MUMBAI, Feb 27: Skipper Rahul Dravid said on Tuesday the Indian cricket team will play aggressive cricket with the aim of winning the World Cup.

“We are going to the Caribbean to play aggressive, competitive cricket,” Dravid told reporters ahead to the squad's departure for the West Indies.“It's a big tournament, we'll put our best foot forward and play to the best of our ability,” Dravid said.

Coach Greg Chappell said teams possessing more flexibility in altering their combination would have a better chance of success during the 51-day tournament.

“Teams at the World Cup that have more flexibility and more variety will do well,” Dravid said.

“Our team has a good balance and a fine mix of youth and experience,” he said.

Chappell said the team was looking forward to the World Cup with “confidence and hope.”

In the last World Cup in 2003, India advanced to the final where they lost to Australia.

India are going to the World Cup having won home one-day series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Chappell said Australia's chances of defending their World Cup title should not be written off despite losing their last five One-day Internationals.

“I wouldn't read too much into it,” Chappell said.

Australia lost 2-0 in the home tri-series finals to England and 3-0 in New Zealand.

“If anything, it just shows that New Zealand are a good side, and shows that England have made some progress in recent times,” he said.

“They have key players coming back to the team that went to New Zealand. This will just have made them hungrier and a bit more determined to play well. I would have preferred if they won every game and went to the West Indies and maybe were overconfident.”

Dravid agreed with his coach and said that although Australia start as favourites, it would be a tight competition.

“They (Australia) have got a good one-day record over the past two to three years and you can't dismiss that in one week or two weeks of cricket,” Dravid said of Australia's string of five defeats.

“I am sure when they get some of their key players back they will be hungry and keen to perform.”

Chappell, whose two-year tenure as India coach ends after the World Cup, felt his side had achieved peak form following back-to-back one-day series victories at home over West Indies and Sri Lanka.

“We are in as good a position as we hope to be. At this stage the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle has fallen into place,” he said.

India, the 1983 World Cup winners, are in Group B with 1996 champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda.—Agencies