India ready for first battle BEST OF LUCK INDIA

On the morning of the final day of the Adelaide Test of the 2003-04 series, when a tricky chase lay between India and their second Test win on Australian soil, I arrived at the ground early, sneaked on to the field where the team was playing a game of volleyball, crept up to John Wright, the India coach whom I regarded as a friend, and whispered this question.

"So John, what's this volleyball thing about, a couple of hours before one of the most important days of Test cricket of their lives?"

Wright gave me the look of astonishment. His eyes narrowed as he considered his response. I can't reproduce his words here, but I had hardly expected the spray that came my way.

I bumped into him in the elevator a couple of days later, and he smiled. "I don't bother you when you are working, do I?" he said, saving me the bother of asking. "Sometimes, the best way to prepare for a big day is to take your mind off it."

I remembered this as I watched the Indian team kick around a football in the Shere Bangla stadium, where they will open their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh on Saturday. MS Dhoni had just emerged from the pre-match press conference, where he had to respond to the same question phrased in different words and in different languages: was his team feeling the pressure? "I would have told you the exact figure," he said at one point, "if I had a machine to measure the pressure."

Indian players hardly need to be reminded about what is expected off them. "What to do," Dhoni said in response to another question, "there is pressure if you win, there is pressure if you lose." But out there on the turf, playing a game of football before the serious business of nets, they were like eager boys showing off their skills without feeling the obligation to perform.

Bangladesh are hardly pushovers in one-day cricket, and certainly not in their own conditions when their bowlers are as good as any in the world. But India, massive favourites in this World Cup and on whom rest not only the hopes of their fans rest but also the commercial success of the tournament, are expected to win against a team that knocked them out of the last World Cup, leading the format of the tournament to be redesigned.

The warm-up matches have been done and won but India are among to few teams to start the tournament against an opposition that possesses the wherewithal to knock them over. There is a precedent of a team losing the first match and going on to win the World Cup, but losing to Bangladesh would bring back the memories and the questions that India wouldn't want to revisit.

"We haven't even thought about it," Dhoni said when asked whether the 2007 defeat was playing on their minds, "because we don't want to repeat what happened in 2007." Seven of those who featured in that match are likely to be in the playing XI tomorrow, and four of them will form the top order that malfunctioned in Trinidad. The biggest difference between then and now, Dhoni pointed out, is that "we are in a much better frame of mind."

If India have any worries it is over the form of their quick bowlers. Ashish Nehra, who has been India's most consistent bowler in the format and was expected to fire in yorkers during the batting Powerplay, has been both erratic and down on pace in the warm-up matches. Munaf Patel, who was impressive in South Africa, has looked easy fodder on flatter pitches. Zaheer Khan, who sat out the warm-up games but bowled in the nets today, is certain to play and is expected to carry the attack. Nehra will perhaps be pencilled in to the share the new ball, but the nature of the pitch here makes two specialist spinners a real possibility.

"It's certainly an option we will consider," Dhoni said. Piyush Chawla was a rank outsider before the squad was selected but lends variety, can bat a bit and is a better fielder, all of which gives him a better chance of making the XI ahead of R Ashwin.

An equally big decision would be over the sixth batsman. By no means was Yusuf Pathan a certain starter before the one-dayers in South Africa but he will be impossible to leave out after his near match-winning hundred in Cape Town and his offspin lends a handy four-over option too.

But it's Virat Kohli's form that provides Dhoni with his happiest headache. He was India's most impressive batsman in difficult conditions in South Africa, but he would come in at the expense of Suresh Raina, who has been a fixture in the ODI squad and a vital part of Dhoni's strategy of consuming the fifth bowler's quota.

Whatever combination they pick, though, India's strategy will be based on a simple plan. Give their bowlers plenty to defend if they bat first. Or expect to chase down big totals. They bat big and they bat deep, and for the first time in a long time, they have all their best players to choose from. The countdown for the cup that counts begins tomorrow

Bangladesh provides colorful opening ceremony for Cricket World Cup 2011

Those who were not at the Bangabandhu National Stadium will never know just how successful and moving the opening ceremony of the 2011 World Cup was. Those who saw it on TV would have cringed at Sonu Nigam crooning an English inspirational song, Bryan Adams of all people being the top draw, recordings of Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's unremarkable theme song playing on loop, and the politicians inducing yawns with their speeches.

