High-flying India remain wary of the struggling champions

With four losses in five games, England haven't found their rhythm yet but Rohit and Co are focussed on the job at hand

Royal feasts are ubiquitous in this melting pot of cultures and cuisines. Dotted along the teeming streets of Aminabad and Akbari Gate, parked in old Lucknow, are a cluster of restaurants and hole in the wall eateries serving up succulent kebabs and flavoursome biryanis that fill the stomach and nourish the soul.

At the start of the World Cup, the Ekana Cricket Stadium - in keeping with the city's tehzeeb (etiquette) may have been expected to offer just as delectable a feast when India and England clash.

Some of that excitement about this game on Sunday, however, has dwindled. Not for any wrongdoing by India, who have notched up five straight victories to be placed second in the points table.

England, on the other hand, are teetering on the edge of an abyss. Just one victory in five matches means they are languishing at second from bottom, with only a theoretical possibility of advancing to the playoffs remaining.

It certainly robs this fixture of some of its box-office value. But it is unlikely to lull this supreme Indian outfit into dropping its guard.