India start World Cup campaign on perfect note: Sohail

Karachi, Feb 20 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain and chiefselector Aamir Sohail feels that India have made a perfectstart to their cricket World Cup campaign and given a greatexample of their batting strength in the opening match againstBangladesh.

India brushed aside co-hosts Bangladesh by 87 runsyesterday after scoring a massive 370 for four including amasterful 175 from Virender Sehwag and 100 not out by ViratKohli, with the pair putting on a 203-run partnership for thethird wicket.

Sohail said that Bangladesh had lost the match at thetoss having succumbed to the pressure of the occasion and theexpectations of their partisan home crowd.

Sohail in his column for ''The News'' daily warned that theteams who have yet to play India can only hope to upset theWorld Cup favourites by restricting them to around 270 or 280.

"If the teams who are yet to come up against India find away to restrict their batting to around the 280 mark, Istrongly believe they can upset the favourites," Sohail said.

"If you look at the Indian side closely, you will findthey need to improve their fielding and on occasions thebowling can be vulnerable on a decent pitch where they couldgo for runs," he said.

Sohail said that after being put into bat, the Indiansstarted off like champions putting Bangladesh to the sword bygathering quick runs and proving captain Shakib''s decisionincorrect.

"Virender Sehwag who recently said that he would belooking to bat for the full 50 overs, made his intent clear byplaying some exquisite strokes and settled down to gathersingles with his partners, before a mix-up with SachinTendulkar saw the little master run out by the length of thewicket.

"The loss of his partner did not pressurise Sehwag as hetook on the responsibility to produce a workman like effort inall respects, perfectly knowing when to rotate the strike tothe younger mates, and hold back and then when to step up thetempo," Sohail noted. (More) PTI Corr SHN