Judging by the television commercials and advertising campaigns, India's "Men in Blue" are certain to win the World Cup at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in March next year.

However much advertisers may love their cliches, the proverbial slip between cup and lip is simply not being considered. The other teams, world champions Australia included, will apparently play the tournament just for their health.

As India prepare for the first test next week on their tour of New Zealand, it is perhaps time for a reality check.

With a batting line-up vulnerable to South Africa's fast, bouncy tracks and a bowling attack that lacks bite, it will take more for India to win cricket's biggest prize than the enormous expectations of a billion people.

"We have been in good form but that's no guarantee that we're going to come back with the World Cup," Indian captain Saurav Ganguly said.

"We have to work really hard and play as well as we have for most of the year to be even near the form that is needed to win a tournament like that. I hope we can pull it off but it's going to be a long, hard road to the title," he added.

RUDE SHOCK

For a team that until last month had not lost a single one-day tournament this year, the seven-match home series against the West Indies came as a rude shock.

India were beaten 4-3 at home last month by a side who have long been struggling to relive the glory of their virtually unbeatable days of the 1970s and 80s.

Supporters argued that Sachin Tendulkar was missing and Ganguly was out for the last two matches but it was not batting that was the problem.

India's bowlers were ruthlessly exposed by openers Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds in the first 15 overs and by a stunning display of strokeplay from young middle-order batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels.

"The paucity of ideas of the bowlers during the West Indies series was worrying," former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar wrote.

"The fact that India we never able to utilise the 10 overs of their most experienced bowler, Javagal Srinath, tells a story of its own."

The one thing in India's favour, however, is that the alarm bells may have rung at the right time.

"For the Indians, it was a wake-up call," Gavaskar said. "Almost every team in the world is struggling to find match-winning bowlers. India are in the same boat but are reluctant to try other performers.

"Perhaps the tour to New Zealand will show whether they are right. If the answer is not positive, then what attack have we got to try and win the World Cup?"

YOUNG BRIGADE

But captain Ganguly has faith in his young team.

"The group of youngsters that we have is special," he said. "These guys are different from so many other players we've had in the past. They respond to pressure positively. All our wins over the last few months have come because of them."

Mohammad Kaif, 22, struck a brilliant unbeaten 87 to help India chase a mammoth 326 for victory in a triangular tournament in England earlier this year.

Virender Sehwag, 24, has captured the imagination of Indian fans with his explosive batting at the top of the order.

Yuvraj Singh, 20, has helped India to win on eight of the nine occasions when he has scored a half century.

Zaheer Khan, 24, who was rested for the West Indies series due to a troublesome knee, has developed into a quality one-day bowler and comes up with miserly wicket-taking overs.

But he badly misses a reliable supporting cast.

"I don't think the bowlers have done as badly as many people seem to think," Ganguly said. "We're not the best bowling side in the world but we have shown that we can defend targets even though it wasn't evident in the recent Windies series."

Sides batting second won six of the seven matches, successfully chasing totals ranging up to 325.

"You can't chase 300-plus totals every day," Ganguly said. "But the wickets in South Africa will not be like India -- 260-270 will be a winning total there and if the bowlers get their act together, our strong batting line-up could finish the job."

But, as Ganguly hastens to add: "With teams like Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, it's going to take something special."