Though they have a new captain and a mix of youth and experience, just as they did in 2005, India are unlikely to reach the dizzy heights they did last time round. Losses in England and Australia prior to the World Cup have dented their confidence; add to that an unsettled opening pair, lack of experienced spinners, a fast bowling unit that failed in Australia and a dismal fielding record, and the combination does not look match-winning.

India have never done well in Australia, failing to win any of the five Tests they played there since 1977 and losing all eight ODIs since 2006. They had the chance to see two World Cup venues - North Sydney Oval and Manuka Oval - when they toured in October 2008, but could not score more than 180 runs or take more than six wickets in any of the matches.

If they are to hope for a good show in the World Cup, India could do worse than looking back to their path of success in 2005. Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra, Amita Sharma and Rumeli Dhar were members of the squad that hadn't been given a chance of reaching the final. They were helped by two washed-out games but bounced back incredibly from a loss to New Zealand to beat the same opposition in the semi-final. India lost their openers for 38 but a 66-run stand between Raj and Chopra took them to an eventual total of 204. The target was modest but a run-out in the second over, followed by two wickets in four balls by Nooshin Al Khadeer put India firmly on top. The final was a forgettable affair for the Indians, but this time they will need a lot of inspiration just to get there.