Calcutta: Mohinder 'Jimmy' Amarnath loves Virat Kohli's aggression and wants the Test captain to bat at No.3 in the World Cup. One of the architects of India's World Cup win in 1983, Amarnath feels Virat "should also lead in ODIs".

He along with Gary Kirsten took part in Two Legends Talking Cricket, presented by Royal Stag in association with The Telegraph, at the CCFC on Saturday.

"The man in form should always bat higher up the order. Considering the form that Virat is in, he should ideally come in at No.3. He is similar in his style to Ricky Ponting, he is aggressive and ready to take the challenge and perform under pressure," said Amarnath, who was the Man of the Match in the semi-final and final during India's successful campaign in 1983.

"Going into the tournament as the defending champions is always hard and tough, but then it all depends on how the team performs. What matters is having faith in your abilities and performing," said Amarnath.

"The problem which the Indians are facing both in batting and bowling is that they haven't yet come to terms with the nature of the wicket although they have been in Australia for over two months now.

"The only two players who have performed well so far are Virat and Ajinkya Rahane, while the others have been struggling. They are still to judge the bounce of the wicket...

"They are trying to play shots the way they play in the subcontinent where the bounce is low. In Australia the bounce is higher and the ball comes higher on to the bat... So the batsmen will have to make the adjustments," explained Amarnath.

"Virat is the key from India's point of view. The way he is batting, his approach, the way he understands the situation and reacts that is the key.

"In this series as well in England he adjusted very quickly. Definitely Kohli is the key but that doesn't mean you are going to win the World Cup depending only on him. Everybody has to contribute."

Amarnath feels India's performance will depend on the wickets.

"India's strength has always been spin and it will certainly be crucial how the spinners perform. With the wickets holding firm and modern spinners bowling flat and fast, they won't get much purchase from the wicket. But I think the selectors missed out by not opting for a leg spinner.

They should have picked Amit Mishra as leg spin can play a part on Australian wickets. Remember during the 1984-85 World Championship of Cricket, Laxman Shivaramakrishnan played a crucial role."

"The key to success for India in the knockouts will be the venue and the opponent.

"They will have the upper hand if they play on wickets which are slow and with low bounce. The spinners will hold the key for India. With the two balls now in use in one-dayers, the ball will remain hard. India will do well if the wickets favour us."

The former national selector feels Stuart Binny fits in well in the side as an all-rounder.

"While Stuart is a better batsman that his father, Roger definitely was a better bowler. So Stuart is a kind of mixture of both. Stuart is trying to emulate his father well in some ways. Every game is important and you've got to perform. "

Amarnath is against including any injured player in the side.

"It is definitely better to go with a fully-fit team than a half fit side. Players who are not fit should have been sent back. I hope all the players in the Indian team get fully fit by the time the tournament starts."

He's also not against players having wives and girlfriends on tours and during the World Cup.

"It doesn't make much of a difference. Once you cross the rope, your mindset is different. You don't need to remind anyone about your responsibility... Remember things can go haywire when there are too many restrictions in place.

"I'm not concerned about what happens off the field. It's your life. It's important to perform on the field. How you perform should be the yardstick.