SPORT-WC INDIA 2

India's opening tie against Bangladesh would itself be
looked at with interest for it was the country's eastern
neighbours who inflicted a shock defeat on Rahul Dravid's team
four years ago in the West Indies, which eventually knocked
them out of the World Cup in the first round.
"The past is past. I am more optimistic than you," Dhoni
said here last week referring to the lung-opener against
Bangladesh.
India's next opponents eight days later would be South
Africa, against whom they have had mixed results in the recent
past.
England and the West Indies loom as the major threats in
the remaining matches but with the group also consisting of
minnows Ireland (11th seed) and The Netherlands (13), Dhoni
and his men would be fancying their chances of entering the
last eight from where the do-or-die stage starts.
Tendulkar, who has created a staggering array of records
in ODIs too apart from Tests, is going to be the lynch pin of
the team's strong batting line up.
The batting maestro is already the highest run-getter
in the tournament history (1796 in 36 matches) and has said
often that it is his dream to be part of a World Cup-winning
squad.
Over the last year or so he has played very few ODIs,
missing most of them either to take rest or recovering from
injury, to be totally ready for cricket's showpiece.
While Tendulkar would be the man marshaling the top
order that has top shots Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir,
Dhoni is there to take control of the latter part of the
innings in the company of big-shot players like Yuvraj Singh,
Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina. (MORE) PTI SSR
PRI


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