MS DHONI : I play for the enjoyment of the game

I play for the enjoyment of the game - Dhoni MS Dhoni has not ruled out playing another World Cup for India. Speaking at the post-match press conference after India's defeat to Australia in their semi-final at the SCG, Dhoni said he would probably think about his long-term future after next year's World T20.

"I'm not sure about it," Dhoni said, when asked if he would play another World Cup. "I'm 33, I'm still running, I'm still fit, but I'll have a year's time, maybe close to next year, during the T20 World Cup will be the time I would like to decide whether I'll continue till the 2019 World Cup or not."

Dhoni retired from Test cricket in late December, handing over the captaincy of the Test team to Virat Kohli. He remains India's captain in the shorter formats.

When it was his turn to take the mike, Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, said he was sure Dhoni would continue to play on for a while yet.

"I heard you ask if it is going to be his last World Cup," Clarke said. "I'm pretty sure it's not going to be, there's a lot of cricket left in his body yet."

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AUSTRALIA VS NEWZEALAND CRICKET WORLD CUP 2015 FINAL LIVE

Sydney: Skipper Michael Clarke says Australia's experience playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be a major factor in Sunday's World Cup final against New Zealand. (Match Report)

Australia put themselves in line for a fifth World Cup title with an emphatic 95-run semi-final victory over defending champions India in Sydney on Thursday.

The Black Caps won a nerve-tingling semi-final against South Africa in Auckland on Tuesday with a six off the penultimate ball to book their first World Cup final appearance after losing all six of their previous semi-finals.

New Zealand downed Australia by one wicket in a sensational finish to their low-scoring pool game in Auckland earlier in the tournament, but Clarke believes it will be different in Sunday's final. (Dhawan Joins India Legends)

The Black Caps last played Australia in an ODI at the MCG six years ago and overall have won just four of their 19 ODIs against the Aussies at the ground. (Anushka Should Not be Blamed for Kohli's Poor Form: Ganguly)

"I think the fact that the conditions will be different will certainly help us and we've played a fair bit of cricket throughout the summer at the MCG as well," Clarke told reporters after Thursday's victory.

"Conditions are a lot different to what New Zealand have been playing in New Zealand, but in saying that we will have to play our best cricket to win.

"New Zealand have been the form team of the competition and they certainly deserve to be in the final. "There is always that great rivalry between Australia and New Zealand and the fact that the two hosting nations are in the final is extremely special."

Defeated India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said New Zealand's biggest obstacle will be dealing with the size of the vast MCG arena after playing all their pool matches on smaller New Zealand grounds.

"The one biggest thing that the New Zealand team will have to deal with is the size of the field," Dhoni said.

"In New Zealand you can get away with quite a few mis-timed shots. Generally, in New Zealand you get good wickets but when you come to Australia you get a bit of reverse swing and the same time you might get wickets that are slightly two-paced.

"How New Zealand take risks will be something that is very crucial and Australia have that advantage of knowing the wickets well and having three left-arm fast bowlers in their armoury."

Clarke said mentally the Australians were ready to play in Sunday's tournament decider.

"Obviously, we haven't got much time and recovery will be our goal and focus over the next two days," he said.

"I think physical recovery is the most important thing for us right now. Mentally, the team is ready for this final. "We have been building up throughout this tournament to get this opportunity to play in a World Cup final."

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World Cup 2015: Australia vs India match facts

SYDNEY: Ten match facts for Thursday's World Cup semi-final between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

1. This is the first World Cup semi-final between these teams. Previous World Cup knockout stage matches have produced one win apiece (Australia won the 2003 final, India a quarter-final in 2011).

2. Australia have won their last 12 completed one-day Internationals on home soil.

3. Aaron Finch has been the subject of six lbw appeals in the tournament, ..

4. Shane Watson is one of two players to score at least 500 World Cup runs at an average of at least 50 and a strike rate of 100+ (AB de Villiers is the other).

