Wednesday 18 March 2015 08:59, UK
Suresh Raina says India are reaping the rewards of their long stay in Australia as they prepare for the World Cup knockout stage.
The defending champions go into their quarter-final against Bangladesh on the back of six straight Pool B victories - a run that seemed unlikely as they struggled in the build-up to the tournament.
MS Dhoni's side arrived in Australia way back in November and lost four Tests before failing to win a game in the tri-series with the Aussies and England.
A warm-up success against Afghanistan brought a change in fortune, though, and all six World Cup games have been won with plenty to spare.
Raina scored an unbeaten hundred against Zimbabwe in the most recent, and he said: "We've spent a lot of time in Australia, so it's like we're used to the conditions more than other teams.
"People are really pumped up for the quarter-finals. We have done really well in the last six games. It's the quarter-final stage now, you don't have much room for error.
"You just need to do everything right, whether you're bowling, batting or fielding. The main World Cup is going to start here."
Bangladesh have beaten India just three times in 28 one-day internationals, but one of those wins came at the 2007 World Cup, and Raina said: "You can't take Bangladesh lightly. Their players have been playing a lot of cricket in the Indian Premier League. They know how to play one-day cricket now.
"All the games in quarter-finals are going to be in pressure situations. We just need to go there and play to what we have in the dressing room," he said. "We have played a lot of matches against them and we just need to play positive cricket."
Raina has batted at everywhere from No 3 to No 8 in his 213 ODIs, but eight of his past 10 innings have been as a No 5.
"Whatever the team needs me to do," he said. "I need to prepare myself because at the end when India win that's more important than me batting at four, five, six."
Watch India v Bangladesh live on Sky Sports World Cup from 3am on Thursday morning.
