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CHENNAI: The skeletons had started to tumble out of the cupboard when Zaheer Khan struck. Devon Smith got out, the brittle West Indian middle-order crumbled, and India glossed over the flaws with an 80-run victory.

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But along the course of the Chepauk struggle on Sunday evening, it was there for everyone to see that this Indian team is not in best shape.

The lottery of knock-outs beckon the co-hosts now and a couple of good days may still take India to the final, but on current form, it can be safe to say that Dhoni and Co. are definitely not the favourites in this tournament any more.

West Indies is a team desperately short of talent these days and the side they fielded on Sunday (without Kemar Roach and Chris Gayle) would have struggled against any decent opponent. But there was a time in the game when it seemed that India would face the humiliation of losing to this team as well, which had its last ODI win against a Test playing nation (barring Bangladesh) two years back.

Yes, there were a few positives. Yuvraj Singh (113 and 2-18) shone both with the bat and ball, Virat Kohli (59) looked impressive during his stay at the wicket, Ashwin showed the world that he is perfectly cut out for the big stage, but the basic flaws that are bothering this team have still not been ironed out.

The pace attack (barring an odd Zaheer spell) looked pedestrian and it never seemed that Munaf Patel could take a wicket. Add to that his fielding, which always puts India 15-short in the field. Had it not been for the wily, old Zaheer who brought all his experience into play ---India would probably have cut a sorry figure on Sunday.

Another huge trouble area for India is the batting PowerPlay. They struggled with it, despite holding it back till the 46th over. The hosts lost 28 runs losing four wickets and failed to bat out even the 50 overs.

Both Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina, who are fighting for the same slot, failed once again and Dhoni will have to spend sleepless nights pondering over his combination for the semifinal.

But then, the big plus emerging out of Sunday's 'practice match' before the quarterfinal clash against Australia is the form of Yuvi. He held the innings together, played some lovely shots on both sides of the wicket and took India to 268. With the ball too, he came up with a couple of crucial breakthroughs after Zaheer had struck.

He gave the ball a little bit of air and extracted some turn that fooled the likes of Andre Russell and Devon Thomas.

If Yuvi was the star of the show, Ashwin, too, showed that it won't be a bad option if the team management plays him in the quarterfinal. He was given the new ball and in the first six overs that he bowled, he gave away 18 runs. He got the carrom ball to work as well, getting Kirk Edwards plumb in front that went the other way.

But the likes of Darren Bravo, Smith (81) and Smith (39) did run India ragged for a while and there were murmurs in the ground whether India were looking to lose so that they can avoid Australia.

An exhibition match of sorts with the result not affecting either side’s chances of qualifying for the next stage took place on Friday at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Ireland faced off against the Netherlands team with Ireland on two points and the latter on zero.

After winning the toss, Irish captain William Porterfield opted to field in the first innings. As Boyd Rankin bowled the first over to the Dutch opening pair of Eric Szwarczynski and Wesley Barresi, he was soon found cursing his luck when Kevin O’Brien dropped a simple catch that meant Barresi would have a longer stay at the crease.

Szwarczynski was not as lucky, as he fell in the next over for a maiden run after getting a thick outside edge that earned Trent Johnston his first wicket, as wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien took a comfortable catch in the end.

The next over brought with it the first boundary of the match and also the second wicket. Tom Cooper made his way back to the pavilion, after his shot found William Porterfield at point. The Dutch side was in trouble early on, at 14 runs for the loss of two wickets.

Ryan ten Doeschate and Barresi had made a 41 run partnership, that somewhat steadied the ship for the Dutch side, before the former departed for 12 runs. The Irish bowling change paid dividends, as John Stirling took the wicket.

Barresi soon joined his team-mates in the pavilion after he was out leg before wicket, falling just six runs short of his half century. Alexei Kervezee did not help his side as much as he would have liked, after he fell to John Mooney’s disciplined bowling. Kevin O’Brien made up for his early dropped catch, as he held on to the next opportunity that presented itself.

That was as good as it was going to get for the Irish. Peter Borren and Doeschate made a 121 run partnership that put the Dutch side in a commanding position at 234-5 with close to 10 overs remaining in the game.

Doeschate left the crease, but not before he had made 106 runs for his side. The innings was entertaining for the fans, as it consisted of 13 fours and a six. Stirling was the Irish bowler who managed to take the crucial wicket.

The Irish still had to contend with Borren, who powered his way to 84 runs in the 47th over, before a wayward shot found Porterfield that left Mooney with his second wicket.

With the lower-order exposed, the Irish took their chances, as the next four wickets were all run outs. The damage had been done, as the Netherlands set an admirable total of 306 runs in the allotted 50 overs.

CHENNAI: England kept their World Cup campaign alive by beating blow-hot-blow-cold West Indies by 18 runs on Thursday.

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In a ding-dong battle, England first wasted a good batting start (79-1 in the 11th over). But after being 151-6, their last four wickets added 92 runs to take the tally to 243.

When West Indies made 58-0 in eight overs, it looked an uphill task for Strauss' men. But they stuck to it by removing the middle-order of West Indies in quick succession, especially Pollard. On a challenging track, Andre Russell and Ramnaresh Sarwan showed great resilience to take it from 150-6 to 222. But once they lost Russell, nerves played a part and the West Indies lost.

