INDIA’S CHANCES THIS WORLD CUP
 

Sarah Waris, Preety Gupta, Avinandan Mondal, Pinak Chakraborty: (Chorus) India doesn’t have a chance. 
Pinak: India has no bowling attack whatsoever. It would not be the worst if you compare it to Zimbabwe! We have had the likes of Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan and now we have people like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Umesh Yadav is good, but not that good. Let’s see Mohit Sharma.... Ishant Sharma not being there is a big blow because his record against Australia is good. 
Avinandan: If you look at the 2011 squad, India had six to seven match-winners. And, it was Sourav Ganguly’s team — six of them were from Dada’s core team. They had experience too with players who had played multiple World Cups. This squad lacks impact players. We are still not sure about our openers. Rohit Sharma is often unfit. Since Anushka Sharma came back after the Test series, Virat Kohli has been out of form. So, Anushka should go back. Anushka for Ishant! Also, if I am Mitchell Johnson, I’ll be more scared of Yuvraj Singh than Ambati Rayudu. Even an out-of-form (Virender) Sehwag is more threatening. I still don’t know why Axar Patel is in the squad. They could have picked Amit Mishra or Piyush Chawla. The use of two new balls this World Cup is also a disadvantage. India cannot even handle one. That’s 30 overs of pure pace bowling! There is no Cheteshwar Pujara or Murali Vijay to anchor the innings like in Tests. Who will see off the shine?
Preety: Still, we have high expectations from M.S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli. I am slightly more hopeful. Ajinkya Rahane is also there.
Sarah: I recently wrote an article on why Dhoni is no longer the finisher he was. His average and strike rate has fallen, but then you just need to win three matches. 
Avinandan: But we have to get there. I also feel since they have been away from home for so long, the freshness is missing. And though they have been playing on those pitches in the last three months, the records are abysmal. 

DHONI, THE CAPTAIN
Avinandan: I don’t see Dhoni winning the World Cup single-handedly. One player cannot win a tournament. 
Preety: Dhoni retired from Test cricket in December. Now he is completely focused on the Cup. 
Avinandan: Wasim Akram has been saying this for the past three years… no one in the team speaks to the bowlers. 
Sarah: Virat Kohli was so encouraging. Whatever little hopes I had on Dhoni, all evaporated in the recently concluded tri-series in Australia. Against both England and Australia, Dhoni just could not capitalise and the momentum was lost. 
Avinandan: In 2011, he had the firepower to win. 
Sarah: And, it was played in home conditions. What we forget is Gautam Gambhir’s 97 without which we wouldn’t have won.
Avinandan: When Sourav Ganguly was the captain, the onus was on his performance because he used to open. In case of Dhoni, even when the team is losing, there is not too much focus on his batting, but I think he is a very good captain. He keeps his calm. Even if we lose in the qualifying round, he’ll come back with a smile. 
Sarah: Now he has a daughter, so he has to come back with a smile! The team lacks the aggression of Kohli. 
Pinak: He needs to rein in his aggression though, but I don’t see him as the captain in 2015.

BATTING AND BOWLING
Avinandan: India doesn’t have options. 
Sarah: In the tri-series, when Rohit Sharma was injured and (Shikhar) Dhawan was in pathetic form, he played on because there was no one to open and Rahane was forced to open. That’s why I wanted Robin Uthappa to be there in the team.  
Avinandan: It’s not Team India, but Chennai Super Kings! 
Preety: I think Gautam Gambhir should have been there.
Avinandan: I would have gone for Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara keeping in mind the conditions. We need someone to see off the first 10 overs and then may be Kohli can come and smack it.
Sarah: I have noticed that every alternate World Cup, India’s performance fluctuates.
Pinak: If I were to be biased, I would pick Yuvraj Singh. Look at how he plays… standing and hitting sixes and make them look beautiful. Amit Mishra would have been a very good addition. 
Avinandan: Rahane and Kohli can at least play on bouncy pitches, but someone like Dhawan is not technically correct. Rohit Sharma’s big knocks have been in India. Obviously, if we were playing in the subcontinent, we would have a better chance. 
Pinak: There is that pressure of retaining the World Cup. Virat Kohli, yes, may be… Suresh Raina and Rahane, may be… other than that… Dhawan, no way. Dhoni should promote himself. 
Avinandan: India will be playing both Jadeja and R. Ashwin. So, Dhoni has to bat up the order.
Sarah: Most of his memorable knocks have been between number 3 and 5. 

THE HEROES
Pinak: Virat Kohli. He has to play, otherwise we are screwed.
Preety: All eyes would be on Virat Kohli.
Sarah: I wouldn’t put too much pressure on Virat Kohli, but I want him to play well. Other than him, I think Rahane...
Avinandan: Suresh Raina can be a big factor. Ravindra Jadeja bowls really slow and can take some crucial wickets. 

THE VILLAINS
Pinak: Shikhar Dhawan. And except for Umesh Yadav, all the other bowlers will be villains. 
Sarah: Even he is inconsistent. 
Avinandan: The openers… the foundation won’t be firm. 
Preety: Stuart Binny.
Avinandan: Binny is selector’s quota, but I believe he can be handy with his in-swingers and he can bat too. 

2011 MEMORIES
Avinandan: I have more memories of the 2003 World Cup. Defeating Australia in the quarter-finals was more satisfying for me. In 2011, it would be that moment when they lifted the Cup. Dhoni handed it over to the others instead of hogging the limelight. That was a great gesture.   
Sarah: Kohli’s remark about Tendulkar: ‘He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years so its time we carried him on our shoulders!’ The Kohli-Gambhir partnership was also memorable. 
Pinak: Sachin Tendulkar crying. 
Preety: The last six by Dhoni and Kohli’s comment about Sachin. 

INDIA VS PAKISTAN
Preety, Sarah, Avinandan and Pinak: India will win (unanimously)
Preety: I read somewhere that all the tickets were sold out within the first 12 minutes! 
Sarah: Friends are coming over for a sleepover. 
Avinandan: A post on Facebook read: ‘Boys wait for 14th. Real men wait for the 15th’. 
Pinak: I’ll watch the live streaming with my flatmates. 

DARK HORSE
Pinak: New Zealand.
Avinandan: New Zealand.
Preety: Sri Lanka.  
Sarah: New Zealand.

DREAM FINAL
Avinandan: India vs Australia.
Pinak: India vs South Africa, but I would be scared to watch the match because of AB de Villiers. 
Preety: India vs Pakistan, or India vs Australia. 
Sarah: India vs South Africa with India winning! 
Pinak: India winning? Wow! 
Avinandan: It is a dream after all.... South Africa is the most balanced and Australia the best. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Pinak: AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn. Quinton de Kock will be a surprise. 
Sarah: Kane Williamson.
Avinandan: Steven Finn, Andre Russell.
Preety: AB de Villiers.

LAST WORD
Pinak: Don’t take pressure because we are faltering already. If we take too much pressure then we could fall to depths unknown. 
Avinandan: Fight well. We would loved to be proved wrong, Team India.  
Preety: I wish them all the best. I think they will make it till the semis.
Sarah: According to my calculation, they face Australia in the semis. No chance, but I hope. After all, #wewillgiveitback is trending more.

Saionee Chakraborty of t2 sat in on the chat