- 'It's a matter of which team is more consistent during the World Cup'
- 'This break would have definitely helped them to recharge their batteries'
- 'What is most important is the 15-member squad and the support staff right now are not to think about expectations'
The cricket World Cup could be won by any one of the "balanced" six or seven teams in the fray, according to India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
South Africa and Australia are seen as the favourites for the February 14-March 29 tournament, while co-hosts New Zealand also loom as most people's third pick given a strong run of form at home against fellow contenders Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
"I feel this World Cup, most of the teams, they are quite balanced, and most of the teams are looking good," Dhoni said in a pre-World Cup media conference on Saturday.
"When I say most, it's in excess of six or seven teams that I'm talking about. So I feel it will be a very special World Cup for all the teams.
"It's a matter of which team is more consistent during the World Cup, what kind of momentum they take with them into the knockout stages and all of that will be crucial."
Dhoni was unconcerned about his own side's lack of positive results heading into the World Cup after they lost their Test series to Australia then all three of their One-day matches in a triangular tournament that also included England.
The past few months have been difficult for India with the team failing to win a single international game Down Under. They were beaten 2-0 by Australia in the four-match Test series and could not make it to the finals of the ODI tri-series.
"It's not easy to play four Test matches... followed by a tri-nation series," Dhoni reasoned.
"So this break would have definitely helped them to recharge their batteries ... only time will tell," the Indian skipper added.
The wicketkeeper, however, said they had been written off previously only to come right when they needed to.
"When we went and played the Champions Trophy (in 2013) we were in a similar situation like this and the guys stepped up, that's what I feel is important," he added.
"What we have seen is how you rise to an occasion like this and how you take the confidence forward to something that's more important."
Dhoni also stated that over the past three or four years the atmosphere on the field had mellowed down.
"Also, what we have successfully done in the last three to four years, is that we have mellowed down the things that apart from cricket happen on the field ... we have minimised the verbal things that often happen between cricketers. And I feel that is really good for the game because you want to play it as a sport, you want to play hard, but you still have to maintain the spirit of the game," he said.
"That is one thing that both the sides have done really well."
The last World Cup had created enormous pressure on the host nation and Dhoni said that would have some impact on Australia and New Zealand, though the expectations would probably not be the same as his side experienced in 2011.
"It is slightly tough. It's not something that a lot of home teams have won," said Dhoni.
While expectations from fans are always high in India, Dhoni downplayed it.
"What is most important is the 15-member squad and the support staff right now are not to think about expectations.
"That is something that will be crucial ... we're not thinking too much about the fans."
"I think the same will apply to the Australians and the New Zealand side, but at the same time, their culture is slightly different, so what's a kind of expectation level that we'll have to wait and watch."
