BAN 283/9 (50.0 Ovs) vs IND 370/4 (50.0 Ovs)

That's it from all of us here. A massive win for India to kick start their WC campaign, while Bangladesh will have a lot to reflect upon before their next game. We have a double header tomorrow, New Zealand take on Kenya in the morning and Sri Lanka take on Canada in the second game. This is Ajith signing off on behalf of Pradeep, Sid V and Srivathsa. Cheers, good night and keep your frown upside down.
		Virender Sehwag: Yes, it was a good start. This was a revenge game and we did play well. When we came here, the press asked me about Bangladesh side and I told them that they are a good ODI side and we need to play well to win against them. Glad we did that. I was telling myself that I need to spend some time in the middle, thanks to my trainer and physio to get me fit for this game. Virat batted well and rotated the strike pretty well. Everybody has done well except Sreesanth, it happens.

India Open World Cup With Comprehensive Victory

Virender Sehwag broke a host of records and Virat Kohli also scored a century as India opened the Cricket World Cup 2011 in style with a 87-run win over Bangladesh.

Sehwag cracked 175 in 140 balls - a new career-best - while Kohli was unbeaten on exactly 100 as India set a new ground record in Mirpur of  370 for four to put fellow co-hosts Bangladesh in big trouble.

Bangladesh made a flying start to their run chase but were inevitably unable to maintain a scoring rate high enough to remain in contention, eventually closing on 283 for nine.

India, and Sehwag in particular, dominated from the first ball - literally, as Sehwag dismissed the tournament's first delivery for four - and he continued in the same vein, going on to hit 14 fours and five sixes in an outstanding innings.

BANGLADESH vs INDIA - Match scheduled to begin at 08:30 GMT

After weeks of being bombarded by what is certainly the biggest publicity campaign in the history of cricket World Cups, the reason for the hype and hoopla will get underway at Mirpur with two tournament hosts clashing in the opening match of the World Cup 2011.

On the one hand is India - in everybody's list as favourites, having assembled a star-studded line-up, the one-pointed focus of a billion hysterical dreams - and hopefully not feeling buried under the enormous pressure that was always going to be an inevitable by-product of playing the world's biggest tournament in front of the world's most passionate fans.

On the other hand are Bangladesh, who an impressive giant-killing resume in past World Cups, but remain the underdogs in the opening clash. Bangladesh beat Pakistan in 1999 - a win that led to their eventual Test status - but the victory that is going to be foremost on both teams' minds is the one that happened almost exactly four years ago. On 17th March 2007, Mashrafe Mortaza picked up 4/38, while Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib al Hasan all hit fifties to knock India out of the previous World Cup.

Cricket World Cup Preview - The Cup That Matters

Ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which begins tomorrow (19th February), let us begin with an obvious thought. Does One-Day International cricket entice fans the world over like it used to? When the tournament was last played in the West Indies in 2007, Twenty20 was only a fledgling. Much has changed since then; for good or for worse, the jury is still out on that one.

The balance has been altered though as we stand on the cusp of another quadrennial showpiece event. T20 is a behemoth now with all its leagues and ODIs have lost much of their sheen. So much so that their viability is questioned now. There is respectable doubt if they will at all make the 2015 event Down Under in their current form.

Cricket stands at a crossroad today faced with this inevitability. Beyond finding a solution to its intense problems of corruption and not so intense ones of correct umpiring decisions, a firm peek into what the future holds is necessary. A first answer to that being ODIs are the real money spinners for the ICC and indeed all the cricket playing nations. T20 as a shorter format is endearingly close to the masses but success of a sport is mostly measured in terms of the revenues it generates. All else pales in comparison and indeed it becomes tough to sustain the basic game itself if the money isn’t coming in.

Cricket World Cup 2011 Preview - The Outsiders

Let one begin by saying that the tag of minnows doesn’t really begin to do justice to Bangladesh. Forget all their struggles, for what is worth remembering most are their victories over India and South Africa in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

While the men in blue were sent packing, the Proteas were only saved because of the Super Eight format which allowed them to recover from the setback. Nevertheless it was an imposing performance and one which won’t allow any team to rest easy when they face up to the co-hosts in their own backyard this time around.

Of course, they are in the same group as India and South Africa, and those two sides will only be too wary of the risk inherent. And if they need any reminders, cricketers participating in this tournament only need to recall the fate of New Zealand earlier on in the season. The 4-0 scoreline alone didn’t raise eyebrows, for it was almost always thought that somehow the Kiwis will bounce back and take the ODI series. It was the manner in which they capitulated which marked not only the downfall of their cricket but alternatively also foretold the rise of the Bangladeshis. In any competition here on, they stand on level pegging with teams that have it in them to pull more than a surprise.

South Africa Hand Australia Heavy Defeat

South Africa confirmed that they go into the ICC Cricket World Cup in rude health after they produced a superb performance to defeat Australia by nine wickets in a warm-up game in Bangalore.

Dale Steyn and Robin Peterson both claimed three wickets as Australia were bowled out for 217 and South Africa, led by half-centuries from openers Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla, completed victory with more than five overs in hand.

Fast bowler Steyn had Shane Watson trapped in front for a duck and when opening partner Brad Haddin was run out without scoring, Australia were six for two.

Shehzad And Misbah See Pakistan Win Host

Twin centuries from Shehzad Ahmed and Misbah-ul-Haq put Pakistan in a position to beat Bangladesh by 89 runs in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 warm-up match in Dhaka.

Venue, which will host the opening match of the tournament on February 19 witness Pakistan rack up 285 for nine before Bangladesh was dismissed for a disappointing 196 in reply.

Shehzad, who scored his first One-Day International century, during a recent tour of New Zealand, stroked 103 122 balls as Pakistan took the loss of early wickets which left them 58 for three after 15 overs - Mohammad Hafeez (21), Kamran Akmal (1) and Younus Khan (5) interest rates.

Shehzad added 152 with Misbah for the fourth wicket, Misbah will reach 100 to 100 deliveries with eight fours and four sixes. Shehzad hit nine fours and a six.

Shahid Afridi (14) and Umar Gul (19) hit a drive late cameo from Bangladesh to Pakistan, despite Rubel Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan and taking three doors.

Bangladesh were changed immediately when Tamim Iqbal was drummer was shot by Abdul Razzaq for a golden duck and never quite recovered from losing a ball hammer first stop of their response.

Able to build partnerships through excellent bowling, Razzaq returned three for 31 by dismissing Shakib Al Hasan also (11) and Mohammad Ashraf (4).

Spinners Hafeez and Abdur Rehman grabbed a pair of wickets apiece and after Imrul Kayes (39) and Junaid Siddique (38) put on 71 for the second wicket, the batting fell away dramatically.

Only Raqibul Hasan, in at number nine as Bangladesh tried to salvage something late on, who hit 30, showed much resistance as Pakistan finished the innings in 41.4 overs.