Sharing Dhoni's secrets with Australia? Naah, says CSK coach Mike Hussey

Hussey is confident that Australia will have their plans in place for the former India captain MS Dhoni.

Michael Hussey feels that Mahendra Singh Dhoni does not have "too many weaknesses" but even if he has, the Chennai Super Kings batting coach wouldn't share them with in-form Australia ahead of their World Cup clash on Sunday.

Having crushed Afghanistan and put up an inspirational performance against a rampaging West Indies, Australia are expected to be more than a handful for India when the two teams square off at the Oval.

Hussey has played alongside Dhoni at CSK and as coach, watched him from close quarters in the franchise.

So, will Hussey share his insights on Dhoni with the Australian coaching team?

"No chance. There aren't too many weaknesses there anyway," the former Australia batsman let out a chuckle as he spoke to PTI in an exclusive interview.

However, Michael Hussey is confident that Australia will have their plans in place for the former India captain.

"All the teams do very thorough analysis on all the players so I am sure that they will have their plans for MSD and all the Indian players."

Asked what makes Dhoni tick when he is just a month short of 38, Hussey said the it's the legend's awareness of his strengths.

"He is a great competitor and keeps his composure better than anyone especially under pressure. He is a very smart player, who is calculating. He knows his strengths and always sticks to them," said the member of the 2007 World Cup-winning Australian team.

Dhoni's strike-rate has been an issue for some time but Hussey doesn't find anything wrong with his strategy of taking some time before hitting the finisher mode.

"Not only does he (Dhoni) play according to the situation of the game but also likes to give himself some time at the start of his innings to get settled. Dhoni likes to take the responsibility of being there at the end to finish off the innings or the game."

He feels that Dhoni's mere presence and ability to take the game deep will keep the opposition on its edge.

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Who will win ICC World Cup 2019? Check out who the punters are betting on

Bookies expect the Indian captain, Virat Kohli to emerge as the tournament's top run scorer.

With less than a fortnight remaining before the 12th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup gets underway in England and Wales, the squads for all the 10 participating teams have been announced and the race to predict the winner is gathering steam.

Most online betting websites expect host England to win the tournament. Ladbrokes, for instance, pegs the odds of an England win at 15/8, followed by India (at 3/1) and then defending champions Australia (at 9/2). Simply put, 15/8 is the fraction the bookie is willing to multiply your stake by.

Mathematically, 15/8 implies 15 divided by 8, or the fraction 1.875. So if you bet on England with the odds currently placed at 15/8, the amount you bet will be multiplied by 15 and then divided by 8. The winnings, on this case, will be the result of the above-mentioned fraction plus the amount you originally bet.

For example, bid money Rs 50,000. Odds: 15/8. If you win, the total amount you get will be:

(Rs 50,000 x 15)/8 + Rs 50,000 = Rs 1,43,750

Remember, most websites do charge a small commission on the winnings as well.

Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan are placed at the bottom of the pyramid with the odds for winning placed at 1000/1, 1000/1 and 100/1, respectively.

Another online betting site, Betway, also expects England to win the ICC World Cup (odds at 3.25), followed by India (odds at 3.75) and Australia (odds at 4.5). It, however, places Sri Lanka (51), Afghanistan and Bangladesh at the bottom of the winners pyramid with odds of 81.

And the prediction does have a solid reasoning. England skipper Eoin Morgan will have the company of Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Joe Root in the batting department - and all of them have been in good touch.

As regards India, Virat Kohli will lead the side and will to play a crucial role in the batting line-up along with Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni, who is a seasoned wicket-keeper and a true 'game finisher'.

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Dhoni's poor form a worry for India ahead of second ODI against Australia

Dhoni's 51 off 96 balls and failing to rotate the strike has brought to focus the rejigging that skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will have to fret upon.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's inability to set the pace during middle overs will remain a major cause of concern when India take on Australia in a do-or-die second ODI on Tuesday in their bid to keep the three-match series alive.

Hardik Pandya's sudden suspension on disciplinary grounds has badly affected the balance of the batting order, which was apparent during team's 34-run defeat in the opening match despite vice-captain Rohit Sharma's 22nd hundred in 50-over format.

(Business Standard)

Dhoni's 51 off 96 balls and failing to rotate the strike has brought to focus the rejigging that skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will have to fret upon.

