Wikileaks: India’s team for the World Cup

On the back of some unexpected success from their part timers albeit against New Zealand, a document that reveals India’s starting XI for the World Cup has come to light. The thinking is obvious - pack the team with batsmen, though closer examination shows these are all batsmen who can bowl.

Apart from Gautam Gambhir, everyone who makes the final XI, including Dhoni will bowl. Gambhir himself made the team only after he bowled a few in the nets. With Rohit, Raina, Yusuf and Yuvi, India’s strategy is to stun the opposition into complacency. While more often than not, Yusuf takes a wicket in his first over, Raina is the partnership breaker, Rohit a relative unknown, and Yuvraj, the senior part timer. Together they will control the middle overs on the sub continent's slow and low wickets.

Plan B: In case the part timers are taken apart, there's Kohli or Sehwag, and when all else fails, there is Tendulkar.

India’s XI for the World Cup: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan.

While Zaks and Bhajji will open the bowling with their medium pacers, Dhoni will be first change with his seamers. The back-up keeper will be Kohli.