Beating Pakistan was a good start that has allowed India to dream of the cup. But the real test will come when Dhoni's boys play bigger, better teams

Indian players celebrate the dismissal of a pakistani batsman at the Adelaide OvalWhen Qantas Flight 682 took off from Adelaide for Melbourne, it seemed to have left behind despair and despondency. The previous night had been sensational for the 15-member Indian team, and the 25,000-odd Indian fans who had gathered here, as the World Cup title defence began in style. Pakistan had succumbed to India in a World Cup game yet again, giving wing to the dream: India can win the World Cup. Again.Never mind that India had no international victory to show for in the 84 days they had been Down Under before that game. Never mind Pakistan have neither the skill nor the experience in such conditions, and bigger and better teams await the defending champions in more challenging situations ahead. On the flight, and probably for the first time on tour, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys were seriously thinking of Melbourne on the night of March 29.There wasn't much time for celebrations after the first victory but players had assembled in the team room at Hotel InterContinental and raised a toast. Captain Dhoni reminded them of individual roles set by the team management and coaxed them to put in an extra 10 per cent. And when the team landed in Melbourne and checked into the Langham hotel, Dhoni took off his shades and smiled at the media: "Lunch kar liya (Had your lunch)?"Sachin Tendulkar, for one, is hopeful and quite excited about India's start. Having watched the India-Pakistan game in a theatre-like atmosphere with his close friends, Tendulkar told Aaj Tak, "I was very impressed with the way our bowlers ran in, and how sharp and aggressive the fielding was. I told my friends to expect better things from the team."Team director Ravi Shastri said the same when the players assembled for practice in Melbourne after two days of rest following the Adelaide match. "Tendulkar is right. We need to enjoy each win and stay positive-the other teams should be fearing us," Shastri told the team.These are early days yet, though it is clear who the big three are. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand are clearly ahead, and if India maintain the momentum, they could well join them in the semi-finals. The format is such that India will make it to the last eight, but if they finish among the top two in their group along with South Africa, they may avoid playing the hosts in their backyards in the knockout quarter-finals: Australia in Adelaide and New Zealand in Auckland. "I am not a fan of looking too far ahead but if this hypothetical logic turns out true, India will find playing either Sri Lanka and England in the quarters relatively easier. A win there, and you are theoretically just two wins away from the cup," former captain Sourav Ganguly told india today in Melbourne.But to make it anywhere close to the dream situation, India's batting needs to fire. In Adelaide, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina finally came to the party while Virat Kohli began this World Cup just as he had in 2011-with a dazzling century. Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane have already shown their penchant for horizontal-bat shots on the bouncier but flat tracks but the lack of Dhoni's late-order cameos in the recent past are a big worry. "I am confident he will come good when it matters," Tendulkar said.It is the bowling department, however, that India will be fretting about. Though they were impressive against Pakistan, the going may not be as easy against tougher opponents. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have a combination of powerful hitters and innovative batsmen, and 300 or thereabouts would barely be par scores. "Everything now boils down to leadership," former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja, a key member of Imran Khan's 1992 cup-winning team, told india today. "You guys in India have been harsh on him recently, but I find shades of Imran in Dhoni at times. He has to peak at the right moment, wait for the opportunities, and go for the kill. I find it difficult for any of the subcontinent teams to win the cup but if there will be one, it has to be India."For a side that almost forgot what a victory tastes like for close to three months, it will ultimately boil down to three things: form, fitness and motivation. While form, barring a few players, has been inconsistent, the format of the league games-almost a week's gap between matches-will iron out minor injuries. It is on the motivational front that the team will have to battle hard. Dhoni has asked his team to look at the Test and tri-series defeats Down Under with purpose, telling them that playing every day even while losing to a superior side like Australia has raised the standard of their game.His mantra is simple: "Clear the mental cobwebs-do not let negativity or the fear of failure come and haunt you. See what you have learnt, and make it your strength."The team management has prepared dossiers for different teams, compiling their strengths, weaknesses and, importantly, the psyche of star players. Giving an example, a player said, "We have been told to watch the highlights of our win in Cardiff over South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2013-how we attacked them right at the start and they were taken aback. They got entangled in their own web."Raina's preparation ahead of the Pakistan game, for instance, included watching Bollywood movies Border and LOC Kargil. Similarly, bowlers have been told of plans to "suffocate and bore" instinctive stroke-players and wait for them to wilt.Although it is too early to even think of predicting whether India can again go the distance, the old adage has come true: just one evening of glory has reignited the passion and hopes of a billion Indians. Hopefully, Dhoni has saved his best for the last in what in all probability will be his farewell World Cup.Follow the writer on Twitter @vikrantgupta73To read more, get your copy of India Today here.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Feb 19, 2015 22:59 IST--- ENDS ---

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Beating Pakistan was a good start that has allowed India to dream of the cup. But the real test will come when Dhoni's boys play bigger, better teams

Beating Pakistan was a good start that has allowed India to dream of the cup. But the real test will come when Dhoni's boys play bigger, better teams.

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