Spinners Graeme Swann and James Tredwell shared seven wickets between them on a helpful track and Ravi Bopara varied his pace to scalp two.

West Indies started the chase of 244 by throwing caution to the wind. They probably thought survival was difficult on this track. The strategy seemed to have worked when Chris Gayle hammered away, hitting pacemen Tremlett and Bresnan (1-0-18-0) out of the attack. Probably, it was a mistake in hindsight as it brought another spinner Tredwell (Swann opened from the other side) into the attack.

Tredwell had Gayle (43 off 21, 8x4s, 1x6) lbw; Prior made a brilliant stumping of the off-balanced Smith and skipper Strauss plucked Darren Bravo at first slip. All the three lefties fell to off-spinner (Dhoni please note: Peterson was leftie and Bhajji an off-spinner).

Sammy and Thomas then played on to the stumps against Bopara.

Pollard hit two typical sixes after playing out one maiden over. But classy offie Swann had him lbw to a turner. Russell was generally quiet but he also hit three sixes, the one being particularly contentious. Strauss appeared to have caught him at long-on off Swann, but unclear TV footage and the shadow of the boundary line ads seemed to have put a doubt in the TV umpire's mind. And he passed that advantage to the batsman.

But Tredwell got Russell lbw. Swann, in his last over, got Sarwan caught at short-leg and Roach caught by Tremlett, running in and diving in front at mid-off.

Earlier, at 121-2 in the 22nd over, with Jonathan Trott in sublime touch, England lost the momentum despite the lack of relentless pressure from the bowling attack.

Matt Prior was bowled through the gate by Andre Russell. But the bigger culprits were Andrew Strauss (top edged a difficult high catch to Chris Gayle, who ran back from mid-wicket) and Eion Morgan (edged a reverse sweep to the wicket-keeper).

James Tredwell couldn't have asked for better World Cup debut than this. England had their backs against the wall and a loss would have thrown them out. However, Tredwell delivered when it mattered the most. Every time Andrew Strauss threw the ball to him, he came up with a breakthrough. He was brought in when Chris Gayle was belting England's bowlers all over the park. He trapped the dangerous Gayle in front and then sent back Devon Smith and talented Darren Bravo. Later on, when the West Indies were cruising with the 7th wicket stand between Ramnaresh Sarwan and Andre Russell, he claimed Russell's wicket.

It seemed as if the game against England was going to be one dominated by Andre Russell. The pacer had picked up four wickets for 49 to bowl England out for 243 after Strauss had won the toss and chose to bat on a two-paced and dry pitch. After Pollard was dismissed for 24, England had West Indies down for the count at 150 for 6. The experienced Ramnaresh Sarwan needed someone to hang around and it was Russell who put his hand up. Tonking sixes, he scored an entertaining 49 and took West Indies to within 21 runs of a quarterfinal berth. His dismissal to Tredwell's off-spin started the collapse and the West Indies lost four wickets for three runs.

BANGALORE: The 7-wicket victory on Wednesday for defending champions Australia over Canada with as many as 15.1 overs to spare may have reinforced Ricky Ponting's views that associate nations do not belong in the World Cup. But Ponting would have to admit that his bowling worries are far from over.

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Not even the fact that openers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin set a new record for Australia as far as opening partnerships in the World Cup go, or that their unbeaten run in World Cups extended to 34 matches, would have helped there.

Canada may have eventually set Australia a modest 212 to get at the Chinnaswamy Stadium but it was not before the Australians were given quite a scare by 19-year-old Hiral Patel who starred as Canada raised the quickest first 50 runs (4.4 overs) in the 2011 World Cup. The pocket dynamo was finally out for a 45-ball 54 (5x4, 3x6), caught on the third man line while attempting a fourth six but in the course of his entertaining knock he showed up the Australian attack.

If Shaun Tait can't get you, neither will Brett Lee nor for that matter Mitchell Johnson, at least not initially. All three Australian pacers, termed time and again as a very potent and complementing combination by skipper Ricky Ponting, bowled upwards of 145kmph on Wednesday only for the small-made Patel to send each of the quick men to the cleaners.

For the second match in succession, against yet another unfancied team, the Australian attack was found wanting, lacking in direction and purpose. If Tait conceded 17 off his first two overs, Lee went for 32 from three and Johnson only slightly better with 20 off three. Patel simply relished the room he was provided by all three bowlers, cutting fiercely, upper cutting with disdain and driving with a fair bit of class. Neither the bowlers nor Ponting seemed to have a clue as to how to stop him even after Lee had sent back the other opener John Davison, in his last ODI innings, with a bouncer that took the glove. The same bouncer to Patel was hooked for six and had the batsman not uppercut Watson straight to Johnson on the edge of the fence, Australia could have been looking at a far bigger chase.

With the bat too, the start was a little unusual with both Watson (94, 90b, 9x4, 4x6) and Haddin (88, 84b, 11x4, 2x6) scratching around. It was the batting Powerplay, taken ahead of the bowling one which never came about, and the overs that followed that raised the tempo and brought a quick end to the proceedings. Canada have now finished their World Cup engagements while Australia travel to Sri Lanka.