5. Glenn Maxwell has scored 77 runs from the 54 balls Ravichandran Ashwin has bowled to him in ODIs, hitting four fours and seven sixes. He has been dismissed once.

6. Maxwell (30.5%) has the lowest dot ball percentage in the tournament, minimum 50 balls faced -- he has hit 301 runs from 164 balls.

7. Rohit Sharma has hit 124 runs from the 108 balls James Faulkner has bowled to him in ODIs, without being dismissed.

8. Mohammed Shami (69%) and Mitchell Starc (68%) have the two highest dot ball percentages in the tournament, minimum 50 balls bowled.

9. Mitchell Starc has the lowest ODI bowling average (17.4) and strike rate (22.5) in Australia, minimum 50 wickets taken.

10. Shane Watson has reached 50 in three of his last four, and four of his last six, ODI INNINGS at Sydney.

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INDIA VS AUSTRALIA WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL LIVE

There are two reasons why Australia do not start overwhelming favourites in the WC semifinal against India on Thursday the weary, end-of-the-season, fairly grassless pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground as well as India's competitive instinct, fuelled by hunger and intensity, lending a greater sense of balance to the high-voltage clash.

A large section of SCG is expected to back Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team but the Indian captain will be well aware that his team and he will have to dig deep in their reserves to be able to stop Australia from setting up Sunday's title clash with their trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand. If the teams turn up at the park with their A games, fans could get a game to cherish.

India have had a fine run in the World Cup, winning all seven starts, but they will have to be well on top of their A game to be able to beat the strong and determined home side and get to within one match of having the chance to defending the crown, a feat achieved only by the great sides of the West Indies and Australia.

To be sure, it is not beyond Dhoni and his men. The top three batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli all relish the challenge of squaring up against the best bowling line-up. If they can extend that to Thursday's massive showdown, India can keep their tryst with the grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

India's bowlers have caught the eye by lifting their game and executing the plans admirably. Mohit Sharma's back-of-the-hand slower delivery could be one the handiest weapons on the SCG track that is not expected to be aid bowlers overtly. The slowness of the pitch could make off-spinner R Ashwin's variations of pace and Ravindra Jadeja's accuracy key, too.

After spending an evening, sweating under covers as it rained over Sydney, the pitch was back under the charge of its caretakers, curator Tom Parker and his colleagues. Between sessions of rolling spread over the day, the pitch had a number of curious visitors, including Australia coach Darren Lehmenn, Chairman of Selectors Rod Marsh and his colleague Mark Waugh.

Clearly, the curator's attempt has been to ensure that the pitch would be even-paced unlike in the quarterfinal where it started off being dual-paced and challenged the Sri Lanka batsmen. It would be important for the team batting first to ensure that not too many wickets are lost in the mandatory powerplay.

Shane Watson's show of character must count as a positive spin-off of Australia's engaging quarterfinal skirmish with Pakistan or a fired-up left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz, to be more specific. His presence in the middle-order does lend experienced muscle to go with the youthful exuberance of Glenn Maxwell.

New Zealand's entry into the title round more so as squad that has won all its eight matches in the World Cup can work as an extra spark for Australia, known to have a long history of intense antipodean rivalry. But as Australian captain Michael Clarke pointed out repeatedly, his team did not need such external factors to find the drive to win the game.

Of course, Australia have not lost an ODI in Sydney in the last three years but that must be tempered by the knowledge that only one of those games the recent victory over Sri Lanka has been played in the month of March. And it is of some significance that India beat Australia in March 2008, with Rohit Sharma sharing a century stand with Sachin Tendulkar.

The South Africans felt the crowd pressure a couple of times in the tournament, notably against India in Melbourne on February 22 and New Zealand in Auckland on Tuesday. Will it be the Australians' turn to be playing an 'away' game at home, given the hordes of Indian supporters who will turn up at the SCG on Thursday?

