'We are pretty comfortable as a side and any combination that we go in with.'
Former Australia opener and chief coach Geoff Marsh feels that speedster Mitchell Starc's performance will be key for the home team in their upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final clash against India at the SCG on Thursday.
It was waiting to happen after India's unceremonious World Cup exit and on Wednesday the Board of Control for Cricket in India ended Virat Kohli's run as India's white-ball captain with a rather matter-of-fact statement, handing the reins to Rohit Sharma "going forward".
Opener Shikhar Dhawan believes the right blend of youth and experience makes India a formidable side and it would be great if they can emulate the past success of five-time World champions Australia.
The fourth One-Day International between India and Australia was abandoned in Ranchi, because of a wet outfield caused by heavy rain.
Australia rode David Warner's belligerent 127 to chase down a modest target and beat England by three wickets with 10 overs to spare in the first match of the tri-series, also involving India, on Friday. England's new One-Day International captain Eoin Morgan roared back into form with a scintillating 121 but his team was dismissed for 234 inside 48 overs against some impressive bowling by Mitchel Starc (4-42) and James Faulkner (3-47).
The India skipper believes that Hardik Pandya can become a bankable player for the team in years to come.
Steve Smith capped a remarkable season by sweeping the main awards at the annual Allan Border Medal ceremony
India, Australia, England and New Zealand have ridden the wave and reached the final four on the strength of clear plans and outstanding individuals.
Among the Indians, while Robin Uthappa was bought by Rajasthan Royals for 3 crore, Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari went unsold.
Banned former Australian captain Steve Smith, on Wednesday, said Cricket Australia executives James Sutherland and Pat Howard played a key role in spreading the toxic 'win at all costs' culture
Australian batsman George Bailey has claimed that his side's World Cup squad has played consistently since the past 12 or 18 months, despite injuries, inexperience and the pressure of a home tournament bearing down on them.
Australia will need their top order to fire against New Zealand's disciplined attack and persist with four specialist bowlers.
Reigning champion India will be bidding to gain further momentum and become only the third side in World Cup history to successfully defend its title after West Indies in 1975 and 1979 and Australia, who won the coveted prize three times in succession between 1999 and 2007.
The Longstaff review criticised CA for fostering a culture of "winning without counting the cost" and blamed the governing body in part for the ball-tampering crisis, which led to the suspensions of former captain Steve Smith and two other players.
Images from the Australia-Bangladesh World Cup match in Nottingham, on Thursday.
Placed eighth in the International Cricket Council's T20 batting charts, captain Virat Kohli will look to improve his and Team India's rankings in the upcoming series against Ireland and England.
A hard-hitting 92 by Marlon Samuels, which included three consecutive sixes in the 42nd over, helped lift West Indies to a four-wicket over Australia in the fifth game of a triangular one-day international (ODI) series in St Kitts on Monday.
Virat Kohli's 40th ODI century and Vijay Shankar's fine all-round showing helped India down Australia by eight runs to take a 2-0 series lead, in Nagpur, on Tuesday.
Australia pace bowler Kane Richardson is to return home for further examination on a back injury and has been replaced by Joel Paris in the squad for their final one-day match against New Zealand in Hamilton on Monday. Richardson, 24, did not play in Australia's four-wicket victory in the second match in Wellington on Saturday. "Kane Richardson's back pain hasn't subsided sufficiently to take part in the final ODI in Hamilton," a Cricket Australia spokesperson told Australian reporters in Wellington on Sunday.
India will eye revenge for their defeat in one-day series as they meet fierce rivals Australia in three Twenty20 Internationals, starting on Tuesday, January 26 at Adelaide Oval. Games will also be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (January 29) and Sydney Cricket Ground (January 31). The matches will see some of the world's explosive batsmen in action, while the series is also tipped as a much-needed preparatory ground ahead of the crucial World T20 scheduled to be held in March in India.
Frustrated by the performance of his bowlers in the second One-Day International against Australia in Brisbane on Friday, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni declared that given the attack at his disposal right now even 300-plus scores are not enough against the home side.
Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are India's highest-ranked batsman and bowler in third and 13th positions respectively.
India will need to win at least a game in the upcoming one-dayer series against Australia to retain their current second position in the ICC ODI Team Championships, even as second-placed Virat Kohli looks to close in on AB de Villiers in the batting chart. World champions Australia go head to head with former winner India in a five-match series in Perth on Tuesday. Australia (127) lead second-ranked India (114) by 13 points and even if they lose all the five matches of the series, they will drop points but still finish a point ahead of India.
Jasprit Bumrah's amazing skill-set gives India a realistic chance of winning the World Cup but a 'freak' called David Warner might just retain it for Australia, believes 2015 World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke.
Images from the opening ODI between Australia and India at the WACA, Perth, on Tuesday.
The fond memories of 2015 came rolling back for Mitchell Starc after beginning his World Cup campaign in near-identical fashion to his crowning moment.
Australia vice-captain Alex Carey said the ODI series win against a top team like India 'will mean a lot' considering the hosts' struggles over the last 12 months.
India will be itching to avenge the thrashing they got in Guwahati when they take on an edgy but resilient Australia in the series-deciding third and final Twenty20 International in Hyderabad on Friday.
Who were the most valuable players in the just-concluded India-Australia ODI series? Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji 's formula provides overwhelming evidence that the bat complete overwhelmed the bat.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens to begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) defense on an emphatic note.
India's batsmen have gone about their job efficiently, posting big totals on the board but the bowlers have been ordinary at best, allowing the hosts to chase down those tall scores in each of the first three ODIs of the five-match series.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the fascinating career numbers of players in the World Cup.
But Smith believes the world champions have a quality squad to bounce back in the series.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah found his mojo as India got back to winning ways with a morale-lifting 13-run triumph over Australia in the third and final ODI in Canberra on Wednesday, salvaging some of the lost pride in a 1-2 series defeat.
A World Cup victory will put Kohli in a league of his own and even those sceptical about his tactical nous, will have no other option but to grudgingly doff their hats at his heady achievements.
While three of their neighbours -- Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- crashed out in the quarter-finals, India remain the only team from the sub-continent to make the last four, and make it in style.
With the teams entering the final phase of their preparations for next year's World Cup, former batting great Ian Chappell said defending champions India, Australia and South Africa are the favourites to win the game's showpiece event.
West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron might have sounded defiant after the board meeting last week but it is being reported now that the members have forged an agreement to end the players' pay dispute that led to the West Indies team's abrupt pull-out from the India tour.
Ashton Turner took an experienced Indian attack to the cleaners with some unbelievable hitting, helping Australia chase down a record breaking target of 359 runs and level the five-match series.
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