7 reasons why India are the most well-placed team in World Cup 2015

India’s defence of cricket’s premier crown has been so unbelievably solid that it’s sent 17% of the global population into a state of ecstasy. Written off at the start of the tournament, as nothing more than dark horses due to the conditions, the Men in Blue have defied all expectations with convincing victories over Pakistan and South Africa in their opening two games and made a strong statement to all and sundry.Here are seven factors which make India the most impressive and best-placed team in the World Cup so far:

#1 Solid backbone

Four of the top order batsmen – namely Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Ajinkya Rahane - have scored big, decisive runs in the first two games, which should hold India in good stead come the latter stages of the tournament. Each of those innings were timed to perfection, fresh in mind being Rahane’s gem which took the game by the scruff of the neck and sent the Proteas into disarray.

More than the runs, it’s the simplicity with which the batsmen have accumulated the runs that has stood out. Even after losing a wicket early on both occasions, they didn’t panic or go for airy shots and steadily accelerated. Both Pakistan and South Africa had put pressure on themselves to make early inroads and when that wasn’t happening, there was panic.

A perfect example of this being the case is the South Africa match at the MCG on Sunday. India were only 56/1 after 14 overs, yet South Africa, despite picking an extra pacer, were bowling spin from both ends. The form of the big four batsmen is a big tick on the checklist and fans now know that the probability of the much feared early collapse is very low. Fans also know that it’s a matter of time before Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni strike form, especially with four relatively easy group games coming up.