For this one time, we can believe the truism that is often spouted in limited-over cricket. For once, let us accept that the team that keeps its nerves in check and expresses itself under pressure on Thursday would earn the right to take that flight to Melbourne for the WC final against New Zealand. Teams:

India (From): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(c/w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Axar Patel, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ambati Rayudu

Australia (From): Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steven Smith, Michael Clarke(c), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin(w), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Xavier Doherty, George Bailey, Pat Cummins

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Cricket: New Zealand v South Africa match facts

Ten match facts for Tuesday's World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland (14:00 local/01:00GMT):


- South Africa have won one and lost seven of the nine semi-finals they have played in all one-day international tournaments. The other was a tie, against Australia at the 1999 World Cup -- a result that saw them eliminated on lower Super Six table placing.


- This will be the seventh World Cup meeting between these sides with the Black Caps having won four of the previous six encounters. The only one of these that was a knockout match however was New Zealand's win at the quarter-final stage at Dhaka in 2011.


- Daniel Vettori needs one more wicket to become New Zealand's leading wicket taker in World Cup history; he is currently tied with Jacob Oram on 36.


- South Africa have won three of their last four completed ODIs against New Zealand at Eden Park.


- The Black Caps have lost the toss in the last 12 ODIs they have played at Eden Park and have been put into bat on nine of these occasions, winning just one of these nine (L5, T1, 2x N/R).


- Seven players have hit three consecutive ODI centuries before, if Martin Guptill hits a ton in this match he will be the third Black Caps player to do so.


- Two more runs will see Guptill become the first Kiwi to score 500+ runs in a single World Cup, Scott Styris hit 499 in 2007. He would become the eighth player from any nation to achieve the feat.


- Brendon McCullum has the highest boundaries per ball faced rate (34%) at this tournament.


- Imran Tahir has bowled more balls (404) than any other player at this tournament; he and Vettori are the joint top wicket taking spinners (both 15).


- Farhaan Behardien has scored 74 runs off the 36 balls he has faced in the tournament; he has the lowest dot ball percentage of any player (11.1%).


- Kane Williamson has scored 53 runs from 51 balls bowled by Morne Morkel in ODIs, never having been dismissed by the South African seamer.

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CRICKET WORLD CUP 2015 : NEWZEALAND VS SOUTH AFRICA 1ST SEMIFINAL LIVE

The four best teams in the World Cup have made it to the semi-finals, and now the first of the two big knockouts is upon us - South Africa versus New Zealand in Auckland. The last time New Zealand play at home in the World Cup. If they win, they'll go to the MCG. If South Africa win, it is they who will head to the MCG.

It's very difficult to keep any one of these two teams ahead. There was a feeling that at the start of the World Cup, South Africa would do something special. They have had a pretty up and down group stage, but they emphatically went past Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals at the SCG. And now they face New Zealand, who have been in great form in the tournament along with India. It's hard to differentiate between India and New Zealand, but for me New Zealand, right through the tournament, have not put a foot wrong.

They smashed West Indies in the quarter-final in Wellington. Martin Guptill made 237, and what a time to get a double-hundred. The quarter-final of a World Cup, at home, and in Wellington which is his home city - what an outstanding knock. It just goes to show the way New Zealand have dominated the tournament. Guptill will carry that confidence into the semi-final against South Africa, yet he will know it will be a one-ball game at Eden Park. You've got to start from scratch against Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Kyle Abbott and Imran Tahir.

New Zealand have been hit by the loss of Adam Milne but they will still believe in their bowling attack that has done so well in the World Cup. Trent Boult will be the trump card. Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori keep coming at you, throw in Corey Anderson and you get a very balanced side with both ball and bat.

South Africa should also go in unchanged. They don't have the luxury of someone like Jacques Kallis as the fifth bowler who is also a middle-order batsman, so they've decided to go with the extra batsman. I think that's what they will persist with in the semi-final.