Those who were here, though, saw, heard and felt the heartbeat of Bangladesh cricket. What happened inside the stadium, sold out by 25,000 people welcoming the World Cup with open arms, was only a minor part of it. There were 25,000 other fans - and this is a conservative estimate, mind you - outside the stadium, with no hope or intention of getting in, partying away to their own rhythm of vuvuzelas, carrying Bangladesh flags about 50 feet in length, celebrating the World Cup.

The reception for the World Cup on the streets of Dhaka was the closest cricket can get to a football World Cup. There was no giant screen outside for them, the music could hardly be heard there, there was obviously no alcohol to keep them going, but they danced and made merry, choreographing their own moves. There was not an inch of space in about a kilometre's radius of the Bangabandhu Stadium. Nigam, Adams, Mustafa Kamal (the BCB chief) might as well have not turned up. The crowd either side of the stadium wall couldn't care less.

There were journalists at the ceremony who have covered cricket World Cups, Olympics, Asian Games, even football World Cups, and they swore they have never seen anything like this before. For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome. It didn't need the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to declare the World Cup open. The World Cup was open when at 2am last night, thousands were dancing on the streets, signing the best-wishes bat, and tens of cars went round and round the Bangabandhu Stadium. And when similar scenes were taking place at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, which didn't even have anything to do with the opening ceremony.

And to say that the 50-over format is supposed to be dying. Not in the subcontinent, not in Bangladesh by a long shot. However, like with the good old ODIs, the opening ceremony had its middle overs. Nigam followed up his Celine Dion act from the recently-held Filmfare Awards back home in India with a self-composed song titled Rise Up For Glory, which showed that his great voice needs to be rescued, from himself. The politicians took about half an hour of valuable time, and were on the verge of inviting a streaker. The crowd mimicked and made fun of one of them, another speaker gave two different figures for Bangladesh's population in half a minute, and ICC chief Sharad Pawar tried to speak Bangla but no one could make out a word of what he said.

Dhoni dominate New Zealand bowlers & Indian spinners dominate New Zealand Batsman

Chennai, Feb 16 : Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a blazing century to set up India's crushing 117-run victory over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday.

The Indian skipper cracked three sixes and 11 fours in a 64-ball 108 not out to help his team post an imposing 360-5 and virtually bat New Zealand out of the day-night match in Chennai.

New Zealand were bowled out for 243 after a brisk 94-run stand for the opening wicket between Brendon McCullum (58) and Martin Guptill (38) to suffer their first defeat in two practice matches.

Jesse Ryder (32), Nathan McCullum (29 not out) and Scott Styris (20) were the other main contributors.

Indian spinners, who played a big role in their team's win over defending champions Australia in a warm-up match on Sunday, again struck it rich as they shared seven wickets.

Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh each took two wickets, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged one.

"It's a difficult task for any side when they have to chase six or seven runs an over. This is the way we should play all the time," said Harbhajan Singh, who took 2-17.

"When you set that total, teams have to chase and it gives you the chance to get wickets as their batsmen look to do something."

"We have won our two warm-up games, but we are not taking anything for granted. It's up to us now to keep it simple and stick to the basics."

Dhoni and Suresh Raina (50) earlier gave a superb display of power-hitting to help their side set a stiff target, plundering 124 runs for the fifth wicket off just 56 balls. Raina hit three sixes and four boundaries in a 26-ball knock.

Dhoni's best came when he smashed paceman Jacob Oram for five successive fours, while Raina also punished the same bowler as he hit three sixes in an over. Oram conceded 70 runs in his nine overs.

Dhoni said India were able to achieve "a total that was above par".

Speaking about his own game, he said: "In the past few games I have been in a hurry, but my game is different. I take my time and then like to stay until the end for the slog overs. You have got to remind yourself of your strengths."

New Zealand stand-in skipper Ross Taylor said Dhoni had taken the game away from his side, adding: "Spinners are going to be a big part of the World Cup, and we have got to improve against them."

The stage for the closing-overs onslaught was set by Gautam Gambhir (89) and Virat Kohli (59), who put on 106 for the third wicket after India lost openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar for 42 runs.

Record-breaking batsman Tendulkar, who recently missed the last three one-day internationals in South Africa due to a hamstring injury and was rested against Australia, contributed just 17.

