India is on top of Group B; it is knocking a few cottages down but it is huffing and puffing to do it. They say at Wimbledon that a few tough early rounds are good for you and if that is the case it must augur well for India. But to go the distance it must get a decent new ball attack going (and that need not necessarily mean two fast bowlers as we now know!) and fielders in the deep must be convinced that a run can be saved when the ball is hit in their direction.

But it is not all darkness and gloom. Indeed, in spite of centuries from Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag earlier in the tournament, the biggest plus has been the form of Yuvraj Singh. As you enter the knockouts, you need match-winners to be in good touch and Yuvraj is coming along quite well now, rising to the second spot behind Sehwag in the Indian team on the Castrol Index.

To be honest, I am more enthused by his batting than his bowling because that is his stronger arm – as is reflected by the Castrol Index where