Most people die of their remedies and not their illnesses. India captain MS Dhoni’s remedies are worse than his team’s illness.

Answer me this -- why should the best batting side in world cricket, after winning the toss on a bone-dry surface, be in a dilemma and bat second? Can they, by putting extra pressure on their batting, camouflage the stark truth about the weakness in their bowling? All they have managed to do now is put pressure on both their batting as well as their bowling.

The biggest advantage for India in the first two games was that their meagre bowling resources looked more potent, simply because they batted first. But that is not the true picture.

Being a leg-spinner does not guarantee one a place in the side. On a track where the part-timers had developed teeth, Piyush Chawla’s performance not worth a straw. In environs conducive to spin, where most bowlers did not allow over 30 runs in their overs, this leggie went for 56 runs off eight overs.

Bowling on a turning track is an art. Why was Yuvraj Singh more successful? Because he didn’t turn the ball that much and made the batsmen play. The goal is far more alluring, much bigger in the mental horizon but it is the means that take you there that are more important. The root cause of India’s troubles is weak bowling and they need to strengthen it rather than cover it up.

Also, how are the surfaces going to help? There has been a dramatic turnaround in the tournament and suddenly a total of 171 posted by England against South Africa looked competitive and the spinners developed incisive cutting edge. But again, creating conditions will never help if you don’t have the resources to exploit them.

There are two things certain in life - death and taxes. To me, it is also certain that Chawla should not play anymore. Dhoni has to make his defence bigger and locks stronger. You can’t prevent trouble from coming but you need not give it a chair to sit in. The only option in the spin department is bowling R. Ashwin. Dhoni has been unfair in keeping Chawla in the XI for a soft match, hoping that he comes good here. A wise man never refuses anything to necessity. Those who are in authority must not be influenced by private interests.

This is a wake-up call for Team India. Let Dhoni not have the ostrich mentality of burying his head and thinking the problem will solve itself. He is the best general who makes the fewest mistakes.

Taking an untrained army to war is like throwing it away. How do you explain Ashish Nehra, as delicate as a rose petal, being injured without playing a single game? Nehra has been in hibernation for the past two-three years and here comes a great opportunity for him and he is found wanting.

He should have a tag on his forehead ‘Fragile: Handle with care’. International cricket is about match-practice and fast bowling is about rhythm. No matter how much he bowls at the nets, Nehra needs to get this rhythm during a match, but there is always a question mark against his name which upsets the entire balance of side.

Also, a win against Ireland is no benchmark. The World Cup, as far as I am concerned, begins on March 22, with the quarter-finals. It is time India saw this truth and worked at winning when it really matters. 

Pallekele, March 7
Daniel Vettori's erratic New Zealanders will have their task cut out when they take on Pakistan in a group A encounter of the cricket World Cup, here tomorrow. The action now shifts from Kandy after four games at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo where three games will be played.

Pakistan are on top of group A having maintained an unbeaten run. The champions of 1992 edition have almost secured a berth in the last eight stage of the competition. However, Shahid Afridi's side will be looking to brush up a few areas before the knockout stage commences later this month.

Pakistan batsmen would like to put up a better show against New Zealand after their poor performance against Canada where they were shot out for a paltry 184. Facing an ordinary Canada attack, the much vaunted Pakistan batting line-up failed to deliver as none of their batsmen were able to score a half century.

In fact such inept was Pakistan's batting that they failed to utilise more than one over of the batting Powerplay. "We have struggled a bit with the batting Powerplay and we need to utilize that properly in the remaining games," vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq told the reporters here today.

It was captain Shahid Afridi whose second five-wicket haul in the tournament helped Pakistan skittle out Canada for 138. Afridi, who is now the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps will be keen to continue his good run. But the skipper would also like to make a significant contribution with the bat too.

New Zealand on the otherhand have had some contrasting performances in their three matches. While they thrashed both Zimbabwe and Kenya winning both matches by an identical 10- wicket margin, they were humbled by Australia in their second match which the defending champions won with 16 overs to spare.

Their form in ODIs however, in recent times has been patchy having suffered humiliating series defeats to India and Bangladesh in recent months.

The Kiwis' last series before the World Cup was against Pakistan and although they lost that series 2-3, captain Daniel Vettori was confident his side will do well against Afridi and Co. as they possess a fair idea what to expect from their opponents tomorrow. "Having played Pakistan in recent months is certainly an advantage," Vettori said.

The conditions in Kandy will also be to their liking as the wicket is expected to be faster than the ones in Colombo and Hambantota. "The surface looks faster than what we have been seeing in Sri Lanka before this game and we are looking forward for the game," Vettori added.

The problem with the New Zealand side has been their fragile middle-order where save Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor, there isn't much depth. James Franklin has now developed into a good one day batsman but his technique against good fast bowlers is still questionable. — PTI

Bangalore, March 7
India might have been made to toil hard by Ireland but coach Gary Kirsten is happy that his side has not got any "easy matches" so far in the World Cup as this has helped Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men get a hang of different situations.

India made heavy weather of what seemed to be a comfortable chase of 208 against the associate nation last night. India endured stiff tests even in their previous matches — against Bangladesh and England —winning the former and managing to tie the latter.

"It was important that we chased and got used to batting second and getting to understand what to do in different situations," said Kirsten.

"Two points is everything and we will face different challenges in different games, we don't want to have easy games all the way through," he added.

