DURBAN, (AP):
BOWLERS VS. BATSMEN, the Indian team is busy playing games. And anything other than cricket seems a welcome diversion.
A volleyball game at Kingsmead yesterday that pitted the lanky bowlers against the stockier batsmen seemed a mismatch, but that's what the Indians are expecting in the World Cup semi-final against minnows Kenya on Thursday.
Enjoying a height advantage, the bowlers dominated the net with flashing spikes and gave the batsmen a torrid time. All along the team officials were egging the batsmen to keep their focus and not get disenchanted.
Keeping focus during the five-day break between Super Six round and the semi-final is proving to be a tough test for coach John Wright, particularly as the semi-final rival is hardly one of the sport's heavyweights.
Bracing for their best show in two decades since Kapil Dev's team won the World Cup in 1983, the Indian players seem to be enjoying every moment of the spotlight being fixed on them.
The Indian dressing room is reflecting the upswing in the performance of a team that arrived in South Africa seven weeks ago fresh from a mauling in New Zealand and unsure of the future.
A dismal showing against the Netherlands and a nine-wicket loss to Australia had people rioting in the streets in India. The run of wins has pacified the supporters at home, and increased expectations of a World Cup win.
"The mood in the dressing room is upbeat, and its showing in our performance," says skipper Sourav Ganguly.
"Having a happy bunch of players helps lift their game."
The mood swing shows India's transformation from a struggling side at the start of the tournament to a team that goes into the semi-finals with seven successive victories.
"Making the semi-finals has brought us a step closer to every cricketer's ultimate dream," said Ganguly.
He said making the title round would be a 'huge thing' in itself. But the talk in the team camp is already about having a shot at the title.
Ganguly said India had played well so far, but it was important to 'keep firing away in the two most crucial matches to follow.'
All the Indian players were in school when India rose from no-hopers to win the World Cup two decades ago.
They've all got vivid memories of the nationwide celebrations that continued for months. A week from now, they could get transformed from cricketing heroes to the nation's most-prized jewels.