With Dhoni being slotted at No 5 even though vice-captain Rohit wants the veteran to bat a notch higher but cues from India's training session made it clear that the team is unlikely to tinker with the batting order.

India's batting order did come under the spotlight at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The top three (Rohit, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli) have enjoyed a fairly consistent run since 2016.

But it was a rare occasion when Dhoni had to come out in the fourth over of the innings.

Dhoni averages 52.95 while batting at number four, which is higher than his current career-average of 50.11 over 333 games.

It is even higher than his favoured batting positions of number five (50.70) and six (46.33) but batting lower down the order, strike-rate becomes paramount.

Yet, Dhoni's career strike-rate at number four is 94.21 is higher than his overall career strike-rate of 87.60, or at number five (86.08) and number six (83.23).

When India last played ODIs in Australia in January 2016, Dhoni batted at number four in two matches but only scored 18 runs.

In fact, since that series, Dhoni has batted at number four in only eight ODIs, with the last instance in the 2018 Asia Cup.

He averages 24.75 in this interim, with a strike-rate of 77.34 and a highest of 80 against New Zealand in October 2016.

This presents a quandary, which the Indian team management might not be in a mood to sort out at present.

Rayudu did well enough in the Asia Cup and in the home series against West Indies, and both batsmen merit a longer run in their respective positions to help settle this batting line-up in the run-up to the English summer.

From 'Sanju' to 'Neerja', Fox Star Studios' focus on alliances pays off

After a disastrous 2015, the studio went back to the drawing board to realign its strategy and has been able to turn things around.

Three years back, two major multi-national film studios -- Disney India and Fox Star Studios (FSS) -- found themselves in a super slump at the Bollywood box office. Both had a bad run at the movies with films like Bombay Velvet and Tamasha failing to make an impact, despite a commendable cast and director. As a result, Disney India decided to take a step back from Bollywood.

For the second studio, FSS, 2015 was an exceptionally bad year with just one of the seven releases making an impact at the box office. However, instead of calling it quits, FSS decided to take a step back, re-evaluate its strategy, and start anew. Three years on, the new strategy seems to be paying off.

There continue to be some hits and misses, but FSS has managed to churn out commercially and critically successful films over the past couple of years, including titles like Neerja, Kapoor and Sons, and, most recently, Sanju.

Going back to the drawing board, the studio realised that the focus needs to shift from actors to characters, or in other words, from scale to script. Thus came a renewed emphasis on story and working with partners -- actors, directors or co-creators, who brought as much to the table as FSS did. While the studio continues to have a long-standing working relationship with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, it has also entered partnerships with Sajid Nadiadwala and Rajkumar Hirani.

"We had decided on two focus areas. The first was to do more home productions where our creative teams are driving the entire process, starting with the script. The other equally important agenda was to scale up through strategic alliances with key creative production houses who share our vision. These alliances include our longstanding partnership with Dharma, which we are very proud of, our successful association with Sajid Nadiadwala and, more recently, with Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It's important to work with partners over several films to develop a shared agenda that maximises the synergies for both parties," says Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios.

The strategy of alliances seems to be working since some of the biggest hits from FSS in recent years have come from the co-production slate like Kapoor and Sons (Dharma), Baaghi 2 (Sajid Nadiadwala) and, most recently, Sanju (Hirani and Chopra). FSS' home productions like Neerja and MS Dhoni have also managed to hit the bullseye.

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Ind vs Eng 3rd ODI: Virat & co will aim for 10th consecutive ODI series win

In the India vs England 3rd ODI, Virat Kohli and co will look to plug middle-order and death overs woes in Leeds. Catch live action here.

India Vs England : In the third One Day International (ODI) of the 3-match series, Virat Kohli-led India will look to plug loopholes in the field when they take on Eoin Morgan’s England at the Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds today. If India win today’s match it will be the team's 10th successive series victory.

How is the 3 match series evenly poised?

England levelled the three-match series with a convincing 86-run victory at Lord's, having been comprehensively beaten in the opening match at Trent Bridge.

Areas Indian cricket team needs to improve in the 3rd ODI

After first ODI victory, India made a couple of mistakes in the second match. First, the bowlers leaked few extra runs which helped England post a challenging total and then batsmen failed to rise to the occasion. Apart from Suresh Raina and skipper Virat Kohli no other batsman could face English bowlers perfectly. Although wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan got good starts, they failed to capitalise on them. Middle-order batsmen Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya also failed miserably. Hence, in order to give English bowlers a tough time, India's middle batting line-up needs to click in unison.

