M.S. Dhoni, the India captain, has said performing under pressure has become India's strength and that will hold them in good stead for the World Cup where he admitted expectations will be high.
"What we have done in the last three years is that we have changed the meaning of pressure to responsibility and we take it as an added responsibility," Dhoni said. "Cricket is the biggest sport in India and it is widely followed. Everybody wants us to do well and we take that in a positive way. We just stick to the basics, prepare well for the game and at the end of the day we know we have got the potential to do well on the field."
One of the questions facing the India team, who play their first match on February 19 against Bangladesh, is how they will deal with the pressure of being tournament hosts along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India have failed to get past the semi-final stage in previous World Cups played on home soil. But Dhoni said he was concentrating just on the preparation. "I am ready to prepare well for the World Cup and that is what is in my hands right now."
Dhoni dodged the question of whether India were favourites for the tournament by saying: "For a change we won't be considered underdogs." He stuck to what has become almost a mantra for him in his time as captain in saying "processes" would take precedence over results. "I never predict much when it comes to cricket. We believe in each of us, and the support staff members are also there to help us. We believe in doing the process, so I have no prediction about the World Cup and we will just give it our best shot."
A day after England batsman Kevin Pietersen termed his side's hectic schedule leading up to the World Cup as 'ridiculous', Dhoni admitted arriving at a balanced schedule was difficult. "The biggest thing in cricket is that we do criticise a lot. When we lose a game, even I have said in the past that we play too much cricket. To get the perfect balance is a very difficult task because there is a very thin line and it is not like technology where we can be close to perfection. It is an issue that will always be raised that either it will be a cramped schedule or there is too long a gap between games."
India have selected seven batsmen, four seamers, three spinners and just one wicketkeeper in their 15-man squad for the World Cup, and Dhoni said there were always players bound to miss out when you have to pick just 15 players. "We have tried to keep the best squad but you can't accommodate everyone. You can only select 15 players, so you may miss some players who are key in some areas like a left-arm spinner or maybe a legspinner. It will always be a point of discussion, but what is important is that the 15 players who are selected right now make an impact on the World Cup."
Dhoni said he wasn't thinking about the disappointing loss to Bangladesh - who are India's first opponents in the 2011 tournament - in the 2007 World Cup. "I am certainly thinking about the match [against Bangladesh] positively. We may have lost in 2007, but there are plenty of positives that we can look for like the 2003 World Cup and the entire tournament we played then.
"As far as the gaps between the games are concerned, we all know that it is there so what is best for us is to make a good plan to utilise it in the best possible manner. Of course, we play throughout the year, which means that in between these tense games the players will get time to relax themselves and at the same time if there are some niggles you can get over it.
"It is the biggest tournament and it is the biggest thing that happens in cricket, so it is very important that you play with the best XI that your team has. You don't want to miss many players because of injuries."
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