what a strong bowling unit the Indian team is. Victories against Bangladesh and New Zealand showed that India had mastered the art of chasing, and in process broke the ICC tournaments curse with Kiwis. The encounter with defending champions England and Srilanka demonstrated the ruthlessness of Indian bowlers. The encounter versus the in form South African team stamped India's authority over the World Cup. And the last encounter ended the Indian team being unbeaten in the tournament with a flurry of positives going ahead in the semifinals.

In this tournament, the team has performed well while batting first, and has done wonders while bowling first. The team has battled from a point like 2-3 to emerge victorious, and on occasions the top order hasn't given any chance to other batters as they finished the game themselves. Indian team has faced all the obstacles and has emerged out of it as a better unit with every passing match. A great unit with the bat, the team boasts of in form batters like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who are creating milestones every occasion they step on the field, along with Gill, Iyer, Surya and a rock solid Rahul with all in good touch. And an unbelievable team with the ball, it's a rare thing to find a weak link in the bowling unit consisting of pace trio Bumrah, Shami, Siraj and the spinners Kuldeep and Jadeja who spin the web with perfection. And to add to the positives is the team environment and bonding which reflects on and off the field in the videos shared on social media. And looking at all these factors combined, in all possibilities, it looks like this invincible team is going to break the semi-final curse of New Zealand at Wankhede on 15th, to eventually be crowned as champions on 19th November at Ahmedabad.