In the bowling department, Kuldeep was the only wicket-taker. He scalped three wickets but gave away 68 runs in his 10 overs. Pacers Umesh Yadav, Hardik and debutant Sidharth Kaul also proved costly. Bowlers now have to come up with something new to disturb the opponents as Root, Morgan, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow are already in form.

How England won the 2nd ODI

England, on the other hand, learned quickly from a poor display in the first match against India and especially against chinaman Kuldeep, who claimed 6 for 25. Joe Root and skipper Eoin Morgan also showed good form with the brilliant knocks of 113 and 53, respectively. Jason Roy and Bairstow also showed signs of regaining their form with disciplined batting throughout their innings. So, with a settled top-order, the only worry of the hosts is their middle and lower order. Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali could not add much to the score after a brilliant start. Had the trio clicked in the final match, it could have made things difficult for Indian batsmen. England has improved a lot in the bowling department. Bowlers are hunting in pairs. Pacers Liam Plunkett and David Willey are bowling well, while Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Mark Wood are supporting the duo superbly. Their bowling economy is not above six, which is a good sign for English players, especially when the opponents are chasing the target.

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India vs England 2018 1st ODI preview: Upbeat India look to give stiff challenge to England

The 3-match ODI series will give Virat Kohli and company an ideal opportunity to know the English conditions ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup next year. Catch live updates here.

India Vs England ODI : After an impressive T20 International (T20I) series win, India will eye another dominant performance against England when both teams lock horns for the 1st One Day International (ODI) match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham today. With ICC Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held in UK in 2019, the three-match ODI series will give Virat Kohli and Company an ideal opportunity to know the English conditions that Indian cricket team are expected to encounter at during their World Cup stint at exactly same time next year.

India will be going to play the 1st ODI on high after 2-1 T20I series win while England, the top-ranked ODI team in ICC men’s ODI Team rankings, coming into the series having crushed a below-par Australia 6-0 in their last bilateral engagement recently. England have been one of the finest 50 over sides in recent times and India will have their task cut against a batting line-up comprising Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan with Ben Stokes as all-rounder makes the English side a formidable team.

It is a reputation built on fearless, attacking cricket that has seen England win 46 out of 69 ODIs since a disastrous ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Their last bilateral series' defeat came in India in January 2017, with only a freak one-off loss to Scotland in the interim.

The 3 match ODI series will give Indian team management a chance to mix and matches various combination, keeping in mind the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. K L Rahul's stupendous form has been a happy headache for the team management and there is a possibility that the captain Virat Kohli might come at No 4 in order to give Rahul a chance to make optimum use of his current form. Rahul scored a 70 against Ireland and followed it by an unbeaten 101 against England in the first T20. He will, in all likelihood, be the missing jigsaw puzzle at the top of the order for skipper Kohli. With both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma being automatic selections at the top of the order, Rahul, who is also a specialist opener comes in at No 3. If the same batting order is followed, skipper Kohli, who has been world's best ODI batsman by a distance, will have to drop himself a notch down at No 4.

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Haven't seen anyone hit the ball so hard: Pandya on Rohit's 3rd T20 century

On Sunday, Rohit smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 56 balls with the help of 11 boundaries and five sixes to steer India home against England.

India Vs England 3^rd T20 : Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya credited Rohit Sharma for the team's comprehensive win in the series-clinching third and final T20 International against England, saying it was a special innings from the elegant batsman after two ordinary outings.

Rohit struck his third T20I hundred as India chased down a 199-run target with seven wickets in hand on Sunday to pocket the three-match series 2-1.

"Rohit played amazingly well. He was outstanding and played a fantastic hand. He won the game single-handedly for us. We expect that from him. I haven't seen anyone hit the ball as hard as Rohit," Pandya told reporters at the post-match press conference.

"Not having two good games and then coming back to play such an innings, that is special. It shows the confidence players have in this team, in themselves. It all comes down to the support staff. They have been great," he added.

Rohit did not have the best of outings with the bat in the first two T20s against England, scoring 32 and 5. But he got back his mojo on Sunday night and smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 56 balls with the help of 11 boundaries and five sixes to steer India home.

Pandya too played a major role with both bat and ball last night. He first returned figures of 4 for 38 and then came ahead of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina to hit 33 not out off just 14 balls to lend support to Rohit in India's pursuit of 198 for 9.

