WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 India reaps tri-series benefits SYDNEY: India’s team director Ravi Shastri dis- neighbors-Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh- missed the tri-series in Australia preceding the crashed out in the quarter-finals, India remain World Cup as a complete waste of time and the only team from the sub-continent to make energy for a side defending their world title in the last four, and make it in style. They have less than two weeks’ time. The former India cap- looked a completely transformed side under tain seemed to have a point as the team, since Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India became the first landing in Australia in late November, could not team to claim 70 wickets in seven matches and register a single win in the four-test series and remained unbeaten going into Thursday’s semi- finished the subsequent tri-series, also involving final against Australia. England, in similar manner. “They’ve just played a lot more cricket here Certainly not an ideal build-up for a team and getting used to the lengths you need to bidding to join West Indies and Australia as the bowl,” Australia opener Aaron Finch said yester- third nation to successfully defend their World day. “It’s no rocket science, they’re bowling well, Cup title. they’re batting well, they’re going to be tough to But what India gained, and Shastri over- beat,” the right-hander said. Dhoni too admitted looked that point, is valuable knowledge of local the tri-series served an important purpose for his conditions in the four months which made them side. “We wanted to give players more opportuni- the World Cup’s best prepared team outside the ties in the tri-series to some extent,” he said after co-hosts. Their pace bowlers, a revelation at the the group stage victory against South Africa. “We World Cup, figured out the right length they pushed for the wins, but we were not able to get need to bowl to succeed and the batsmen went that. “But at the same time we knew with the into the tournament knowing what kind of World Cup right at the corner, this tournament bounce to expect on surfaces vastly different was much more important to us and we had to from the ones back home. make sure people with niggles, they don’t come Hardly a surprise that while three of their into the World Cup.” — Reuters I’ll sledge India if Warner won’t, says Johnson SYDNEY: Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson says and I think you’re going to see more enter- he is considering taking on the role of tainment in this game.” Watson had the last WELLINGTON: Cricket fans watch the Cricket World Cup on a giant screen in the central business district. — AP Australia’s Sledger-in-Chief for tomorrow’s laugh on Pakistan paceman Wahab after World Cup semi-final against India at the their compelling duel in the quarter-finals Sydney Cricket Ground. last week when he helped steer Australia to SCG set to turn Indian Outspoken opener David Warner has victory. Both players were later fined. been on his best behaviour at the World Johnson has some history with India in Cup after getting into hot water over a the sledging stakes and made them pay for series of spats with the Indian side during having the temerity to lampoon him after for Australia semi-final the test series over the New Year. he went wicket-less in the first innings of The fiery exchanges continued into the the second test at the Gabba last Tri-series and Warner was fined for asking December. SYDNEY: India fans are likely to outnumber their from fans tomorrow. “It will be very loud, very about it last night at dinner, the last game we India’s Rohit Sharma to “speak English” dur- The 33-year-old slugged 88 off 93 balls Australian counterparts when the two teams intimidating,” Kartik told the Sydney-based Daily played here it definitely felt like that. ing a slanging match in a one-dayer at the to help rescue Australia’s first innings and clash in the World Cup semi-final in Sydney Telegraph newspaper. “It will feel like an away “The passion the Indian fans show towards Melbourne Cricket Ground in January. “I then took three wickets in a dazzling spell tomorrow-much to the annoyance of the home game for them. “The drummers will be going their cricket team is sensational, so we’re defi- heard Davy said he wasn’t going to get of bowling and finished with figures of 4-61 captain. Australia skipper Michael Clarke and around the ground and people will be dancing, nitely expecting that. “The last game we played involved in all that stuff,” paceman Johnson as Australia won the match by four wickets. team-mate David Warner sent out identical singing and cheering every run India score, every against India here (a tri-series match) was a told Fox TV yesterday. “I love it. The more that comes my way, the tweets, saying: “I call on all Australian cricket wicket they take. People will be going nuts.” washout and the fans were unbelievable in the “Someone’s got to do it and I might put better,” he said at the time. lovers to paint the SCG gold tomorrow. We need Kartik, a Melbourne-based IT professional, said way they supported.” my hand up. It’s part of the game and what As well as Warner, Indians Shikhar your support. #goldout” the tweets by Clarke and Warner pleading for Swami Army’s Kartik said those Australians happened the other day with Shane Dhawan, Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli The hashtag, referring to the Australian team Australian support at the match indicated how who turned up at the SCG on Thursday would (Watson) and Wahab (Riaz) was exception- were fined for clashes during the test colors, has ironically caught the fancy of more much the home team were worried. get another taste of what cricket means in South al. “I thought it was great entertainment series. — Reuters Indian Twitter users than Australian. Organisers “I think those tweets definitely say they’re Asia. “This country won’t have seen this level of believe that 70 percent of tickets at the sold-out going to be outnumbered,” he said. “I would have support or atmosphere for cricket games,” he 42,000-capacity Sydney Cricket Ground have thought that would be a standard expectation said. “You have to go to the sub-continent to get been bought by by India fans, threatening to cre- for the Aussie fans without their heroes going on that kind of feel, so we are effectively bringing ate an environment reminiscent of the frenzied Twitter to plead with them. that atmosphere to Sydney. It’s going to be a atmosphere of Eden Gardens in Kolkata. “They’re really scraping the barrel there. I spectacle.” Kartik said fans were still looking for If the pitch suits spinners, as has been the case think it’s a message in itself. “India versus tickets as they looked to cheer on the defending at the SCG in the past, co-hosts Australia may well Australia in a World Cup semi-final, it doesn’t get champions. “It’s pretty much name your price feel as though they have been kicked out of their much bigger than that.” kind of thing,” he said. “It’s the hottest ticket in own party. Kartik Ayyalasomayajula, one of the Australian all-rounder James Faulkner said the town at the moment.” India, who won the 2011 founders of the Swami Army-India’s version of team was prepared for a hostile response from World Cup in South Asia, defeated Ricky England’s Barmy Army supporters group-forecast Indian fans. Asked if the match will feel like an Ponting’s Australia in the quarter-finals in the Australian team would be in for a hard time away fixture, Faulkner said: “We were talking Ahmedabad. — AFP Finch reckons he’s close to the ‘big one’ SYDNEY: Opener Aaron Finch knows he’s the I’m not getting a whole lot of runs,” he told that looks highly unlikely and the Australia team one Australian batsman struggling for runs reporters yesterday. “Whenever you don’t get should be unchanged-give or take the inclusion ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup semi-final runs, it starts to build up,” he added. “Whatever of specialist spinner Xavier Doherty. against India but, ever confident, thinks a big happens tomorrow will happen, I’m not one Although Finch does not want to over- innings is just around the corner. Finch opened who over-analyses it too much. analyse his form, he has clearly given plenty of his campaign with a pugnacious 135 against “When you look down the batting list, every- thought to how a turnaround in fortunes might England but has struggled since, contributing one’s been playing perfectly and I’m probably come about tomorrow. just 54 runs in his last five innings as co-hosts the only one who’s missed out in the last couple “You try and hit a couple at the start of the Australia charged into the last four of the tour- of games. innings to get a roll on,” he said. “(But) when nament. Former skipper Ricky Ponting said this “I’m confident going into this game, I’ve got you’re not hitting them that well, you get down week Finch’s technical flaws were exposed when no reason not to be.