World Cup Blog: Parthiv finds similarity between 2003 team and current squad

A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup

India's Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates after dismissing Paul Stirling of Ireland. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

India have now got their most wins in a row in World Cup history, nine, after the easy triumph over Ireland in Hamilton on Tuesday.

India’s previous best was eight wins in a row at the 2003 World Cup when they beat all sides, except Australia. They lost twice to Ricky Ponting’s side including in the final. A member of the 2003 side, wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel recalls that campaign after India’s ninth successive win in World Cups.

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“Honestly when we started the 2003 World Cup, we didn’t start that well. Everyone talks about losing to Australia and getting all out for 200 against Holland. But not many remember that we even lost to Natal’s B team in the warm-up. We didn’t start the tournament well, but we then made a remarkable comeback,” recalled Parthiv in an exclusive interview with http://www.indianexpress.com.

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Pub cricketer says they put up better fight against Bangladesh than England

England captain Eoin Morgan looks dejected as he leaves the field after the World Cup match against Bangladesh at Adelaide Oval. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

When the Lamb and Flag pub cricket team played Bangladesh in a friendly they hardly expected to do as well as the England team.

But 20 years on, the village players have revealed that their performance was, if anything, far more admirable than the pitiful display their professional counterparts put on this week, crashing out of the tournament in a 15-run defeat.

Nevill Swanson, 77, one of the pub regulars who took on Bangladesh at a local school ground in Worcester in 1986, said there should be “wholesale sackings” in the England camp as a result of their dismal performance at the World Cup in Australia this week.

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How England’s post-World Cup team may look

Mark Footitt of Derbyshire celebrates a wicket. Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images

England could pick some some talented newcomers like Yorkshire's Adil Rashid and Mark Footitt in their first one-day international after the World Cup, against Ireland in Dublin on 8 May.

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