His eagerly awaited return lasted 23 balls before he was deceived by a slower one from paceman Tim Southee and bowled.

India suffered another blow when hard-hitting Sehwag (23) was bowled by an Oram delivery that kept low, but Gambhir and Kohli steadied the innings with their sensible knocks.

Gambhir hit 11 fours in his 85-ball stay while Kohli hit seven boundaries in a 68-ball innings.

India open their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday, while New Zealand take on Kenya in their first match the following day in Chennai.

India 360 for 5 (Dhoni 108*, Gambhir 89, Kohli 59, Raina 50) beat New Zealand 243 (B McCullum 58) by 117 runs

Tendulkar to play last warm up against New zeland while zaheer rested...

 At the very last chance to test their combination before the World Cup, India will field their full-strength batting line-up in a 50-over game for the first time in 15 months. The batsmen had faltered against Australia on Sunday but will be bolstered by the return of Sachin Tendulkar against New Zealand.

Tendulkar had missed that warm-up game because of a niggle but will play on Wednesday, in what will be his third one-day match since his double-century against South Africa in Gwalior a year ago. He had a long batting session on Tuesday morning during India's practice, and also spent time working on his fielding, showing no signs of the hamstring injury that forced him to return home midway through the one-day series in South Africa a month ago.

Tendulkar will displace Gautam Gambhir from the top of the order to No. 3, the position at which Virat Kohli had much of his recent success. Kohli's form swept him to second spot in the ICC one-day rankings, but even that hasn't ensured him a place in the starting line-up. Wednesday's game will give Kohli a chance to show his prowess lower down the order, perhaps at No .6, a position where another contender, Suresh Raina, is considered a better bet.

The other player in India's squad to miss the first warm-up, Zaheer Khan, will sit out of the sold-out game against New Zealand as well. MS Dhoni was quick to emphasise that Zaheer, who has been injury prone, would be fit in time for the World Cup opener against Bangladesh on February 19. "He has a very, very mild groin strain, nothing to worry about," Dhoni said. "We can give him rest, so we are giving him rest, and will use him when the proper tournament starts."

Zaheer didn't bowl in the nets on Tuesday, though he batted for 45-minutes and also tested himself with a series of short sprints under the supervision of physiotherapist Nitin Patel. Zaheer is the only fast bowler guaranteed a starting place, and his absence gives the others - Ashish Nehra, Sreesanth and Munaf Patel - who had little work against Australia another opportunity to audition for the World Cup.

Warm up match result on 15th feb...South africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Canada, Netherlands won

 

Shehzad ton helps Pakistan win over Bangladesh

Pakistan 285 for 9 (Shehzad 103, Misbah 100) beat Bangladesh 196 (Razzaq 3-31) by 89 runs

 Netherlands 264 (ten Doeschate 98 not out, Tikolo 4-39) beat Kenya 263 (Waters 126 not out, ten Doeschate 2-47) by two wickets

Sangakkara fifty helps Sri Lanka win over West indies

 Sri Lanka 282 for 6 (Sangakkara 71, Benn 3-40) beat West Indies 281 (Gayle 58, Malinga 3-33) by four wickets

Steyn bowl helps to fall Australia on 213

South Africa 218 for 3 (Smith 65, Amla 60) beat Australia 217 (Clarke 73, Steyn 3-21) by seven wickets

Ireland 245 for 6 (Botha 79, K O'Brien 62, Cusack 47) beat Zimbabwe 244 for 8 (Chigumbura 103*, Taibu 45) by four wickets

Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards

VVS Laxman and Dale Steyn have won the top awards in the fourth annual ESPNcricinfo Awards, announced in Bangalore today. The other winners were Sachin Tendulkar, Umar Gul, Michael Husseyand Tim Southee.

Laxman won the Test batting award for his 96 on a seaming pitch in Durban, while Steyn took the bowling prize for his 7 for 51 against India in Nagpur on a flat batting track. That both players overcame unfavourable conditions and led their teams to historic wins was important in their beating some impressive competition. That the two Test winners emerged from India's series home and away against South Africa is a validation of the growing importance of the rivalry between the two teams, the top-ranked sides in Tests.

