India, Feb. 20 -- The lay Indian fan of a recent vintage might not be as affected, but to those who were seriously invested in the fortunes of Indian cricket more than a decade and a half back, the very mention of Bangladesh will trigger nightmarish visions.

Like they had every time since their unexpected triumph at the 1983 World Cup in England, India attracted strong favouritism going into the 2007 edition in the Caribbean. And with good reason. There was a profusion of experience, matched by the exuberance of youth. There was a rounded look to the side under Rahul Dravid which carried form into the tournament, though Sachin Tendulkar's displeasure at being asked to bat in the middle order against his will was hardly a secret.

India's...