Don't fear defeat

And so an event designed to keep the hosts in contention for as long as possible finally kicks off. It was about time the cricket started and performances replaced speculation, for it is going to be a long tournament and there will be days when it will seem longer. But it is not unnatural to keep commercial considerations in mind. Even the best movies need a release, the best books on philosophy are put on the market.

The World Cup begins with a game that will reveal the confidence two of the hosts are taking into the tournament. The pressure will impact both, and unlike in earlier times, turning up is no longer a celebration for Bangladesh. Their recent results, especially at home, have been encouraging. They have a couple of very skilled players and a few others capable of turning in inspired performances. But I suspect their rivals in this first game will not be India but the fear of expectation in their own camp.

Teams that don't win too often quickly discover that being the underdog is a cosy little place to inhabit, that the nothing-to-lose situation allows every performance to be seen in a positive light. And so even if you don't win, there is something to celebrate. But Bangladesh at this World Cup have moved past that stage in the eyes of the cricket world, but more crucially in the eyes of their own supporters. Now a gallant performance in a losing cause will no longer have the romance it earlier did, the fans will want a win.

I will be very interested in seeing how Bangladesh respond to that situation. They could either use it as an expression of confidence, as the biggest opportunity in their cricket, and swagger out or they could be crushed by it, only taking tentative steps. If they fear defeat they will find it galloping towards them. It will test their attitude, and most important, it will test their leadership, because not qualifying for the quarter-final will be seen as a major blow.

India's attitude to the first game will be just as revealing. In the minds of many in the media this could be a banana-skin game: a tricky opener against a side that capsized them in 2007. If India's cricketers look upon it this way, they could be in trouble because hurtful prophecies can be self-fulfilling if you believe they can occur. Wasim Akram told me once about the final of 1999, where the side was too concerned with what would happen if they lost. India must tell themselves that if they desire to win the World Cup, the opener against Bangladesh can be no more than a necessary pit stop. Accordingly India need not just to win but to win in style to send a message to everyone else.

Virender Sehwag will, therefore, be India's player to watch, because, among other things, he doesn't let the situation get to him. He's at last had a decent run in one-day cricket (average 43 in his last 17 games), the kind that does his ability some justice (a career average of 34 as an opener is indicative of a lesser player). And the fact that he wants to bat through the innings is a very good sign, for he is not someone who needs to worry too much about run-rate. I also believe that an in-form Sehwag will leave Tendulkar to do what he likes best: play at his pace and produce the solidity that this dashing side really needs.

Bangladesh will prepare slow, low pitches, for they have the bowlers to exploit those. Over a long period playing only on surfaces like those can be limiting, but at the World Cup there is an objective to be met and this is the best path towards meeting it. Their best chance is to bat first and constrict the opposition with their left-arm spinners. It is the kind of game they play well, and for the opposition, something that must be denied them. Expect, then, the new-ball bowlers to come under attack.

It promises to be a good first match for a World Cup that could do with a good first match.