Stunning World Cup victories by Bangladesh and Ireland over the weekend should inspire Bermuda’s players to raise their game when they and India clash in a do-or-die contest for both sides at the Queen’s Park Oval today.

Bermuda will once again go into the game as huge underdogs, knowing that another defeat on the heels of last week’s drubbing by Sri Lanka will leave them no hope of advancing to the second phase of the tournament.

But a star-studded India side, who carried an enormous burden of expectation into this World Cup, are under even more pressure following their five-wicket walloping from Bangladesh on Saturday.

Now Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and company know that only a big win over Bermuda today to improve their net run rate coupled with victory over Sri Lanka on Friday can keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the ‘Super Eight’.

Bermuda coach Gus Logie told a media gathering after yesterday morning’s training session in the Oval nets that Saturday’s surprise results had injected new enthusiasm into the World Cup, serving to lift players’ spirits from all of the smaller nations.

“I think it just shows that upsets can happen, I think it’s been a great result over the last few days for all of the minnows and underdogs, fighting against the odds,” said Logie.

“I think it should give all of the players confidence going into their next games, and I think it’s something that can inspire individuals and I’m looking forward to my guys being inspired by the performances of both Bangladesh and certainly Ireland.

“Individual players in the team have to dig deep, they saw the Bangladesh game themselves and I’m certain they are going to be motivated. Each individual has to really and truly motivate themselves. You’re playing for your country, it’s important you go out there and give your best.

“The players are saying to themselves, we’ve played against Ireland, we’ve scored runs against Ireland and to see them bowl Pakistan out for 132, it has to be an inspiration for all of them.”

Asked again whether Saturday’s results could help his players lift their game, particularly after the heavy defeat suffered against Sri Lanka, Logie laughed: “Well something has to!

“I think they’re capable of it and the results over the last two days should help us. I think it’s an individual thing, if someone wants to something enough, you never know what can happen.”

But the Trinidadian scoffed at the suggestion by an Indian journalist that his players would be under pressure and facing their own battle for survival.

“Survival? Survival for what?” replied Logie.

“This is Bermuda you’re talking about. This is a minnow coming up against a top team, if it’s anybody’s survival it’s India’s not ours. The pressure’s on India.

“At the end of the day we know our limitations, we’re just going out there to be as fearless as possible, to do the best we can. We don’t have any pressure on us.

“I’ll be happy if the game lasts 100 overs, whatever happens.” Logie said India would be under enormous pressure.

“I think knowing that net run rate could come into play, they’ll want to score possibly a very large total if they bat first, and if they bowl first they’ll want to get us out with as low a score as possible. So I think there are a few scenarios that could work in our favour.

“It’s very difficult to look at their weak points and strong points, but they are a quality team. They will come out at us very hard, there’s no doubt about that.

“There is quality in the team, they had a poor performance yesterday (Saturday). It doesn’t necessarily follow that they will have another poor performance tomorrow (today).

“We just have to play to the best of our ability and if we do that anything can happen.

“We know most of the big international teams are looking to set records against the minnows. It’s something we knew from the start.

“But it’s matter of survival for India. The same mistakes could happen, they could come hard at us, lose a few wickets, and you never know what could happen. I think we’ll be prepared for them no matter what happens.”

Having watched at the Oval as Bangladesh humbled their Asian neighbours, Logie said it was “a fascinating game of cricket in which Bangladesh showed what could be achieved with hard work, perseverance and self belief”. And he agreed that if India were now beaten by either Bermuda or Sri Lanka and eliminated, the financial consequences in that country would be “astronomical”.

“Pakistan are already out. India could follow them,” said Logie. “But hey, the onus is on star players to perform, you cannot blame a minnow for putting out a top team. Everybody expects a top team to knock out the minnows.

“Give Bangladesh and Ireland credit for what they’ve done. Many of the experts feel that those teams shouldn’t be even here. This shows the global game is spreading and I think we’ve found there are good players in the associate teams. And they need to be supported.”