It is absurd to even contemplate that there can be a bigger prize in the game than the World Cup. I may be stating the obvious but consider this carefully. A series win over the West Indies in the ’80s, home or away, was supposed to be ultimate in world cricket; such was the aura around the West Indies in those days.

Similarly, beating the current Australian side in their own den will be an achievement worth boasting of. But the thrill of winning the World Cup is something else. Apart from the need to stay focused for more than a month, the know-how to deal with different opposition is a pre-requisite to clinch the ultimate cup.

The gameplan that worked for us in 1983 might not be relevant now but the neversay-die attitude that characterised our triumph in England is the secret of success in any era. Ours was the last word in team effort. Everyone chipped in with contributions. As the tournament grew, so did our self-confidence. Imagine taking on the mighty Windies in English conditions and emerging trumps twice in three games.

One of the questions I have answered most in the last few weeks is: Can India replicate the 1983 act in the West Indies? Well, on paper I would certainly give India a fair chance of reaching the semifinals and from there it is a question of remaining unfazed by being on the biggest stage.

A good start is central to success; all the talk of the team peaking at the right is fine with the armchair pundits. For us, the key was the momentum that was gained by putting it across the West Indies at Manchester in the group stage. Yashpal Sharma’s 81, which set up the match for us, was worth its weight in gold. That first game propelled us towards the bigger picture. It gave us the belief that we could punch above our weight.

Taking strength from the quality of players at their disposal in relation to other contenders in the Cup, India should fancy their chances of a good run and draw a lot of inspiration from their show in the last edition. They came back well from a horrendous start in 2003. It was a sign of the team’s doggedness.

Houses were stoned, effigies were burnt, but the team showed character. Scenes will not be dissimilar if the team faces an early reversal this time too, but I am sure in Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly and Kumble, India have a wealth of experience. The quartet has seen it all.

Luckily for the men in blue they start against a relatively weaker side in Bangladesh who have had their sporadic moments but it is beyond my comprehension to imagine India can be toppled by Bangladesh.

The composition of the squad suggests that Virender Sehwag will bat at five. That to me will not be a bad idea. The team stands to gain and maximise returns when he plays the slow men. He has always been a none-or-all kind of player. He can set up the match perfectly but given his recent patchy form and Robin Uthappa’s rhythm at the moment it would not be a bad idea to see the latter open with Sourav Ganguly. The middle order may not be batting in ideal conditions.

The ball will stop on the bat; the batsmen should equip themselves with the nip and tuck. Rotating the strike will be the key. We can rely on the explosive lower order strength of Yuvraj and Dhoni to finish matches in style.

The bowling looks settled. Ajit Agarkar and Zaheer Khan are a decent combination — the latter has that probing incoming line that poses hard questions for the left-handers. Considering most of the sides have a southpaw at the top of the order, Zaheer would be in great demand. Agarkar has to be consistent, once in flow he is one of the better strike bowlers in world cricket. Add the combination of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh and the attack seems to carry a lot of firepower.

If Irfan Pathan was the bowler he once used to be, it would have been a fine idea to have him bat at seven and use his skills with the ball but given his dip with his bowling form I would stick with the above mentioned bowlers and seven batsmen. Viru, Yuvraj and Sachin with their spin can easily fill in the fifth bowler’s quota.

Having said all this, we must not forget that Team India will not run on the fastest pairs of feet. There will be some covering to do in this department, as some of the youngsters in the side are also not very swift. Luckily, the grounds are not very huge in the West Indies and that would marginalise the shortcomings. India should start with a bang against Bangladesh and I hope they carry the momentum through the tournament.

A month and a half of exciting cricket is in store for Team India. All the best to the men in blue who will be representing you, me and the entire country.

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