Revenge seekers!

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India’s startling first-round  exit at the last World Cup is still regarded as one of the greatest shocks in cricket and a fired-up Virender Sehwag wants to make Bangladesh pay for eliminating them four years ago.

“We know… we lost against them and we have been waiting  for the moment when we will play against them in this World  Cup,” opener Sehwag told reporters ahead of today’s showdown  when the two co-hosts clash in the opening match of this year’s  event.

On paper, a repeat of Bangladesh’s 2007 heroics in the  Caribbean, when they shot India out for 191 and then  successfully chased it down, looks a bit unlikely this time  round.
India, considered by most cricket pundits as one of the  favourites to win the showpiece event, are a balanced outfit.

Sachin Tendulkar

They boast a strong batting order, with Sachin Tendulkar and  Sehwag at the top, and a solid middle-order to follow.

In captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan they have two explosive late-order batsmen who can change the complexion  of a game in a few overs.

“I think so far we have lost just one or two games against  Bangladesh — one in the World Cup and may be one in  Bangladesh,” Sehwag oozed confidence.

“So our record against Bangladesh is very good.”

Doubts still remain with the Indian pace attack though, with  the wily Zaheer Khan always susceptible to fitness worries.

Shakib Al Hasan

The Indian spin department, however, looks formidable. Led  by the feisty off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, they showed how  dangerous they could be during the warm-up games against  Australia and New Zealand.

Bangladesh will miss paceman Mashrafe Mortaza, whose  omission from the squad due to a knee injury sparked three days  of protests in his hometown last month.

Mortaza was the tormentor-in-chief with four wickets for 38  when Bangladesh beat India by five wickets in the 2007 World  Cup.

PART-TIME SPINNERS

Conditions in the subcontinent have always favoured the slow  bowlers and it is little wonder that both India and their  neighbours thrive on their part-time spin options for  breakthroughs.

Virender Sehwag

Bangladesh have a potent spin attack in their captain Shakib  Al Hasan, who was ranked as the world’s number one all-rounder  in ODIs in 2009, and Abdur Razzak.
They also boast of a handful of part-time spinners, like  their Indian counterparts, who make it difficult for batsmen to  score during the middle overs.

The Indians, who go into today’s match after two  comprehensive victories against Australia and New Zealand in the  warm-up games, will have to rein in a very confident Bangladesh  outfit.

The Bangladeshis, having won seven out of their last eight  matches at home, are brimming with self-belief.

“We have been playing good cricket for the last 15 months,  and if we qualify for the second round, why not think of  something big,” captain Shakib told reporters.

“We have to win at least four matches to win a place in the  second round. It is not difficult.

“I think we are capable of booking a place in the second  round.”