India enter big picture' mode

The home team are unlikely to rest their players for the Netherlands game as they look to keep the winning streak going

A large mural of Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni with the World Cup trophy in tow adorns the entrance of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) office at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

It's a sight hard to miss for India's players when they wade through the notorious Bengaluru traffic and cross leafy Cubbon Park to make their way into the stadium. Just two games stand between skipper Rohit Sharma and his India teammates getting into that wall of fame exactly a week from now.

Before attention turns to the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai on Wednesday, there's the final fixture of the preliminary phase against Netherlands in Bengaluru to get done with.

The result is perhaps of mere academic interest, but India are likely to approach it with just as much energy and enthusiasm as they have done all their games so far. It has held the hosts in good stead all the way through, be it beating Australia by six wickets in their opener or hammering the Proteas by 243 runs in their last game.

"I think what we've been doing really well is we've maintained some really high standards in terms of our execution and intensity, and I think it's just about continuing on that journey," India head coach Rahul Dravid said on the eve of the Netherlands clash.

"We've travelled the length and breadth of this country and played in eight venues. And this is our ninth venue.

And I think what this team has done really well is it has represented India fantastically. It's played a really good brand of cricket. And we've done that in eight venues.