Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: India

[This is the tenth in a series of collaborative articles assessing the merits and demerits of the teams competing for cricket's World Cup in March/April in the West Indies.]

Zainub Razvi

India go into the World Cup as one of the in form teams to have beaten both West Indies and Sri Lanka at home in a crowded build up to the big event. But they also go into this event knowing that they have won just five of the 20 games they have played on Caribbean soil, including a loss of 1-4 against the West Indies last year. But most of those four losses they suffered in ’06 were close ones, which could have gone either way. Rahul Dravid's men will hence not be short of confidence or self belief, but the key will be if they can deliver under that tremendous weight of expectation.

India’s fan base is known through out the world for its obsession with the game, and its personalities, none more then so with Saurav Ganguly. The Bengal Tiger, as his fans call him, has enjoyed a fairy tale run back into the side since his return to the fold, and much of India’s batting will hinge on how well he, and his opening partner Sehwag, exploit the initial power plays. Sehwag's own recent form has been unconvincing, and the recent controversy over a comment by India's Chairman of Selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar, that he was included in the World Cup squad only on the request of the skipper Dravid, is unlikely to make matters for him any easier.

But with a line up like Dravid, Tendulkar, Yuvraj and Dhoni following these openers, the batting is unlikely to be a problem in more-or-less familiar West Indian conditions. Like most other teams in the competition, India’s bowling is their weaker link, despite the presence of talented young quicks like Sreesanth, who had a phenomenal tour to South Africa recently. Irfan Pathan use to be their spearhead not that long ago, but he’ll be coming back after injury and some poor form, so you can’t expect too much from him as well. Munaf Patel is unproven at this level, and the likes of Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar have a tendency to blow hot and cold a little bit. Perhaps India will be better off playing two frontline spinners, especially when they’re both as good as Kumble and Harbajan.

Overall India do have one of the stronger teams on paper in the tournament, but their poor record in the West Indies means I'll have to hold back my predictions a bit.

Prediction: Narrowly fail to qualify for the semis

The Enigma

Virender Sehwag set out on a very confident tone by declaring, "We are a very balanced lot, have the best openers and wicketkeeper. Our middle order is very strong and we have the best combination of seamers and spinners." Rahul Dravid's utterances have also revolved around "balance" and "confidence".

On the back of this talk, one would be led to believing that the Indians were shoo-ins for the World Champions tag. Don't get me wrong, I think Team India has as good a chance as any of going home with the silverware. However, in my view this World Cup is going to be all about the batsmen who have the grit and gumption to play the waiting game and bowlers who bowl less than express pace but have an uncanny ability to keep nagging away, ball after ball after ball.

For India to get to and past the semi-finals, they will require a reformed and refined Virender Sehwag. I do not believe Irfan Pathan is likely to get a game, unless it is as cover for an injury. In this context, it is crucial that Sehwag fires at the top of the order and gets some crucial wickets in the middle of the innings. All the talk and negativity heaped upon him by Dilip Vengsarkar must be forgotten and a new chapter penned.

The old heads will undoubtedly try their damnedest to ensure a focussed and lethal outfit stays on course. This tournament is ripe for Tendulkar and Ganguly to put everyone else to shame, for one final time as a pair. With generous help from Dravid, somehow, I think they might even manage it.

Someone, or something, needs to get into Harbhajan's head and set it straight. He, along with Sehwag, will be a vital determinant of the ranking that Team India claims at the conclusion of the tournament. Harbhajan needs to get rekindle that fire in his belly and douse the flames that have become ever-present on his frustrated face. Make him watch videos of how he tormented the Aussies in 1998 and 2001, do whatever it takes to awaken him.

This version of Team India has a lot of talent, spirit and fight. They will need to display all these qualities in unison and with intent. I sincerely hope they will win the trophy and I also believe that they have a better chance than most.

Sibin Mohan

Well, being a hardcore fan of cricket and of the Indian cricket team, I would very much like them to do well in the World Cup. Considering their recent performances against West Indies and Sri Lanka, they seem like favourites to reach the semi-final, and even the final. Rahul Dravid's team has been hitting the strides well, what with the skipper leading the way himself. Add to that the support from Sourav Ganguly and the youngsters for the batting (Yuvraj, Uthappa, Dhoni, etc.) and the return of in-form Munaf Patel shows encouraging signs. Zaheer Khan might be the real surprise weapon for India as his bowling and discipline have tremendously improved.

The recent practice games against the Netherlands and the West Indies show that both the batting and the bowling aspects are clicking for India. Worrying signs in the way of Sehwag and Pathan's form might bother Dravid, but both of them should hopefully pull their socks up and perform well in the World Cup. Plus this team seems well-rounded enough so that other in-form players can pick up the slack in case these two fail in a game.

This team seems like a great mix of experience and youth and probably is the last chance that many players (Kumble, Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly) have at winning the World Cup. I think India, South Africa and Australia are the three teams that have the best chances of making it to the finals. Hopefully this time round, if India makes it to the final, they won't let the game run away like they did in 2003. Considering the ups and downs that the Indian cricket team has faced since the last world cup, it seems like a great comeback for the team to even be favourites for making it to the finals.

Emotional prediction: India wins the World Cup!
Objective view: India qualifies for the finals.

Angshuman Hazra

The Team India we saw play in the 2003 World Cup final had:

• A flamboyant leader who could coax out a show from most of his wards and deal in sixes with the bat,
• The greatest ODI batsman in sight to open the innings,
• A multi utility keeper-batsman adept at grafting runs n' assisting the skip and
• A pack of talented but unpredictable fast bowlers backed up by an attacking offspinner and a few part-time tweakers in other batsmen.

The bowling lot is still led by Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh in familiar roles but the intervening four year period was apparently sufficient time for those batting roles to complete an intriguing game of musical chairs (this version even had some forced 'time outs'). The keeper-bat for the 2007 event is no grafter but one powerhouse of a hitter, while the erstwhile keeper-bat is now the skipper-bat. The former skipper-bat is now the greatest ODI opener in the planet on current form, while the erstwhile greatest opener is guised as a shrewd middle-overs modulator.

In 2003 we saw the skipper having two distinct roles (first point above). When last spotted Rahul Dravid was desperately trying to master the second, six hitting part in the World Cup lead-up matches. In fact he has surprisingly done rather decently. Having already hit five sixes in his last seven ODI innings, he hit two more against Netherlands the other day. Can't remember watching Rahul Dravid hit as many sixes anytime before - he has 34 of them in his entire 310 match career, to Ganguly's 176 in 286!

Tough as that may look, infinitely tougher for Dravid will be to emulate the first of that skipper's jobs: making his mates go through the roof on special occasions. For much of the past year it has looked difficult but fortunately for Indian cricket that part is not beyond the means or stature of Rahul Dravid.

After a prolonged period of struggle for much of the previous year the Indian team has finally shown good form in recent matches riding on the blazing form of - who else, Sourav. With some delicate-yet-decisive man management in the dressing room and intrusive leadership in middle overs from the present leader, this team is not stopping before the semi finals - and beyond.

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Bangladesh, Kenya
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