India's World Cup campaign began on the best note possible. Sachin Tendulkar made 1, and India won. They played an extra batsman, were 141 for 4 chasing 271, and they didn't need the extra man. Critically, they chased a large score and finished well under pressure, which indicates that they are sorting out the one big weakness which prevents India from ascending to the top tier of one-day teams. The future looks good. When England were 192 for 2 at the end of 32 overs, it seemed the fat lady must already have been warming up her vocal chords. But a superb spell of left-arm spin by Yuvraj shut her up, and Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar were outstanding at the end, doing all the basics right, pitching it up to the batsman and bowling intelligently and within their limitations. They did things Javagal Srinath had begun to learn after a decade of cricket, and ensured that Srinath, omitted from the one-day squad after retiring from Test cricket, will not be missed.

India's move to play Sachin Tendulkar has received a barrage of criticism in recent times, but it is the right decision, and must continue. India has always been a top-heavy side, and has lacked middle-order solidity. Tendulkar at No. 4 provides that solidity while Virender Sehwag is as explosive at the top of the order as Tendulkar has ever been. Sehwag batted today with a freedom and a lack of pressure that must owe something to the confidence he would have had in knowing that Tendulkar was still to come. India needs that confidence.

The rest of the order needs some sorting out. Rahul Dravid is a natural No. 3 in the one-day game as well as in Tests. He has come a long way in the last couple of years, circulates the strike beautifully and rarely gets bogged down. The stereotypical image of a plodding Dravid no longer holds true. And the ideal man at No. 5 would be Mohammad Kaif, who played matchwinning knocks in that position in the recent series against Zimbabwe – just like the one Dravid played today. One of them was in the company of Yuvraj Singh.

Yuvraj is special. A few months ago, he was known as a mercurial player who could be explosively matchwinning on the odd occasion, but the odd occasion just wasn't enough. He hit a matchwinning 84 in his second game against Australia, but his next 50 – a matchwinning 98 in Dravid's company against Sri Lanka last year – came in his 19th match. Another drought followed, and he was dropped after playing his 28th one-dayer.

He came back to the Indian side transformed. He made 80 off 60 balls against Zimbabwe in his comeback game, 75 off 52 deliveries in the next, which won India the series, and now this, just three games later. Matchwinning knocks in his 29th, 30th and 34th games. In all these innings, he showed an ability to keep a cool head and take the match away from the opposition in a matter of a few overs. At last, India has a finisher.

But Kaif at No. 7 is wasted, and Dravid at No. 5, despite his knock today, might be a misfit as well. Dinesh Mongia at No. 3 is yet to be tested in difficult conditions, and using Dravid as a wicketkeeper still seems an unneccessary compromise. These are the issues India need to sort out in this series. There aren't that many games left before the World Cup, but India have begun the countdown well.

Amit Varma is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

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