The 24-year-old medium pacer, however, had a nightmare start to his afternoon when he conceded 22 runs from his first over.

"To be honest, I see the T20 format as a funny game. You need to back yourself and bowl your best balls. I still remember after getting hit for 22, I was still normal. If you come and bowl the right lengths, and take wickets on this kind of pitch, eventually you will stop runs," Pandya said.

"My focus was to make sure that I bowled different balls rather than just bowling yorkers because bowling length was the key. With the shortest boundaries on the straight, I kind of mixed things."

Pandya said every game teaches him a new cricketing lesson.

"I am learning. I am always learning in the game. I've made sure that I keep on learning from my mistakes. With every game, something or the other I am learning, which is helping my game," he said.

"When I was young, I have batted at number three. So for me any situation I go in, I play according to that. It doesn't matter if I hit 13-ball 30 or 25-ball 25, depending on the situation I play accordingly."

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Uruguay's Godin shall summon all defensive spirits to stop France's Mbappe

Nineteen-year-old Mbappe scored two goals in the Argentina game.

Fleet-footed France will have to find a way past the tournament’s joint-meanest defenders Uruguay in the first of two inter-continental World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.

Fifa World Cup 2018 : Uruguay will seek to summon up all their famous defensive spirit to shackle the Europeans’ lighting-fast teenage top-scorer Kylian Mbappe.

The South Americans kept Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo at bay in their 2-1 last-16 win, and that goal conceded was the only one against them so far in Russia - a defensive feat only matched by Brazil, who play Belgium later on Friday.

But France banged in four goals in their last 16 game against Argentina, and will be hoping their formidable attacking trio of Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe can turn it on again at the Nizhny Novgorod stadium.

Nineteen-year-old Mbappe scored two goals in the Argentina game, becoming the first teenager since Brazilian great Pele in the 1958 final to score two goals in one World Cup match.

But it was his amazing 70-metre sprint earlier in the match, to win France a penalty, that stunned viewers worldwide.

“I was wondering whether he was riding a scooter,” joked France midfielder Florian Thauvin of the teenager whom Uruguay’s defenders must be having nightmares about.

On the surface, though, Uruguay look relaxed and their experienced central defenders Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin are relishing the chance to foil both Mbappe and their friend and Atletico Madrid team mate Griezmann.

“We want to deny them space, stop them playing, make their strikers uncomfortable - that’s our weapon,” said midfielder Diego Laxalt at the Uruguay camp in a hotel outside Nizhny Novgorod which, oddly, is painted in the colours of Brazil.

With an impressive strike partnership of their own in Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, the Uruguayans believe they can surpass their most recent best of a semi-final in 2010 - though Cavani is sweating on a calf injury that may keep him out.

‘Les Bleus’ will be inspired by the two-decade anniversary of their only World Cup win in 1998, while double winners Uruguay’s modern generation are desperate to recreate the black-and-white-era glories of their 1930 and 1950 trophies.

The winners will play Brazil or Belgium, who meet in their quarter-final in Kazan on Friday evening, for a place in the July 15 final.

Uruguay vs France: When and Where to Watch

1st match: Uruguay vs France

When and Where to watch: Uruguay vs France

Time: 7:30 PM (IST)

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India vs England: Virat Kohli & co look to wrap up series with 2nd T20I win

India stand on the cusp of a 6th successive T20I series' win - a run stretching back to their 2-1 win over New Zealand at home in Nov 2017. Catch live updates of India vs England 2nd T20I match here.

India Vs England 2^nd T20 : Fresh from a clinical eight-wicket victory over England, India will aim to clinch the series when they lock horns with the hosts in the second Twenty-20 International(T20I) of the three-match series at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Friday. The Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli completely outclassed England in the first game, as Kuldeep Yadav's fifer followed by Lokesh Rahul's unbeaten ton guided Indian to a comfortable victory. Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be expecting another dominant show from his side to set the tone for the long England tour.

The Indian team management is likely to stick to the same playing eleven, and will not try to disturb their winning combination. In the batting department. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who failed in the first match, would like to rectify his mistakes in the second T20I against England, while in bowling department, pacers would like to display some disciplined bowling after leaking runs in the opening 10 overs of the first T20I.