They will be tested on a small ground like Eden Park, which will not be an easy place for the spinners to bowl on. Someone like JP Duminy, who had such a successful quarter-final in Sydney, could find it tough. The straight boundaries at Eden Park are small, and a lot of these New Zealand batsmen, who are clean strikers of the ball - Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson. Anderson, in particular, is a very dangerous player down the order. Players like him will target these short boundaries. So that could once again be a problem area for South Africa.

In Sydney, the quicks taking top-order wickets took a lot of pressure off Duminy, but if they cannot do that then the pressure will be right back on him. The key for South Africa will be to take early wickets to make sure that Duminy's ten overs don't cost a lot.

New Zealand have been in the semi-finals before, but have never won. In the 2011 edition, they lost to Sri Lanka in the semi-finals in Colombo, but now they are playing in their own backyard. It is a semi-final at home, so no one can say that there's no pressure on themselves. The expectations will always be high.

Interestingly, it will be a semi-final between two teams that have never reached a World Cup final. This time, one of New Zealand and South Africa will be a finalist. New Zealand look a better side on paper, they are in form, and they are playing at home with confidence. I'm not putting anyone ahead, its still 50-50. But, I just get the feeling, as I said at the start of the World Cup, that this could be South Africa's tournament.

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DANIEL VETTORI'S STUNNING CATCH

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Cricket World Cup 2015: Martin Guptill Becomes Second Highest ODI Scorer

Martin Guptill created history when he became the first New Zealand player to hit a double century in ODIs. His eventual 237* was the second best in an ODI innings - second only to Rohit Sharma's 264.

Guptill achieved the feat in the fourth quarter-final of World Cup 2015 against West Indies on Saturday, becoming just the second player to hit a World Cup double ton after Chris Gayle scored 215 vs Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament. The right-hander became the fifth player to score 200 in this format (It was the sixth occasion as Rohit Sharma had achieved the feat twice).

Factoids

* Guptill surpassed his own best of 189* which was the best by a Kiwi before Saturday's match.

* Guptill slammed 137 off the final 52 balls that he faced.

* Guptill now has 498 runs in World Cup 2015.

* The two highest individual ODI scorers - Rohit and Guptill - were both dropped when they were on 4.



Guptill went past Gayle to become the highest individual scorer in World Cups. He eventually crossed Virender Sehwag (219) to have the second highest individual score in ODIs, after Rohit Sharma (264). He is now the only cricketer to have scored more than 150 in a World Cup knockout match. He is also the only Kiwi to have two scores in excess of 150 in ODIs. His previous best was 189 against England in 2013. The Kiwi opener finished off unbeaten on 237 off 163 balls.

The innings however did not start with as much aggression. Guptill came out to open the innings after Brendon McCullum opted to bat. The skipper fell in the fifth over with West Indies getting the early breakthrough courtesy Jason Holder's running catch off Jerome Taylor. Although Guptill himself was dropped early on, it had little effect on him as he partnered Kane Williamson next to keep the runs coming.

The cornerstone of Guptill's knock was his orthodox stroke-play - each shot coming almost straight out of cricket coaching manuals. He steadily accumulated runs and despite losing Williamson along the way, reached his fifty off 64 balls. Reaching his fifty was only a sign of bigger and better things to come as Guptill switched to top gear with ease. Runs continued to flow as he reached his seventh ODI hundred off 111 balls.

This was Guptill's second consecutive ton in the World Cup. He made 105 against Bangladesh in the final league match which ensured New Zealand remained unbeaten in Pool A. The Kiwi opener has had a mixed World Cup with scores of 49, 17, 22, 11 and 57 in the first five games. Fans would now cheer louder as after some good starts, Guptill has begun converting them into big knocks.

Guptill raced to his 150 and it was just a matter of time before he reached the landmark of 200. His innings was graced with 21 fours and 8 sixes. He achieved the milestone in 152 balls.

