David Leggat: Cricketers timely reminder for All Black fans

Overconfidence was the undoing of the Indian cricket team. Photo / AP

Anyone starting to get ahead of themselves on the All Blacks World Cup expectations might like to take a glance across the world at the Indian cricket team.

They arrived in England as world No 1 test team, and have proceeded to destroy their own reputation with a dreadful series of performances.

The first two tests were lost by some distance and they began the third day at Edgbaston last night trailing England by the small matter of 232 runs with their hosts having seven first innings wickets intact.

Unless something peculiar happens, they are facing another trouncing, which will confirm England as the new No 1 team.

India's hubris has been their undoing.

They arrived in England overconfident. Their leading bowler, Zaheer Khan, was plainly unfit and lasted just 13.3 overs of the first test before hamstring and ankle injuries ruled him out for at least 14 weeks.

They gave off an air of simply having to turn up and the job would be done without much discomfort.

Opening batsman Virendar Sehwag missed the first two tests recovering from shoulder surgery which he could have had when the Indian Premier League was on. Instead his priority was the T20 competition, in which he played all but the last three games, and India, the test nation, have suffered.

Allrounder Yuvraj Singh and spinner Harbhajan Singh have headed home with injuries. Wicketkeeper and captain MS Dhoni, a counter-attacking 70 in India's desperate first innings at Edgbaston apart, has been ordinary, his glovework particularly so.

The batting has been off colour, the outstanding technician Rahul Dravid apart. Even Sachin Tendulkar has had his wings clipped.

And this relates to the All Blacks how?

Okay, their leadup to the World Cup has been damn near faultless. I's have been dotted, t's crossed. All looks pretty good as they head to South Africa today. They will be wise to keep their guard up, though.

They are sending a weakened squad away, so should they get touched up by a far stronger Springbok outfit than disgraced the colours in Sydney and Wellington, where will that leave things?

Does the old mantra that an occasional defeat is no bad thing offer any solace?

The message from England is that you take nothing for granted, and to be fair this All Black operation appears well tuned into that mindset.

Maybe India offers no more than a salutary reminder to keep your house in order.

The fleeting thought of the dangers of getting too far ahead of themselves came this week with a thought from Prime Minister John Key.

Now admittedly he was thrown a question on the World Cup and what should happen if the All Blacks win it, specifically might there be an honour in it for Richie McCaw. He could have let it pass through to the wicketkeeper with a glib quip.

Maybe that's what he intended when he said: "Can't think of anything more joyous than Sir Richard McCaw".

Some will doubtless applaud the idea, but it leaves the jarring thought that there are those getting rather ahead of themselves before a ball has even been kicked in the World Cup.

Considering New Zealand's Cup history, best not go down that well-trodden path.