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India are favourities to win the ICC World Cup tournament that will get underway on February 19.

While the co-hosts have a wealth of young talent, expected to do well on familiar sub-continental wickets, their fortunes will depend on how their four senior players perform. India will bank on these four aces to come to the party, if and when there’s a crisis, in the form of a batting collapse, or a long unbroken partnership by rival batsmen:

1. Sachin Tendulkar: With the departure of Rahul Dravid, Tendulkar is the only player with a solid defensive technique that could give his partner at the crease the luxury of going for his shots in the comfort that Sachin at the other end won’t throw away his wicket. And with the tendency of the Indian middle-order to wobble, when confronted by a competitive rival attack, this is a strategy that should assist India’s title bid this year.

2. Virendra Sehwag: Here’s a batsman who can win matches off his own bat, and is not subject to the pressures of ordinary players, irrespective of the situation. For instance, Sehwag was the only player who went for the target,in the 2003 World Cup final, when Australia set India 360 to win. And although India were bowled out in the 39th over, their run-rate was 6 an over, thanks to Sehwag’s blistering innings. While Sehwag is at the crease, rival bowlers worry about how long they are likely to be punished, because there’s only one way he plays, no matter what the situation. Sehwag is the ace you need when chasing an exceptionally big target because even a quick 50 from him can reduce the asking rate and make life easier for the others. And I have not even spoken about Sehwag’s usefulness as a bowler.

3. Harbhajan Singh: There’s a good reason why Harbhajan has kept his place in the Indian team despite being involved in several controversies. There’s no alternative to Bhajji in the spin department. Also, his fierce competitive spirit and his latter-day success with the bat make him an even more valuable player.

4. Zaheer Khan: I have always maintained that Zaheer is India’s most valuable player at this year’s world cup. But the bowler’s fitness is a worry, and if for any reason he is not fit to play in the knock out matches, from the quarter-finals onwards, India can bid goodbye to their world cup hopes. Without Zaheer, the bowling appears toothless. Nehra, the only other bowler who can lead the attack,is extremely inconsistent and has his own fitness worries. As for the rest, Praveen and Munaf play good supporting roles, at best. Especially on Indian flat-beds, the thought of Munaf’s 122 kmph missiles should have rival batsmen licking their lips in anticipation. So it should all boil down to how India play in their last three games. The Indian think tank should preserve Zaheer for those matches, and avoid playing him a

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be featuring fourteen teams and about 200 cricket players from around the world. It is the most in any world cup till date. However, the favorites this time are India, Sri Lanka Australia and South Africa, which are also expected to be as the ultimate semifinalists. England is also a probable semi-final team but the dates on which their matches are to be held are a little unfavorable to their plans and can be considered a bit of hard luck for the team. Still there is a good chance for them and we will hope for it to happen but still good signs are here and so let’s hope for the best.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be featuring fourteen teams and about 200 cricket players from around the world. It is the most in any world cup till date. However, the favorites this time are India, Sri Lanka Australia and South Africa, which are also expected to be as the ultimate semifinalists. England is also a probable semi-final team but the dates on which their matches are to be held are a little unfavorable to their plans and can be considered a bit of hard luck for the team. Still there is a good chance for them and we will hope for it to happen but still good signs are here and so let’s hope for the best.