India are now up against another minnow, the Netherlands, on Wednesday and Kirsten said all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who picked up five wickets and scored and unbeaten 50 yesterday, has struck form just at the right time.

Melbourne, March 7
Ecstatic Australian batsman Mike Hussey today said it is a dream come true to make the country's World Cup squad after being initially overlooked due to injury. The 35-year-old left-hander was not part of the initial squad due to a hamstring injury but was called in after pacer Doug Bollinger was ruled out.

Hussey will fly off to the subcontinent tomorrow. "Just going is a bit of a dream come true but to actually be there as part of a winning Australian team would be out of this world, so let's hope," Hussey was quoted as saying by the 'Australian Associated Press'.

"I feel very excited and can't wait to get over there and catch up with the boys. I've had lots of messages from the boys already so I'm just excited to get over there really," he added. Hussey had been playing in the Sheffield Shield all this while and said he is feeling fit and confident about the big event now.

"The first innings I fielded in the slips for the whole innings so I didn't really have to test it too much but in the second innings the selectors actually did want me to have a bit of a run around in the field," Hussey said. "So I spoke to Northy (skipper Marcus North) and said 'do you mind if I have a run in the outfield?' And the more I was out and on it the better it felt and the more confidence I got with it. "It would have been nice to score more runs but just to be out there playing the game you love again is what it's all about," he added.

"Just knowing I can get through the game and know I can go full of confidence with the leg, that gives me a lot of confidence as well." Asked what he thought of Australia's World Cup chances, Hussey said the team looks confident in its quest for a record fourth successive title. — PTI

Chennai, March 7
England's World Cup campaign was today dealt a massive blow when star batsman Kevin Pietersen was ruled out of the event due to a hernia injury. Eoin Morgan has been named as replacement.Explosive right-hander Pietersen, who was recently promoted to the opening slot, was in discomfort during England's narrow six-run win over South Africa yesterday.

The England Cricket Board had earlier announced that Pietersen would undergo a hernia surgery after the team's World Cup campaign but the operation has been advanced now, a team spokesman said.

Pietersen's injury first came to light after the 1-6 ODI series loss to Australia before the World Cup.

Having the surgery after the World Cup, which ends on April 2, would have ruled him out of the Indian Premier League, starting just six days after the mega event. But advancing the procedure could see him turn up for his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Twenty20 league.

His replacement Morgan would be coming in after nursing a finger injury but given that he is a middle-order batsman, Jonathan Trott or Ian Bell could be promoted to the opening slot to partner skipper Andrew Strauss.

England have endured a roller-coaster World Cup so far, beating the Netherlands, tying a thriller against India, losing to minnows Ireland before getting the better of South Africa in another humdinger. They will now travel to Chittagong to face co-hosts Bangladesh on Friday. — PTI

New Delhi, March 7
India's All India Amateur champion Gauri Monga, Vani Kapoor and 12-year-old Aditi Ashok, one of the youngest-ever players in the history of the tournament, will rub shoulders with the best amateur women golfers in the region at the 33rd edition of the Queen Sirikit Cup.

The Indian trio will be pitted against golfers from 13 others countries at the Delhi Golf Club from Wednesday to Friday. The formal opening ceremony will be held tomorrow, when the Am-Am will also be played.

Gauri and Vani are both 17, while Aditi, who edged out Meher Atwal for the third berth, is just 12. Kiwi Lydia Ko was 12 when she played the event last year. Lydia Ko now 13 is back for the event this year.

"It will be a great experience to play with the best in the region," said the tall Gauri, who has ambitions of playing professional golf at the highest level.

Gauri, who played the 2009 Sirikit Cup, missed out on the 2010 Asian Games, has won six of the seven events she has played since September and is ranked No. 1 amateur in India. — PTI

Nagpur, March 7
South African captain Graeme Smith is in no mood to accept that his side choked against England and today backed the team to bounce back in the World Cup.

"I believe in this team...we have the opportunity to shape today & tomorrow and we will be there when it counts. Thanx to our loyal supporters," said Smith on social networking side 'Twitter'.

"One thing is for sure ... I'm not gonna admit to people's agendas ... this team has something," he wrote.

Yesterday, Smith hit back at claims that his side had "choked" once again after a dramatic six-run loss to England in Chennai.

Needing just 172 to win, they were cruising at 124 for three in the 32nd over but were reduced to 127 for seven in the 37th over before being all out for 165. — PTI

Inter Milan's Brasilian coach Leonardo (C) celebrates with his players after their win over Genoa in the Serie A match in Milan's San Siro Stadium on Sunday . — AFP

Rome, March 7
A blazing second-half performance saw Inter Milan come back from a goal down to crush Genoa 5-2 at the San Siro and stay five points behind Serie A leaders AC Milan on a day when Lazio beat Palermo to move within two points of goalless Napoli.

A brace from the brilliant Samuel Eto'o and one goal each from Giampaolo Pazzini, Goran Pandev and Yuto Nagatomo yesterday - all in the second half, cancelled out Rodrigo Palacio's 40th-minute opener for Genoa before the visitors scored a last-minute consolation through Mauro Boselli.

Inter coach Leonardo, who had witnessed Milan's 1-0 win at Juventus on Saturday night, was beaming at the final whistle.

"It was not easy against their five defenders but after Pazzini's goal it all opened up and it was a joy to watch", said the former Milan coach before turning his attention towards the potentially scudetto-deciding Milan derby in early April. — AFP