Form makes India formidable

The argument is that to beat Australia a side needs to perform with the same level of consistency as well as aggression. India have been doing that for more than a year 8212; and are getting better at it too.

The Asia Cup, revived after a gap of four years and held by Pakistan, also has Sri Lanka. The remaining three teams are UAE, Bangladesh and Hong Kong, rookies at this level of international competition. They are captained by a New Delhi-born insurance broker Rahul Sharma, who is not taking out a policy on winning a game. 8216;8216;We have come to learn, and be competitive8217;8217;, he said. 8216;8216;We are not going to step back because we are playing a Test nation.8217;8217;

While Pakistan should muddle along in Pool A without too many qualms, even against an improving Bangladesh side, India are in reality the glamour side of the event. They have the form and charisma that go with being a side a couple of steps ahead of the wannabes.

There was also a small party of Indian supporters, working in Sri Lanka, who turned up on Wednesday afternoon to see Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag make short work of the assembled President8217;s XI bowling attack. It was efficient and technically as good as anything you are going to see.

Tendulkar8217;s ball placement had the classic authority of Barry Richards, Sir Len Hutton and Sunil Gavaskar; the ball was placed into the gaps with ruthless ease. Yet done with the sort of dominance that comes from balanced strokeplay: he was not arrogant, or a bully, he was simply too technically skilled and such genius is rare.

The type of control he was in made a bowler with a wicket-to-wicket style such as Ruchira Perera wonder about the sense of maintaining such a line to a batsman in this mood. While there was appreciation of how the runs were being gathered, Sourav Ganguly was talking to Parthiv Patel, an arm around his shoulders and chatting amiably.

This is the look of new India and it shows 8212; and they don8217;t have to wear the 8216;8216;Proud to be an Indian8217;8217; T-shirt to prove it. They look and act the part. It has developed a culture that is more than just about winning; they are there for each other. A formidable batting side supporting an attacking bowling line-up that has the decided edge to competitiveness.

When India and Sri Lanka 8212; who play each other on Sunday 8212; last met on the emerald isle, in the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2002, the start of the southeast monsoon season wrecked the spectacle. At present it is the tail end of the northeast monsoon and thundershowers are predicted for Colombo while Dambulla is in the dry region of the country and unlikely to be affected.

Sunday presents an interesting challenge for both sides at a venue that has its problems with low, slow conditions. Just how Sri Lanka8217;s batsmen are going to cope with Irfan is going to create one of the more entertaining moments of the series. India have the balance and the edge but Sri Lanka will at least attempt to be competitive.