Cricket: Team overview: India

As a team banking heavily on batting, India were early cup favourites after capping an impressive 2002 to emerge joint winners in the Champions Trophy in September.

They looked likely winners of the 12-team event, a prelude to the cup, before rain washed out their final against hosts Sri Lanka.

Their victory in the preceding tri-series, where they beat hosts England in the final by successfully chasing 326, also revealed a new-found grit which helped them to end a run of nine consecutive defeats in one-day finals involving more than two teams.

But India's final cup build-up has been anything but ideal.

The euphoria around the Champions Trophy was dimmed by their 4-3 defeat in a home series against West Indies in November, and questions about their real batting strength followed as they completed a dreadful tour of New Zealand last month.

They lost a seven-match series 5-2 after going down in both tests inside three days as their batting repeatedly failed on seaming pitches.

Explosive opener Virender Sehwag was the only standout, with two one-day centuries.

The players have been in a prolonged contract dispute for the past several months, with the issue being temporarily put on hold by the International Cricket Council to clear the team's participation.

India, who upset the heavily-favoured West Indies team to win the 1983 cup under Kapil Dev, are in the tougher of the two groups.

Sourav Ganguly's side still have the potential to fulfil the hopes of their millions of cricket-mad fans, who expect every cup side to repeat the 1983 victory.

India need to recapture their batting poise in South Africa where pitches are expected to be far better than in New Zealand. They must score heavily to overcome their inconsistent bowling and fielding, which are mainly due to wear and tear to senior players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly and bowlers Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath.

Their main batsman, Tendulkar, goes into the event having missed 11 consecutive one-dayers because of injuries and then scoring just two runs in three innings on return in New Zealand. Still, their supporters, who will deem it a failure if India fail to reach the semifinals, will be counting on Tendulkar's class.

A World Cup medal is one accolade missing from the trophy cabinet of the only player in one-day history to go past the 10,000-run mark (11,546), which includes a record 33 hundreds.

Tendulkar has in the past season dropped down the order to prevent the panic which used to set in when he was dismissed early.

The presence of Rahul Dravid, who took over as one-day wicketkeeper, should provide more batting assurance in South Africa.

The New Zealand trip has also revitalised their fast bowlers.

The vastly-experienced Srinath, who ended his brief retirement to play in his fourth cup, is in top form after capturing 18 wickets at just over 11 runs apiece in the New Zealand series.

He will team up with the 23-year-old left-arm Zaheer Khan, who has revelled in recent one-dayers with sharp pace and a run-denying line in the slog overs.

- REUTERS

INSIDE TRACK

Captain: Sourav Ganguly.

Coach: John Wright.

Strengths: Batting - although not at its best in seaming conditions - and team spirit. Arrival of newcomers has eased pressure on mainstay Sachin Tendulkar and helped the team to discard the tag as chokers under pressure.

Weaknesses: Bowling erratic under pressure and fielding blunted by wear and tear among seniors, with only youngsters Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif close to world class.

Key man: Tendulkar - playing in his third cup, his class will be vital on South Africa's bouncy pitches. Can also break partnerships with his intelligent slow bowling.

One-day form: Improved fitness and batting helped to claim a tri-series final against England, and share the 12-team Champions Trophy with hosts Sri Lanka in September 2002. But subsequently lost 4-3 to West Indies at home and 5-2 in New Zealand, where their batsmen looked clueless on seaming tracks.

Past World Cups: India's moment of glory came when they shocked the West Indies in the 1983 final to dash the latter's hat-trick hopes. The Indians had won just a single match in the first two tournaments in 1975 and 1979. Semifinalists in 1987 and 1996 as co-hosts.

Eliminated in the first round in 1992 and in the Super Sixes in 1999.