The one-day batting award also went to a performance from an India-South Africa game: Sachin Tendulkar's remarkable unbeaten double-hundred in Gwalior, the first in the 40-odd years of the existence of the format. A performance that Kepler Wessels, one of the members of ESPNcricinfo's awards jury described as "the perfect one-day innings", it brought Tendulkar his second consecutive win in the category. He won last year for his monumental 175 in a lost cause against Australia. Tendulkar's innings was run close by Abdul Razzaq's hyper-violent 109, which took his side to a win against South Africa after they were nine down and needed 30 runs to win.

Also winning his second award in two years was Umar Gul, last year's Twenty20 bowling winner, who took the ODI prize for 2010 for his 6 for 42, which undid England's modest chase of 242 at The Oval.

In Twenty20, Tim Southee's five-wicket burst in nine balls, which included a hat-trick - New Zealand's second in the format - at tiny Eden Park was the jury's overwhelming favourite for the bowling award. Michael Hussey's "freak" of a 60 in the World Twenty20 semi-final, which one of the judges, Ramiz Raja, called "the greatest Twenty20 knock of all time", beat Brendon McCullum's century, only the second in Twenty20 internationals, to the batting prize. Hussey's was a death-defying innings in which he scored 22 off the last four balls to drag Australia from a point of no hope against Pakistan into the tournament final.

Besides Ramiz and Wessels, the jury included former internationals Ian Chappell, Tony Greig, Geoff Boycott, Sanjay Manjrekar and Martin Crowe, and ESPNcricinfo's senior editors. The jurors picked their top three performances in each category out of shortlists compiled by the site's editorial staff. Each performance ranked No. 1 got five points, while Nos. 2 and 3 got three points and one respectively.

Tendulkar's and Gul's performances were ranked No. 1 by 10 jury members, Steyn's by eight and Laxman's 96 by five. The voting for Laxman was marked by dissent over what his best performance of the year was: three of his innings featured in the Test batting shortlist, the most by any player in a single category in the history of the awards. His 73 against Australia in Mohali, where he batted through back spasms to lead India to a one-wicket win, was picked by three jurors as their No. 2 and by one as the No. 1. Alastair Cook's Ashes double-century got four No. 1 votes.

World Cup defining moment for Pakistan - Shoaib

Dhaka: Pakistan must clinch the World Cup if they are to win back their fans, paceman Shoaib Akhtar said on Sunday as his team try to emerge from the damaging spot-fixing scandal. 

Pakistan have endured a troubled build-up to the tournament after former captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were banned on charges of corruption during the Lord's Test against England last year. 

"Obviously we are very hurt inside by whatever has happened to us," Akhtar, 35, told reporters in Dhaka. "Pakistan need to win this World Cup at any cost. It will bring the charm back for people in Pakistan." 

The fast bowler said his team had enough bowling resources at their disposal despite the absence of the new-ball pair Aamer and Asif. 

"We are unfortunate that they are not there," he said. "But what can we do now? We have got to move on. I think whatever pace attack we have is good enough to win matches. 

"We have the bowlers who can bowl at the death and we can restrict the sides. The main thing is that the ball is going to reverse swing as the match progresses. That is where I think Pakistan's strength lies." 

Akhtar said he was confident of rattling up a good pace as he used to when at his prime. 

"I still bowl 150 kph (93 mph). Obviously when you are 26 and 36, it's a bit different. I will try to do as well as I can with whatever ability I have. I am going to push my limits and give it all to the team." 

Akhtar, who missed the last World Cup in the wake of a doping ban and fitness problems, also said he was looking forward to a likely duel with India's Sachin Tendulkar. 

"We all know he is a great player. Every bowler gets hit. Even Brett Lee gets hit a long way, so I am now worried about being hit for sixes by Tendulkar. I have got him off the first ball too. 

"Not only Sachin, we will try to get other key players early because they can single-handedly win matches. Put them under pressure, and get them out early -- that's what I will like to do." 

India and Pakistan have been placed in different groups for the tournament, beginning in Dhaka on February 19. 

The 14 teams have been divided into two groups for the initial round-robin league, with the top four from each half advancing to the quarter-finals. 