The 28-year-old used the long handle to good effect in the middle and death overs as all his clean hits cleared the ropes by miles. This resulted in him scoring 137 runs off his last 52 balls. His late charge ensured that West Indies would have a steep chase ahead of them as New Zealand finished on 393/6.

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SHANE WATSON VS WAHAB RIAZ

Australia's Shane Watson and Pakistan's Wahab Riaz have been fined for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the quarter-final clash between Australia and Pakistan in Adelaide on Friday. The confrontation between Watson and Wahab was one of the most memorable moments in the match in which Australia emerged victorious by six wickets, with Watson scoring 54 and Wahab emerging with figures of 9-0-54-2.

Watson was fined 15 percent of his match fee while Wahab was fined 50 percent of his match fee by match referee Ranjan Madugalle. The Australian allrounder breached Article 2.1.8 (a) of the ICC Code while the Pakistan pace bowler was found guilty of breaching Article 2.1.4 of the code which relates using a language or gesture which was found to be obscene or offensive during the match.

The pair were engaged in a memorable battle in Adelaide. Wahab was pumped up and in a memorable six-over spell, he got the wickets of David Warner and Michael Clarke. He greeted Watson with a series of pacy bouncers and had him in a tight spot at the start of the innings. However, the incident which led to the fine occured in the 33rd over when Watson spoke back to Wahab after the bowler had bowled another bouncer.

The charges were levelled by umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus, third umpire Richard Illingworth and fourth umpire Billy Bowden. Explaining his decision, Madugalle stated, "It was an enthralling contest between Shane and Wahab, but in the closing stages of the match both players crossed that fine line between intense competition and unacceptable behaviour, and this resulted in the sanctions," he said.

Speaking in the post match press conference, Wahab stated that he was fired up after Watson had indulged in some talk while he was batting. "When I was batting Watson just came up to me and said, 'Are you holding a bat?' And that was going through my mind. I let him know that even he is having the bat, but he couldn't touch the ball. I know that nowadays, he's not good on the short ball. It was a plan of myself that we discussed in the team meeting," he said.

However, Michael Clarke has lavished praise on Wahab and said luck played a big factor during that hostile spell. "That spell by Wahab was as good as any I have faced in one-day cricket after a long time. Left-armers are always tough to face for right-hand batsmen because the ball comes on to you. If that catch off Watson had been taken, who knows what would have happened. This game would have been closer for sure."

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WORLD CUP 2015 : PAKISTAN VS AUSTRALIA LIVE

Australia will start favourite to win their ICC Cricket World Cup quarterfinal against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Friday not only because they have the team with the better all-round strength but also because there is a hint of fragility about the batting unit in Misbah-ul-Haq's team. Curiously, Australia captain Michael Clarke expects a wonderful, entertaining game.

Yet, Australia captain Michael Clarke, thought to be beleaguered at the start of the World Cup because of his runs-in with selectors and Cricket Australia officials but seeming to be well in control of the leadership, said his team will have to play their best cricket on Friday to beat Pakistan. "I don't think you're ever owed anything in this game of cricket," he said.

"It's been a long tournament. It's been a really good tournament for the game of cricket. I think everybody's at a stage now where it's been building and building and everybody's really excited that we're finally here. Your No. 1 goal is to make it to the quarterfinals. When you get here, you look forward to that big stage and playing against the best," Clarke said.

"I think Pakistan have been underrated for a long time, especially in the shorter form of the game. I think they've got a lot of talent. I think they're attack is very good and they've shown that throughout this series. I think they've got a good mix of youth and experience and their batting really well, and they're led well from Misbah," Clarke said.

With a batting unit that includes explosive openers David Warner and Aaron Finch, the incredibly talented Steve Smith, Clarke himself and allrounders Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell, Australia can be expected to handle the challenge of the Pakistan pace bowlers, led by Wahab Riaz, who has surprised out many batsmen with his pace and skiddy bounce.

