India, Feb. 21 -- India have reached the Super 8s with a clean record, but not with a clean script. The scorelines look authoritative, but the innings graphs tell a messier story - early stumbles, wicket clusters, and finishes that sometimes feel like they're being negotiated rather than enforced. That's fine in a group where talent can paper over turbulence.

Super 8 cricket is different. It doesn't punish you for being slightly off - it punishes you for being predictably off. And right now India are carrying two predictable patterns into three very different venues: powerplay volatility with the bat, and selective overs you can target with the ball. Each opponent will arrive with a different weapon, but the same intent: drag India into ...