The spontaneous response to India's victory over in the opener was understandable, in view of the long-standing shadow of the 2007 World Cup defeat. But in the ecstatic delight and celebrations all round the country, we unwittingly glossed over a couple of home truths?

India did not even have to use up its entire batting might to amass 370 on a pitch that was slow and low. If Sehwag had not been constrained by a sore knee, it would have been considerably more. All that is fine, but what followed was certainly not.

India's opening attack looked mediocre, especially Sreesanth, who, in the main, allowed the Bangla openers to launch a blitzkrieg, so much so that a team having 370 runs in the bank, resorted to a defensive field. Leave aside Sreesanth, who was all over the place, Dhoni did not have more than one slip for Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel and when Harbhajan came on, there was no leg slip or short fine leg for quite some time. Such defensive tactics were incomprehensible. Or, was there a lurking fear that runs will continue to flow in torrents.

Sreesanth ought to rid himself of his bull-in-the-China-shop approach. It is an inappropriate substitute for aggression. One has rarely seen a bowler bowl such awry overs, one of which went for 24 runs. In limited-overs cricket, any bowler can go for runs, but certainly not as gift from him. Wide off the stumps on both sides, juicy half volleys and a wide and a no ball to boot, the left-handed pair of openers could not have asked for more.

If no one can harness the talent of Sreesanth, it would be best to leave him out. As it is, the composition of the Indian attack, with a solitary specialist spinner, did surprise many.

What defeated Bangladesh in the end was the huge chase and the consequent mounting asking rate. Yet they managed a total of 283 for 9. If only they had one more batsman striking as well as did Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, they would have run India even closer.

The very first match has once again exposed India's main worry. If a team like Bangladesh, still not highly rated, can cart off nearly 300 runs, being under so much pressure, just imagine what the bigger guns can do to the attack. It is a matter of great concern, as is the fitness of some of the players even now.