Even though left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson has not been their spearhead ceding that spot to the deadly Mitchell Starc Australia have the attack to keep the Pakistan batsmen in check. Sarfraz Ahmed has infused vim and vigour in the Pakistan batting but, as skipper Misbah-ul-Haq pointed out, it is important for them to not lose too many wickets at the start.

Misbah also said his team believed in itself, drawing strength from the fact that favourites do not always have to win games. "The team that performs better on a day, has better chances, better luck, can really defeat any team. We are hopeful and very positive. I think we've got a bowling line-up which can really go through any team, and a few batters just getting back into form. This is only a matter of just putting a good show on that day," he said.

Yet, viewed dispassionately, Australia will have to contribute to their own downfall but by the looks of it, Clarke's team is not ready to drop its intensity yet. "Tomorrow will be a tough challenge and I believe we have to be at our best to beat them," Clarke reiterated, but Pakistan will have to find a magical batting show to stop Australia from going to the Sydney.

The teams:

Australia (from): Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin (wicket-keeper), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, Geroge Bailey and Xavier Doherty.

Pakistan (from): Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Sarfraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Sohain Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Aahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Haris Sohail, Yasir Shah, Nasir Jamshed and Ehsan Adil.

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INDIA WINS AGAINST BANGLADESH IN WORLD CUP 2015 QUARTER FINAL

Mahendra Singh Dhoni could not have asked for more from his team as an intense India turned in another professional display, swinging from a seemingly dispassionate approach to batting to taking a fiercely passionate attitude to the field to enter the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal with a 109-run victory over Bangladesh on Thursday.
Rohit Sharma's maiden World Cup century (137, 126 balls, 14 fours, three sixes) brought him huge relief and his team-mates delight as India quelled Bangladesh's aspirations of restricting India to a sub-300 total. His sensible, mature countenance was as crucial as Suresh Raina's brisk counter-attack that fetched him 65 (57 balls, seven fours, one six).
Led by Umesh Yadav's fiery spell with the new ball on a none-too-helpful track, Indian bowlers put paid to any aspirations Bangladesh may have had of becoming the first team to chase 300-plus for a win at MCG. Stunning catches by Shikhar Dhawan and Dhoni himself and a spectacular run out effected by the Ravindra Jadeja-Yadav combine was the icing on the cake.
Bangladesh needed Tamim Iqbal to blaze from the start if they were to chase India's 302 for six. He did try gamely, knocking a series of boundaries off Mohammed Shami when the new ball bowler pitched up but Yadav got a delivery to jag away from the left-hander for Dhoni to lunge forward and get his gloves under the catch.
Jadeja then turned in a piece of magic at short point off the next delivery, forcing the new batsman to stand rooted in his tracks and selling non-striker Imrul Kayes a dummy. Jadeja sprinted to his right, flung himself at the ball, rolled over and fired an accurate throw at the non-striker's end where Yadav had done well to run back to the wicket and complete the run out.
On a day when Rohit Sharma notched up his seventh ODI century, Yadav's first spell read 5-1-9-1. There can be no doubt that the paceman scripted fine spells of swing and pace and set Bangladesh back considerably. He finished with four for 31. Shami and Jadeja claimed two wickets apiece but Yadav's hostile bowling was a thing of beauty on Thursday.
Bangladesh's form batsman Mahmudullah, with two hundreds under his belt, showed intent but was brilliantly caught at long leg by Dhawan when he hooked Shami. Dhawan's awareness of the boundary line and his presence of mind to lob the ball in play and complete the catch was a tribute to the efforts of the team and the coaching staff.
Dhoni flung himself to his left to take a single-handed catch to dismiss Soumya Sarkar off a very good Shami bouncer. The rare sight of the Indian captain taking a diving catch caused the whole team to rush to him and celebrate what he was to call a 'fluke'.
Bangladesh would have fancied being in the game for a brief while in the wake of Virat Kohl's fall to an extravagant square drive that only ended up in wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim's gloves. Coming barely eight deliveries after Shikhar Dhawan was stumped off Shakib Al Hasan, Kohli's fall could have fired Mashrafe Mortaza's team up.
The responsible manner in which Rohit anchored the innings augured well for India. It did not matter to him that hordes of fans, painted-faces, blowing horns, waving flags, may not have appreciated the pace of scoring when Ajinkya Rahane and he batted with an eye on keeping wickets intact.
Yet, Bangladesh were left hoping for a more incisive attack on a track that was on the slower side and was two-paced. Taskin Ahmed finished with the wickets of Rahane (caught at extra cover attempting an inside out stroke), Rohit (yorked) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (caught at point in the 49th over) but Bangladesh lacked the creativity to keep India on the backfoot.
If there was anything more that Dhoni could have asked for, it would not have to do with his team's skills; he would not be too concerned about Virat Kohli and his own batting failures on Thursday. He would have loved the Melbourne Cricket Ground not to have vast empty spaces during the quarterfinal.
If Dhoni's team secures an eighth successive win in Sydney next Thursday and there is no reason not to expect that on a wearing, end-of-the-season track India may see a full house at MCG on March 29. That India resisted the temptation to embrace an emotional, even arrogant, approach on Thursday speaks of their intent.

