India goes into this tournament as favorite and with good reason. The side possesses quality throughout and there is no shortage of experience and exuberance. With the side playing most of its fixtures in front of lively home crowds, it could benefit from the mystical ‘12th man’ factor in the stands, too. Drawn in Group B With South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands, India has a real chance of winning the group and thus ensuring a more straightforward quarter final draw, perhaps against New Zealand. A game against Pakistan would be an awesome spectacle for home fans and neutrals alike, though.
With expectation, however, comes pressure. If India fails to perform early on in the tournament the partisan Indian crowds could turn on the side, resulting in the magnification of any cracks that appear. With the experience in the side this shouldn’t happen, but pressure and expectation can do funny things.
Ably led by MS Dhoni, India also has the luxury of players such as Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Singhs Harbhajan and Yuvraj and Zaheer Khan. Yusuf Pathan also possesses a destructive streak that can take games out of reach of the opposition and make the unwinnable winnable.
If India wins its group, it appears set to face Sri Lanka in the semis – no easy task, especially as the fixture would likely be in Colombo. The toss will be crucial as neither side would want to be batting under lights. That said, this India side, fresh from defeat in the ODI series in South Africa, will be confident of coping with any conditions and has the players to do so. This is an entirely different proposition to playing in South Africa. The prospect of a final in Mumbai will doubtless drive the side on. For us, this will be the winning team.
Key Player – Sachin Tendulkar. The Little Master sees the World Cup as being the trophy that would put the icing on the cake of his fine career. His very presence inspires those around him and he is a totemic figure in Indian cricket. If he fires, so will the Indian team. A final in his home city of Mumbai is the perfect inspiration for Tendulkar, if he needs any more inspiration, that is.
Strength – There is a lot in India’s favour; home crowds, explosive batting and canny bowlers. The side has good openers, a strong middle order and tight bowling in Khan and Harbhajan.
Weakness – For all the strength, India has a knack of losing of its way at crucial times. If the pressure mounts in front of expectant fans, some of the younger elements will need the experienced heads to see them through. If players like Sehwag and Tendulkar can be removed cheaply, India could be pulled apart.
Betting – 3/1. Favourites on merit, these are hardly tempting odds and there is perhaps better value elsewhere. Sehwag and Tendulkar are both 14/1 to top score in the tournament and India should be involved long enough to give them sufficient opportunity to fill their boots.
Agree with what we’ve got to say? How do you feel India will fare at the World Cup?
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