Match result notwithstanding, the Indians have a lot to gain from it. They now know what's working for them, and what isn't.
The Kiwi fielding kept the Indians on a leash for some time, and that just shows how important fielding is in the limited-overs game. That said, the Indians were also very effective on the field, though not as much. This should be noted by the selectors, when they select the next ODI team. Gambhir's outfield stops (although scratchy), Yuvraj's throws to the stumps and Dhoni relaying throws on the stumps have been very effective, even if no treat to watch. With a whole lot of four-balls and six-balls hit off Indian bowlers, the singles have to be cut down to a minimum.
That's the problem- too many four-balls and six-balls. Yuvraj Singh has forgotten to bowl, and another massive over score was made. He should never have been given the ball after Dimi's attack, and the tandem attack by McMillan and Oram proved it. Agarkar, frankly, bowls no better than an extended part-timer, given his consistency and accuracy, and he was found out once more. Both of them (then Sreesanth) bowled the Kiwis back into contention in the final overs- which their Kiwi counterparts didn't.
Sehwag and Gambhir have a lot in common. Both are from Delhi. Both are attacking batsmen, opening an innings. And of course, both have had to take a lot of stick. They responded splendidly, alternating in attack. While Sehwag was more composed and assured, Gambhir was savage. They hit hard, and ran harder. Gambhir's attack on strikers Bond and Vettori (and the partnerships built) should open an option, as a support act for a prolific batsman. It's not so much the scores over 40 (or Gambhir's 51) that count, as much as the partnership.
But the lower order (more so the final few overs order) needs to be changed. Dinesh Karthik is a sitting duck in that stage, when very quick runs are needed. Harder hitters like Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan and Praveen Kumar (where is he?) should come in at that time. Moreover, when wickets in hand are plenty and overs are few, the order should be flexible.
The running between wickets, for the Indians, has been very hard, and has helped a lot in taking the Indians so close to the Kiwi score. The lack of big hits (also too many four-balls and way too many six-balls) kept them short. They have two more matches in Group E, and can make changes where they can afford (or need) to.
They can have Rohit Sharma for Dinesh Karthik and Yusuf Pathan for Agarkar. Rohit Sharma is a gamble, but as a support act, he can't be too bad, and is a better OD/T20 fit than Karthik. Yusuf Pathan for Agarkar is just too obvious a choice, since Yusuf's a far better (and harder-hitting) batsman. Piyush Chawla may also be in the frame, except that his batting isn't as effective as Yusuf's, though his bowling (though six-hit-prone), however, will be a factor. Irfan's bowling needs to be used more than just two overs. The batting order should change with the match situation. Some batsmen need to play the support act to the in-form players and merely turn over or run hard most of the time. With match results often going either way, the performance of the team as a whole should be monitored, and in two matches, they've had a good show.