DHAKA: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni insists his team will go into Saturday's World Cup opener against Bangladesh without the baggage of its humiliating loss in 2007. The high-profile Indians suffered a five-wicket defeat at Bangladesh's hands in their first match of the previous edition in the Caribbean, leading to the team's first round exit. But Dhoni, preparing for the day-night clash at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Dhaka, said the loss four years ago had not even crossed his mind in the past few years. “Frankly, I have never thought about it, but we obviously don't want a repeat,” said Dhoni, who was part of the 2007 squad which was led by Rahul Dravid and coached by Australian Greg Chappell. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, meanwhile, brushed aside fears saying his side was confident of doing well. “Our bowlers are in good form, the batsmen have been doing their job and our fielding has improved a lot,” Shakib told the crowded media conference. “This tournament is not only about playing India. We have six league matches to play and we have to perform in all of them. If we get our basics right, we will do well.” Dhoni said his team was in a better frame of mind going into the tournament, and insisted there was no additional pressure on the boys playing in the subcontinent. “Being a co-host will always bring a lot of expectations,” the wicketkeeper-batsman said. “But we do not get bogged down by expectations. The important thing is to do the process right.” India is the number one Test team in the International Cricket Council's official rankings, and is placed second behind Australia in one-day cricket. India has won 20 of its 22 one-day matches against the Tigers, but Dhoni refused to take another victory for granted. “Bangladesh is a good side with three very good left-arm spinners,” he said. “They rely a lot on spinners, especially in the subcontinent where slow bowlers get a lot of help.” Shakib also insisted his team will not be under pressure when it takes the field against Dhoni's men in front of some 25,000 partisan home fans. “The guys have played enough cricket to cope with the pressure,” he said. “We are not looking too far ahead. We will take it one game at a time and concentrate on the job at hand.” Shakib said it was good to start the tournament against the co-host. “I don't think it can get any better than this,” he said. “Playing a strong side like India has its advantages. We want to prove ourselves against the best.” India goes into the Cup opener on the back of two convincing morale-boosting wins over Australia and New Zealand in practice matches this week. “The tournament already started for us with those practice matches. We have picked up the intensity and now look forward to our next game,” he said. “Like any other team, we want to begin our campaign on a winning note.” Dhoni forecast a very successful tournament over the next six weeks. “If it is not successful in the subcontinent, it won't be successful anywhere,” he said. “One-day cricket is an ideal mix of Tests and Twenty20. These days not even 300 is a safe total.”
