It's Super Sunday as Team India takes on England

It definitely promises to be a Super Sunday only if weather gods permit. There is a forecast of rain which may prove to be a dampener as it features one of the strong title contenders, India who is taking on their former rulers, England. A lot has transpired since those days of British raj. Being a former colony of the former British empire, India has been in tremendous form over the past year and half.

Coming back to cricket, England has been in indifferent form off late as they lost to resurgent Australians in the recently concluded ODI series. But England has been traditional underachievers in the world of cricket. Even though they had invented the game, but it is mastered by other teams.

This crucial encounter will be played in front of several thousands of vociferous Indian spectators cheering on their cricketing heroes. Besides this obvious home advantage, India has a perfect blenf of experience and youth in their ranks to rankle even the toughest of opponents.

Any team which boasts of Little Master, Sachin R. Tendulkar, marauding Virender Sehwag, tenacious Gautam Gambhir, flamboyant Yuvraj Singh, promising Virat Kohli, Captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni, explosive Yusuf Pathan, lion hearted Harbhajan Singh, wily Zaheer Khan, frugal Munaf Patel and talented leg spinner Piyush Chawla. Even if 5 of these supremely gifted cricketers click in their respective departments of batting and bowling, then India is going to impose themselves on this English side.

This time around, England have a good unit consisting of talented players like Kevin Pietersen, their captain Andrew Strauss, experienced Paul Collingwood, James Anderson and Stuart Broad in their ranks to give team India a run for their money. But given the strengths of both the team, India are firm favourites though this English can give them a jitter or two.

Tomorrow's big clash promises to be a humdinger as it has all the ingredients of being a nail biter if both team play to their potential. Although I would stick my neck out and say that given the talent and wealth of experience, team India is ahead of this good English side.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for Sehwaag's dhamaaka and Sachin Tendulkar's magic! My heart and mind both unanimously expects Team India to come up with a superlative performance. Come on Team India, make us proud!

Hot favourites India takes on minnows Bangladesh in the World Cup, 2011 opener!

The countdown to the world's premiere cricket tournament, ICC Cricket World cup, 2011,has well and truly begun.With less than a day remaining when two host nations, title contenders, India takes on minnow, Bangladesh in their own den. If yesterday's opening ceremony left you bewildered, then saturday's clash is going to be feast for senses. It's going to be a carnival atmosphere as home side takes on formidable neighbours, India.

Before we get down to analysing tomorrow's teams. It seems to be a clash between the David in Bangladesh against Goliath in India. But in cricket, everything changes with the blink of your eyes. You blink and you will miss it moments are what makes this gentlemans' game so exciting!

India will start as firm favourites tomorrow with the some of the legends of the game take the field. To start with batting line up, it does not get any bigger than the name of the world's best batsman for over two decades, Sachin R. Tendulkar. Along side the master, blaster in Virender Sehwag is one of the most destructive opening batsmen will open the innings to give India an early impetus. If these two superstars are in the mood, vociferous Bangladeshi supporters will go mute. But at the same time, they will simply entertained by two legends of world cricket.

If at all Bangladesh get rid of either or both of these stalwarts, then tenacious Gautam Gambhir will look to play the sheet anchors' role to perfection. After Gautam Gambhir, India will look to play another dashing batsman in Yuvraj Singh who is expected to end his lean patch in this world cup. If he gets going, there is going to be fireworks and huge Bangladeshi crowd will be treated with exhilarating stroke play.

Besides Yuvraj Singh, there is a talented youngster in Virat Kohli who will be looking to make a mark in world cricket when he plays his first world cup match tomorrow. It's going to be a big occasion for him to represent India at the World Cup. His consistency and rich veinf of form will give that extra motivation and confidence to put his best foot forward.

Bangladesh team is still not done with batting machine of India. After Virat, they will have to contend with Captain Cool, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is a proven match winner himself. He can be deadly with a willow in his hands as well. If situation demands him to play a grafting innings, he can do it equally well. He is definitely one of the men in crisis for Team India. Bangladesh team must watch out for his explosive batting.

If Bangladesh thought that they have got rid of India's batting machine, then explosive Yusuf Pathan comes to the crease. If Yusuf gets hang of the Bangladeshi bowlers, they will be staring at a huge score for sure!

India is not a superior bowling side but a good bowling attack after taking subcontinental pitch conditions into account. They do possess two supremely gifted bowlers in pace spearhead, Zaheer Khan and ace spinner in Harbhajan Singh. They will be backed by mercurial yet gifted Sreesanth.

Indian thinktank will look to play a seamer in Munaf Patel who is known for his accurate bowling as he is in good rythm offlate. Fourth bowler will be either Piyush Chawla or Ravichandran Ashwin. Both of them are going to be more than handy given the spinner friendly conditions. Captain Dhoni will be tempted to play both of them for sure!

India traditionally had a problem with 5 bowler. But this time around, it's going to be a different story. India will be cheered on by billion spectators who will encourage the team to uplift their game in tense situations.

I am getting a sneaky feeling that India is going to sound an alarm warning tomorrow for their nearest rivals in this competition. With the kind of arsenal which Team India possesses, I predict a win for the side. Come on India! Yes we can!