At the start of the World Cup, defending champions India would have accepted gleefully the position they find themselves in - a quarter-final against Bangladesh, the lowest-ranked of the remaining eight teams, a side with medium-pacers and spinners that India's batsmen have found relatively easy to bully, a team without big-match experience, and a team with vulnerabilities outside the subcontinent. Ironically, Bangladesh would probably have accepted their position too. Though India, on current form, are superior in every aspect, their brand of cricket and their frailties are not unfamiliar to Bangladesh. It isn't South Africa, who are going to blow them away with extreme pace and bounce, or with muscular hitting. India's batsmen are better at what Bangladesh aim for - timing, using the pace of the ball, and wristwork - and India execute better in the field with a similar bowling formation to Bangladesh. There is no doubt about who the favourites are - Bangladesh a...