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SHIKHAR DHAWAN'S CATCH INDIA VS BANGLADESH WORLD CUP QUARTER FINAL

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CRICINFO : INDIA VS BANGLADESH LIVE SCORE CARD

WEBSITE LIST WHICH PROVIDES LIVE CRICKET SCORE CARD EPSN CRICINFO INDIA.COM THANK YOU

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WORLD CUP 2015: INDIA VS BANGLADESH QUARTER FINAL LIVE FACTS

1.Eight of the last completed 10 one-day internationals between these teams have been won by the chasing team. However, the most recent clash, at Dhaka in June 2014, saw India successfully defend a total of 105, bowling Bangladesh out for 58.

2.All six of the ODIs between these teams at neutral venues have been won by the team that batted second.

3. Virat Kohli (506) needs 87 runs to pass Gautam Gambhir (592) as the leading run-scorer in ODIs between these teams.

4. Kohli has reached 50 in five of his six innings against Bangladesh (three of which have been converted into centuries), averaging 126.5 with a strike rate of exactly 100. This average of 126.5 is the highest any player holds against an opponent, minimum 500 runs scored. India have won five of these contests, Bangladesh's victory coming at the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup - the only World Cup meeting.

5. Since falling for a first-ball duck in his first World Cup innings when batting second in 2007, MS Dhoni has hit 281 runs (two dismissals) in six knocks when chasing - India have won all six games.

6. No Bangladesh batsman hit a century in any of the team's first 28 matches at World Cups - there have been two in the last two, both recorded by Mahmudullah.

7. Since the start of the 2007 World Cup, MS Dhoni has been dismissed once by bowlers in the Bangladesh squad, scoring 142 runs from 155 balls faced.

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We can hear you now !

The communication between on-field umpires and the third umpire in case of a TV referral will be available on air during the quarterfinals, semifinals and final of the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, an ICC press release said on Tuesday.

The governing body trialled it during a five-ODI series between hosts Australia and South Africa late last year and received positive feedback on it.

The viewer normally is not clued in on the conversation and is left to their own imagination but the ICC's decision to make it available on air over the next seven matches will surely add more spice to what has already turned out to be a very successful World Cup.

South Africa play Sri Lanka in the first quarterfinal at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. This match will be followed by India-Bangladesh (Thursday, Melbourne), Australia-Pakistan (Friday, Adelaide) and New Zealand-West Indies (Saturday, Wellington) ties.

The semifinals will be played on March 24 and March 26 in Auckland and Sydney respectively and the winner-take-all contest will be played on March 29 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

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Red Bull threaten to quit F1 unless regulations are changed

Red Bull have warned they could quit F1 unless the sport’s regulations are overhauled in the wake of Mercedes' crushing victory in the Australian GP.

