India will have to battle it out with three World Champions to seal one of the two semifinal slots from their cluster when the Super Eights stage begins at the Kensington Oval on Thursday.

India have been drawn along with West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia, who by far look the best equipped all-round team capable of claiming the coveted trophy.

England, who squeaked into the Super Eights following a washout against Ireland, will play South Africa, New Zealand and most likely Pakistan in the other cluster.


Defending champions Pakistan will hope that Australia will crush Bangladesh in their last group match so that they can enter the second round of the championship, which offers a winners purse of USD 8,00,000.

Six days into the championship, the wheat has been separated from the chaff.

The world`s best eight teams will battle for supremacy here on, striving to make the semifinals, slated for May 13 and 14 at St Lucia. The final is scheduled for May 16 in the land of the legendary three Ws-Weekes, Walcott and Worrel.