India have momentum to sweep Bangladesh aside in Cricket World Cup
Skipper Dhoni leads favourites - with unbeaten record in group matches - into clash against first-timers, who are not lacking in confidence
Defending champions India steam into Thursday's quarter-final against first-timers Bangladesh with the momentum of an unbeaten six-game pool run as the World Cup becomes cut-throat.
India have reached the knockout rounds in unexpected ebullient form after their dismal winless test and one-day tour of Australia just prior to the World Cup. They join New Zealand as the only unbeaten teams left.
It would be a considerable upset if ninth-ranked Bangladesh, who muddled through most of last year beating only Zimbabwe in tests or ODIs, can dethrone the champions.
On pen and paper, India is a better team than Bangladesh, no one has any doubt about it. But on the day it's a one-off game and if we have a good day and they have a bad day, you never know
Bangladesh can count among their three wins in 28 ODI encounters against their neighbours an upset five-wicket victory in the pool stages at the 2007 tournament in the West Indies.
Given the atmospherics and in the vast intimidating arena of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, it will be some effort from the Bangladeshis to repeat that. But they say in a one-off match, there is no second chance and things might fall into place.
India have been transformed by the batting of Shikhar Dhawan (337 at 56.16) and Virat Kohli (301 at 75.25), while Mahendra Singh Dhoni has regained his touch as a clear-thinking finisher allied to his steely leadership.
India's bowlers struggled for two months in Australia before the World Cup, but have dismissed the opposition in every single World Cup game so far, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav all into double figures of wickets.
Plenty of India's players are contributing and therein lies Bangladesh's stiff task of pulling off their finest victory at the MCG.