India won low scoring warm up game versus Australia

Indian fans who left the Chinnaswamy Stadium after watching Australia control the first 70 overs of the high-profile warm-up match on Sunday will be kicking themselves. An early finish seemed likely when Australia coasted to 116 for 1 in 21 overs after rolling over India for 214, and there was an early finish, but it was India who ran out victors as Australia lost their final nine wickets for 58 runs.

A massive crowd befitting an actual World Cup game had turned up to cheer India, expecting much from the star-studded batting line-up, but it was the less-heralded spinners, led by Piyush Chawla, who gave them plenty to shout about. Chawla spun out four middle-order batsmen before Harbhajan Singh applied the finishing touches to a back-from-the-dead victory.

Australia made a solid beginning to the chase as Shane Watson kick-started the innings with a bunch of boundaries. Ricky Ponting and Tim Paine then carried their side halfway to the target before things started to fall apart for Australia. Paine had lashed four fours in the first six overs but got bogged down after that, and fell trying to clear long-on, where Munaf Patel sprinted to his right to take a sharp catch. During the 67-run stand between Paine and Ponting, Chawla went for 22 runs in four overs.

His second spell transformed the game. In his first over back - immediately after Paine was dismissed - Chawla had Michael Clarke playing-on for a duck. Four overs later, Cameron White chipped a legbeak to midwicket, and David Hussey picked up a golden duck, drawn forward by Chawla before being beaten by the turn. Australia had slid to 138 for 5, and the first Mexican wave of the day made its way around the ground as the fans found their voice again. Callum Ferguson probably had the worst time of the lot: in a nine-ball stay, he was nearly run-out, was dropped at first slip, inside-edged a drive to square leg, was beaten by a vicious turner from Chawla and finally nicked one to slip. Chawla's second spell was 5-0-9-4, and it provided more questions for the Indian selectors.

Harbhajan, who was off the field for a while, returned to remove Ponting through a quicksilver stumping from MS Dhoni, and the rest of the Australian batting folded. There was help for the spinners from the pitch but this was not the minefield the Australian batsmen made it seem.

One consolation for Australia will be the gritty half-century from Ponting, in his first match since the Boxing Day Test. He began with a couple of Chinese cuts against the unlucky R Ashwin, who bowled far better than the scorecard indicates, but soon produced some convincing shots - an on-drive off Ashwin and a pull when Chawla dropped short. Even in a warm-up match, Ponting retained the intensity of old. Sreesanth had some advice for him after a delivery pushed out to cover, and added some more after a strident appeal for caught-behind on the next ball. Ponting wasn't going to just ignore it; he walked up to Sreesanth and doled out some advice of his own. The innings itself wasn't Ponting at his best, but he showed no signs of the finger trouble which sidelined him last month.

The top scorer for India was also a player coming back from injury - Virender Sehwag, whose shoulder problem didn't bother him during his half-century. He began with an effortless push past extra cover for four off a low full toss, but couldn't provide his customary high-speed start since he was starved of strike: he faced only four deliveries in the first five overs. Sehwag was at his most attacking against Jason Krejza, skipping beyond leg and looking to cut four times in Krejza's first over. He carved three fours off Krejza, and blasted him over long-off to reach his fifty, but the offspinner had his revenge by bowling Sehwag next ball.

Before his dismissal Sehwag watched a procession of India's specialist batsmen come and go, none of whom made big contributions. Gautam Gambhir never looked at ease in a short stay before edging to slip; Virat Kohli showed glimpses of class in his 21 before chopping John Hastings to backward point; Yuvraj Singh walked after an indecisive response to a bouncer - initially looking to sway out of the way before feathering the ball to the keeper; Dhoni was bowled for 11, prolonging his fallow spell in one-dayers.

At 113 for 5, with the seniors dismissed, Suresh Raina had a chance to stake his World Cup claim by reviving the innings. He survived the short balls Australia fired at him initially but didn't last very long, nicking Brett Lee as he attempted an on-the-up drive. Once again, it was left to Yusuf Pathan to ensure India put up a fight, and he did with an unusually patient 32 (after being 18 off 34 at one stage).

