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India still unsettled as World Cup knockouts loom

CHENNAI, India - Ever since its formidable batting lineup racked up 370 in the first act of the World Cup, it has never been quite as good for pre-tournament favorite India.

Few would have thought that a month after Virender Sehwag and co. hammered the Bangladesh bowlers in the opening match, the tournament co-host would still not have sealed its place in the quarterfinals heading into the last game of the group stage.

But India has not quite qualified and is still searching for its perfect combination ahead of Sunday’s Group B finale against West Indies at Chennai.

Both teams need a win to guarantee a place in the last eight, although if South Africa beats Bangladesh on Saturday then India and West Indies will progress regardless.

India is strongly tipped to make the last eight, then, with only the unlikely combination of a Bangladesh victory over South Africa and a heavy defeat to West Indies keeping it out.

But qualification aside, it’s the manner in which India has gone through its World Cup campaign so far that has drawn steady criticism from its hugely expectant followers.

Right from the second innings in that first match against Bangladesh, India has been lambasted for its bowling frailties and, more worrying for supporters, perceived tendency toward complacency.

India allowed Bangladesh to score 283-9 in its reply, failed to defend a total of 338 against England, didn’t impress against second-tier teams Ireland and Netherlands and lost nine wickets for 29 runs when in a dominant position in a defeat by South Africa.

Throughout, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said it’s all been useful preparation for the knockout stage.

“It’s good that everyone is getting game time and each and every batsman is getting a go in the 50 overs so that’s a big positive for us.” Dhoni said. “It’s good if you play crunch games before you go to the crucial stages where it means most of your talent will have been tested.”

But India has underperformed, despite Dhoni’s positive thinking, while West Indies returned convincing wins over Netherlands, Bangladesh and Ireland — and nearly upset England.

West Indies has still not beaten a major team in an ODI since June 2009, when India was seen off by eight wickets in Jamaica, but coach Ottis Gibson insists the breakthrough win is imminent after the near-miss against England, also at Chennai, on Thursday.

“We are starting to show the resilience we are going to need,” Gibson said. “There’s a stat flying around that we haven’t beaten a top team in 20 months so we would like to do that ... we are getting closer, that’s all I can say.”

It could get closer, still, if India again fails to find its groove on Sunday and promising youngsters Kemar Roach, Andre Russell and Darren Bravo continue to impress for West Indies.

India’s most recent match against South Africa, where it went from 267-1 to 296 all out in a remarkable slide, finally led to a stern warning from Dhoni who criticized his star-studded batting order for playing to the crowd and not playing for the team. He said the result was “definitely a wake-up call.”

“You need to curb your thinking,” Dhoni said, after a string of batsmen fell to flamboyant shots when discipline was needed. “Different people have different responsibilities. You need to bat 50 overs. That’s foremost. You should be able to bat 50 overs and the more you bat the more runs you get.”

The collapse, which Dhoni also called “a learning curve,” added a new worry for India which has struggled most with balancing its bowling attack at the tournament.

Only left-arm quick Zaheer Khan and part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh have consistently impressed with the ball, with seamers Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra and spinners Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla under-fire for inconsistent returns.

While India has tried various combinations, fans and media have been crying out for the inclusion of offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin — who is yet to play.

But Sunday is likely to see him enter the fray on his home ground at the MA Chidambaram Stadium where the pitch is the most spin-friendly of India’s World Cup venues.

Batsman Suresh Raina could also play a role, also at his home venue, as India hopes to finally settle on its ideal combination ahead of the quarterfinals — where there will be no more room to experiment.