No doubt, the performances on the flat home pitches are no definite indicators of the collective form of the Indian team, but a few victories do help to put the players in good heart ahead of the arduous World Cup. With there being no clear pointers about the nature of pitches available in the Caribbean, not just India, but also all other participants would be going in “blind”, so to say.

The word is that the pitches for the World Cup would be offering true bounce and would be on the quicker side, but then with the playing squares being relaid, it is still a matter of speculation and guess-work. However, looking at the Indian team composition, they seem to have the resources to deal with conditions whatever they may be. At the end of the day, though, it is all about performing in any environment and beating any team that would land the spoils.

From the point of view of India’s preparations for the World Cup, the best news is the return of Ganguly who can be dubbed as the modern day Mohinder Amarnath in terms of staging a marvellous comeback to the team. Castigated and banished not many months ago, Ganguly has more than proven his credentials and he would be as relieved a man as his one-time adversary Chappell. Hopefully, the past would be buried for good.

As for Yuvraj, there has never been any doubts over his utility or class, but the most worrisome was the knee injury that kept him out of the team for several months. For an active sportsperson, the knee is the most critical part of the body and once damaged, it takes a while for it to recover fully. In this context, Yuvraj’s half-century in the series deciding game against the Lankans carried far more significance than just the number of runs he scored. More importantly, his fielding, marked by athletic dives and stops, did not appear to have suffered.

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Now that the batting has settled itself, Chappell would be looking more closely at his bowling options with particular attention to Pathan who, like Yuvraj, is a critical player in respect of providing balance to the Indian line-up. Pathan’s loss of form has been as dramatic as his entry into the Indian team. One suspects, his problems have stemmed from a drop in confidence level and perhaps, it would do no harm if he spends time with pace guru Dennis Lillee in Chennai, if only to regain his rhythm and correct any flaws that might have crept into his bowling action.

Thus, overall, the Indian team presents a happy picture after the mauling in South Africa that should serve as a constant reminder of the fickleness of cricket. The World Cup will be a different ball game and statistics would be of little relevance. Talent apart, the Indians would need to also work on the mental aspect in view of the pressure associated with the World Cup.

There have been comparisons with the 2003 World Cup team that made it to the final in South Africa, but in the four years since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. It would be of more relevance to focus on the present side than dabble in statistics or comparisons that I feel are distractions the Indian team can do without.