Cup Fever * India will want to avoid 2007 repeat in opener against Bangladesh,says Borde As cricket fever rises in the city and fans position themselves in front of TV sets to cheer India in the opener against hosts Bangladesh on Saturday,India,according to Dilip Vengsarkar and Chandu Borde,although Dhoni sounds very confident,would certainly exercise that extra bit of caution. They would certainly not want to taste the same fate the Indian team had in 2007 World Cup against Bangladesh,a loss from which they never recovered,leading to their early exit,says Vengsarkar,former India captain and a key member of the 1983 Prudential World Cup winning team. Vengsarkar,who runs a cricket academy in the city,said pressure will be on India on Saturday. Definitely,the Indians will feel the pressure as they had lost their first match against the minnows in the last World Cup. The massive home crowd support will be in Bangladeshs favour. The stands will certainly turn the heat on Indians, he says. Chandu Borde,former India player and selector,who is based in Pune,seconds it and says Dhonis boys will not drop guard against Bangladesh on their home soil. India will certainly not take Bangladesh lightly. They will have to be on guard against complacency, says the veteran cricketer who is based in Pune. Borde says Team Bangladesh are not what they used to be and Indians will tread with care. Your last match against opponents does matter. It makes you choose your path carefully and be watchful of every step, he says. Vengsarkar feels the convincing victories in the two warm-up matches has increased Indias confidence. The team looked quite balanced and they played to their potential. The victories against Australia and New Zealand will add to their confidence,already on a high after their good show in South Africa, says Borde. Vengsarkar,on the other hand,also feels one cannot be too sure and things could still go wrong,however strong a team was. Citing an instance,he recalled the Prudential World Cup India lifted under Kapil Dev in 1983 in England and said the Indian team had back then lost their first two warm-up matches. In our very first match we defeated West Indies and kept the momentum going. Similarly,the Indian team needs to keep its momentum, says Vengsarkar,who had played his part in the 83 win. If there is little slackness,you are gone no matter how strong a team you happen to be, says Vengsarkar,who runs the Varroc-Vengsarkar Cricket Academy in the city. How a team plays on a particular day is what matters,says Borde. A game cane change course in a matter of minutes. How well you play on a given day is all that counts, he says. The winning formula,according to former India batsman Pravin Amre,who is assistant coach of the Pune-Sahara Warriors,is to play every game equally well,no matter who the opponent is. I think its important for India to approach every game the same way,whether they play Bangladesh or Australia. They need the mindset right,and pick momentum as the tournament progresses. The lower middle order Yusuf Pathan,Dhoni and Yuvraj- will be crucial. Former PCMC cricket team captain Raju Kotwal predicts an easy win for india in the opener. Bangladesh is no match for India. Unlike in the last World Cup,this team looks good and importantly every player is in good nick which was on display in the warm-up games, says Kotwal. (With inputs from Karthik Krishnaswamy)