India made it past 200 thanks to some late resistance from Ashwin and Ashish Nehra but Australia would have been happy with their bowling performance, barring the huge number of wides. Brett Lee was in top form, accurate and slipping in the bouncers and yorkers at pace; Krejza had a decent outing against batsmen looking to attack him, and even their lowest-profile bowler, Hastings, provided two significant breakthroughs

India 214 (Sehwag 54, Lee 3-35) beat Australia (Ponting 57, Chawla 4-31, Harbhajan 3-15) by 38 runs

West inidies, Sri lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand Won There warm up matches

West Indies 253 for 8 (Sarwan 123, Bravo 54, Odoyo 3-34) beat Kenya 192 (Obuya 68, Russell4-43) by 61 runs
Russell impressed by 4 wickets



Sri Lanka 351 for 5 (Dilsha 78, Samaraweera 60) beat Netherlands 195 (de Grooth 76, Fernando 4-43) by 156 runs
Fernando impressed by bowl



South Africa 153 for 2 (Kallis 49*, Price 1-19) beatZimbabwe 152 (Taylor 40, Morkel 3-16) by eight wickets
Kallis returned with well inning of 49* include 3fours & 3 sixes



New Zealand 311 for 6 (Guptill 130, Johnston 2-62) beat Ireland 279 (Porterfield 72, Vettori 4-42) by 32 runs
Guptil played well inning of 130



Bangladesh 113 for 1 (Tamim 69) beat Canada 112 (Shakib 3-5, Shafiul 2-5) by nine wickets 

Today's warm up match between India-Australia

Two fancied teams, India and Australia, play their first World Cup warm-up match on Sunday, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. It is an inconsequential game as far as the result goes, but there are some points of interest in the contest

Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan are fighting for the No. 6 and 7 spots. All three have been getting games in recent series due to the absence of some of the seniors at the top of the order, but one of them will have to be benched in the World Cup. Current form suggests it will be Raina, since Kohli was India's most assured batsman in the one-dayers in South Africa, and Yusuf has repeatedly shown what a destructive force he can be lower down the order. Raina, though, is expected to fare better on the flat tracks likely to be served up in the subcontinent. Which of the trio misses out in Dhaka in a week's time could be decided by the performances in the warm-ups.

Entering his third campaign as captain, Ricky Ponting is yet to lead Australia to a loss in a World Cup match. With the legends of past World Cup triumphs retired, and his own batting rarely hitting the imperious heights of old, this will be his toughest World Cup at the helm. A finger injury has sidelined him since the Boxing Day Test, forcing him to be away from the game for a month, a break which Ponting says has refreshed him. He has played only one ODI since July, has only three centuries in the format in three years, and there have been several calls for him to give up the captaincy. Sunday's game will be the first chance to remove some of the question marks.

India's batting order starts with three of the biggest names in the game: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. The talent, experience and firepower they provide forms the bedrock of the strongest batting unit in the tournament, but all three are returning from injuries (Sehwag - shoulder, Gambhir - elbow and Tendulkar - hamstring). One other slight concern is the lack of match practice in the format in recent times: the trio has played only seven ODIs between them in the past five months, and hasn't been in a one-dayer together since December 2009. Match fitness and their slightly changed roles when all three are present will be things to work on at the Chinnaswamy.

Few things caused as much mirth for England fans as Australia's muddle-headed picks in the slow-bowling department over the past few months. With their two preferred options - Nathan Hauritz and Xavier Doherty - out injured, their frontline spinner for the World Cup is Jason Krejza, a man with all the experience of one ODI. His performance on Test debut, in India, two years ago was the definition of a mixed bag; he took 12 wickets while shipping 358 runs. There's support for him in the form of young legspinner Steven Smith, and a wealth of part-timers - David Hussey, Cameron White and Michael Clarke - but in a tournament where quality spinners are likely to be game-changers, how Krejza adapts to the subcontinent will be pivotal to Australia's chances.

Less than a week ago, Sreesanth thought his only contribution to the World Cup campaign would be a song he wrote and dedicated to the Indian team. Praveen Kumar's slower-than-expected recovery from an elbow injury signalled an 'I am back' tweet from Sreesanth, though whether he will make the XI remains uncertain. Over the past year, India have had three quicks who were definite starters when fit - Praveen, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. With Praveen injured, and Nehra's form taking an alarming dip in the previous two series, Zaheer is the only one absolutely certain of his place. Nehra has a solid record over the past two years, Munaf Patel has shown he can be a steady option when given a one-day chance, and Sreesanth has more pace than anyone else in the squad. Another conundrum which the Indian selectors will solve over the two warm-up matches coming up.