On the other hand, England will be desperate to bounce back in the threematch series and would once again rely on opener Jos Buttler, who continued his purple patch of form with another half-century in the opening match. In order to put up a fight against the visitors, apart from Buttler, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, and Eoin Morgan will have to quickly learn to read India's wrist spinners. While England spinner Adil Rashid did a fair job in the first outing, Moeen Ali was expensive and will have to be economical against the spin-friendly Indian batsmen. The English camp will also miss the services of pacer Tom Curran, who has been ruled out of the remaining T20Is and the ODI series owing to a left side strain.

How a series win will affect India and England ICC T20I ranking?

In terms of ICC Rankings, a 2-0 series lead will allow India to close the gap with second-placed Australia, while a whitewash will catapult them to second position, behind top-ranked Pakistan. Australia will have to win both their next two games in the ongoing tri-series in Zimbabwe to stay above India.

A loss on Friday will see England drop down to rank seven below New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies, respectively.

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India vs England T20I: Virat Kohli & co gear up for tough English summer

India will start the English Summer with T20I series, followed by 50-over cricket and Test series in August. Catch live updates here of the first T20Is between India and England.

India Vs England T20 : After a crushing 2-0 victory over minnows Ireland, India led by Virat Kohli will be up against a formidable England in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series (T20Is) at the Old Trafford in Manchester. Indian cricket team's supremacy in shorter formats is redoubtable but India will have their task cut out against a vastly improved England in the opening T20 International in what will be a defining summer for Virat Kohli and his team.

While India has been a consistent limited-overs side over the past 6-7 years, England has of late lifted their game in coloured clothes by miles, thanks to a group of fantastic limited overs players like Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, and Ben Stokes.

Going into today’s series opener, India is expected to play around with set combinations which means Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma teaming up at the top of the order. With veteran Suresh Raina in great hitting form at No 3, and skipper Kohli at No.4, it will be interesting to see if the team management includes the in-form Lokesh Rahul in the middle order. All eyes will also be on the former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was in great touch in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for eventual champions Chennai Super Kings. While Manish Pandey is in running for the fourth spot on account of his good run in international T20 cricket. Batting late in the order, he boasts of 276 runs in 10 matches at average 92 and strike-rate 127.18. These numbers are hard to ignore.

On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah's thumb injury will be a concern as he has played a big role with his death overs bowling. It will be interesting to see whether his replacement, Deepak Chahar, gets his maiden cap even though senior pro Umesh Yadav looks a more likely replacement.

Wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have proven their worth in Ireland and look certain to play against England in the first T20Is.

England, meanwhile, made a few strategic changes by putting assistant coach Paul Farbrace in charge of the T20 team for the Australia and India series, while head coach Trevor Bayliss simultaneously took to domestic cricket scouting. England's recent ploy to promote Jos Buttler as an opener worked in fine fashion as he struck the quickest T20I half-century by an English batsman, with a 22-ball 50, that included six fours and five sixes against the hapless Kangaroos.

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IPL win: Dhoni says fitness counts, not age, of CSK's 30-plus brigade

Shane Watson's sensational knock ensured CSK chased down a challenging 179 with ease in the final match of IPL 2018.

Chennai Super Kings' fairy tale comeback is a proof that fitness matter more than age, said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni  after guiding his team to a third IPL title.

At the auction, CSK were criticised for picking up nine players in their 30s including Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu, who eventually were instrumental in the team's triumph.

"We talked a lot about age but what matters is the fitness. Rayudu, for example, is 32, he's someone who is fit, covers a lot of ground. Even if he plays a few games where he spends a lot of time on the ground and in the field, he never complains. So it is the fitness that really matters more than the age aspect," said the 36-year-old Dhoni after the crushing win over SRH.

"What captains want is players who move well in the field. It doesn't matter which year a player is born in, whether you are 19 or 20 - you have to be agile. You have to accept your shortcomings.

"For example, if I push Watson to stop a single, there is a very good chance that he'll burst his hamstring and won't be available for the next game. So what you tell yourselves is that they have to commit and try, but there's no point getting injured for a single," said Dhoni before adding the CSK squad will be heading to Chennai tomorrow for further celebrations.

Watson's sensational knock ensured CSK chased down a challenging 179 with ease. It was a memorable tournament for the 36-year-old Australian, who ended with 555 runs including two centuries and as many half centuries.

"It's been a special season, to be honest. To get a special season especially after the last season with RCB. It means a lot to be with a franchise like CSK. After those first ten balls I was only hoping to catch up to at least a run-a-ball," said Watson.

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