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| Can India win the World T20 cricket tournament? | Can India win the World T20 cricket tournament? |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The question is a short one: Can India win the World T20? | The question is a short one: Can India win the World T20? |
| The answer is even shorter: Yes. | The answer is even shorter: Yes. |
| But such are the vagaries of the format that you can change the name of the team to Pakistan, England, South Africa, Australia, and the answer would remain the same. | But such are the vagaries of the format that you can change the name of the team to Pakistan, England, South Africa, Australia, and the answer would remain the same. |
| It is no coincidence that the first five editions of the tournament produced five different winners. | It is no coincidence that the first five editions of the tournament produced five different winners. |
| The shorter the game, the greater the chances of it becoming a lottery. | The shorter the game, the greater the chances of it becoming a lottery. |
| It would be wonderful to see Bangladesh, one of the most passionate cricketing nations on earth, win this tournament. | It would be wonderful to see Bangladesh, one of the most passionate cricketing nations on earth, win this tournament. |
| The hurdle for lower-ranked teams is not that they cannot beat the top ones. It is that they will struggle to do so consistently. | The hurdle for lower-ranked teams is not that they cannot beat the top ones. It is that they will struggle to do so consistently. |
| Bangladesh, for example, can qualify from Group A, but then in the "Super 10" they will be in the group with Australia, India, New Zealand and Pakistan. | Bangladesh, for example, can qualify from Group A, but then in the "Super 10" they will be in the group with Australia, India, New Zealand and Pakistan. |
| They will have to win two matches and hope for results favourable to them from the others, as two teams progress to the semi-finals. | They will have to win two matches and hope for results favourable to them from the others, as two teams progress to the semi-finals. |
| The other eight teams have all either won or been in the finals of World Cup events. That kind of experience cannot be easily countered. | The other eight teams have all either won or been in the finals of World Cup events. That kind of experience cannot be easily countered. |
| India are best qualified to win in India, although that line of argument didn't get them anywhere in 1987 or 1996 when the 50-over World Cup was played there. The pressure of playing at home got to them each time. The jinx was finally broken in 2011. | India are best qualified to win in India, although that line of argument didn't get them anywhere in 1987 or 1996 when the 50-over World Cup was played there. The pressure of playing at home got to them each time. The jinx was finally broken in 2011. |
| If India are to win the World T20, they will have to break another jinx. No host country has ever won the title. | If India are to win the World T20, they will have to break another jinx. No host country has ever won the title. |
| Still, India go into the tournament overwhelming favourites. They are the International Cricket Council's number one team, and have no discernible weaknesses. | Still, India go into the tournament overwhelming favourites. They are the International Cricket Council's number one team, and have no discernible weaknesses. |
| The team is well balanced. Their one worry, Yuvraj Singh in the middle order, has been given the time and space to play himself back into form. | The team is well balanced. Their one worry, Yuvraj Singh in the middle order, has been given the time and space to play himself back into form. |
| Perhaps Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order needs to find his touch. But that is being greedy, since his partner Rohit Sharma has been batting like a dream, topped only by the command and authority that Virat Kohli has brought to the crease. | Perhaps Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order needs to find his touch. But that is being greedy, since his partner Rohit Sharma has been batting like a dream, topped only by the command and authority that Virat Kohli has brought to the crease. |
| Kohli showed in his innings of 49 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup - as India were chasing 84 - that he has plugged some of the technical shortcomings so ruthlessly exposed by bowlers in England. | Kohli showed in his innings of 49 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup - as India were chasing 84 - that he has plugged some of the technical shortcomings so ruthlessly exposed by bowlers in England. |
| He also keeps demonstrating that runs can be made in the format while playing an orthodox game without succumbing to desperate hitting or ugly, everything-goes batsmanship. | He also keeps demonstrating that runs can be made in the format while playing an orthodox game without succumbing to desperate hitting or ugly, everything-goes batsmanship. |
| That India could do without Manish Pandey, brilliant fielder and maker of a one-day international century in Australia, is testimony to the depth in their batting, where apart from Kohli, Suresh Raina is in the Top 5 in the world. | |
| With the discovery of Jasprit Bumrah and the rediscovery of Ashish Nehra, the bowling looks capable of taking early wickets as well as restricting runs. | With the discovery of Jasprit Bumrah and the rediscovery of Ashish Nehra, the bowling looks capable of taking early wickets as well as restricting runs. |
| Bumrah has learnt the art of bowling the telling yorker from the master himself, Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga who is a teammate at Mumbai Indians in the IPL, and has emerged more confident and aggressive. | Bumrah has learnt the art of bowling the telling yorker from the master himself, Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga who is a teammate at Mumbai Indians in the IPL, and has emerged more confident and aggressive. |
| There is also Mohammed Shami, out of action for a while, and India's best in this format. | There is also Mohammed Shami, out of action for a while, and India's best in this format. |
| Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have the problem of too much choice, which is the best kind of headache to have. | Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have the problem of too much choice, which is the best kind of headache to have. |
| The search for a medium pacer who can bat yielded Hardik Pandya, and surely that is a bonus. | The search for a medium pacer who can bat yielded Hardik Pandya, and surely that is a bonus. |
| India's main bowlers will continue to be the spinners Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. | India's main bowlers will continue to be the spinners Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. |
| There is a balance in the team which makes it superior to the one which won the inaugural World Cup in 2007. | There is a balance in the team which makes it superior to the one which won the inaugural World Cup in 2007. |
| India were the least fancied to win then, as much for their public criticism of the format as for their dismissive attitude towards it. | India were the least fancied to win then, as much for their public criticism of the format as for their dismissive attitude towards it. |
| But it was a win which changed the face of modern cricket, giving birth to the India Premier League (IPL) and other leagues across the world, money undreamt of even a generation ago, and bringing to the format a respectability that only millions of dollars can. | But it was a win which changed the face of modern cricket, giving birth to the India Premier League (IPL) and other leagues across the world, money undreamt of even a generation ago, and bringing to the format a respectability that only millions of dollars can. |
| In 2011, the Indian team went into the World Cup saying they wanted to "win it for Sachin". That was clearly going to be Sachin Tendulkar's final World Cup. | In 2011, the Indian team went into the World Cup saying they wanted to "win it for Sachin". That was clearly going to be Sachin Tendulkar's final World Cup. |
| If players feel they should win it for Dhoni this time, it wouldn't be out of place. | If players feel they should win it for Dhoni this time, it wouldn't be out of place. |
| Suresh Menon is Editor, Wisden India Almanack, and Contributing Editor, The Hindu | Suresh Menon is Editor, Wisden India Almanack, and Contributing Editor, The Hindu |