The former world champions finished the season-opening event a lap down on runaway leaders Mercedes, who have dominated the sport since the advent of F1’s new power-centric turbo era.

According to Helmut Marko, an advisor to Dietrich Mateschitz, the Red Bull magnate who owns both the eponymous outfit and its junior team Toro Rosso, the group could withdraw from the sport at the end of the year.

"We will evaluate the situation again [in the summer] as every year and look into costs and revenues," Marko was quoted telling the Austrian media in Melbourne.

"If we are totally dissatisfied we could contemplate an F1 exit. The danger is there that Mr Mateschitz loses his passion for F1."

The warning comes despite Red Bull having signed a deal with F1’s commercial right controller, Bernie Ecclestone, committing themselves until 2020.

Speaking on Monday, Ecclestone said he didn’t think Mateschitz would walk away simply because his team wasn’t dominating anymore.

"Whether they will, who knows?," he told Reuters. "Dieter is a sporting guy and I don't think he'll stop because he's being beaten. He's more likely to stop if he was winning."

Red Bull endured a torrid weekend in Australia, with the car of Daniil Kvyat breaking down on the formation lap and Daniel Ricciardo lapped by both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Team boss Christian Horner hit out at Red Bull’s engine suppliers Renault after the race, describing them as “a bit of a mess”, and calling on the FIA, F1’s governing body, to consider implementing “an equalisation mechanism” in order to clip Mercedes’ wings.

“The problem is the gap is so big. You end up with three-tier racing and I think that’s not healthy for Formula 1,” Horner said.

Ecclestone agrees. "They are absolutely 100 per cent right," he said. "There is a rule that I think [former president] Max [Mosley] put in when he was there that in the event...that a particular team or engine supplier did something magic - which Mercedes have done - the FIA can level up things.

"They [Mercedes] have done a first class job which everybody acknowledges. We need to change things a little bit now and try and level things up a little bit."

Marko also insisted that Red Bull would be unhappy with F1’s current formula even if they were still replicating their success at the turn of the decade when they won four successive title doubles.

"These power units are the wrong solution for F1, and we would say this even if Renault were in the lead," he reportedly said.

"A designer like Adrian Newey is castrated by this engine formula. These rules will kill the sport."

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INDIA.COM CRICKET WORLD CUP LIVE IN HD

A month after the competition got underway in Australia and New Zealand, the 2015 Cricket World Cup has been whittled down from 14 teams to the final eight countries. Defending champion India will look to repeat as champions after an impressive run in pool play.
After a grueling group stage that saw only England of the elite nations sent home, there is now no room for error as the knockout cricket begins in this week’s four quarterfinals.
Sri Lanka vs. South Africa (Sydney Cricket Ground, Tuesday, 11:30 p.m. ET)
South Africa made the quarterfinals with points to spare, yet they did not exactly make a resounding case for their ability to finally deliver the country a first World Cup trophy in 2015. Their four wins came in emphatic fashion, but they faltered when forced to chase against their toughest opponents, Pakistan and India. The talent in the side is there, but doubts have only furthered that South Africa will again wilt under the pressure at the business end of the competition. It is scarcely believable that they have never won a knockout match in World Cup history, and, although they are favorites to finally do so against a Sri Lanka side they beat away from home in a series last summer, they will know that their opponents could take advantage of any fragility. Sri Lanka brushed off defeats to co-hosts Australia and New Zealand in Pool A to reach the stage of the competition in which, in contrast to their next opponents, they have often flourished. Runners-up in the last two World Cups and winners in 1996, Sri Lanka will be banking on hitting form at the right time once again.
Bangladesh vs. India (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Wednesday, 11:30 p.m. ET)
India have surpassed expectations so far, and, with a perfect record in Pool B, they enter the quarterfinals as one of the leading favorites to again lift the trophy they won four years ago. The batting has been predictably impressive, but it is the bowling, which looked to be the side’s weakness coming into the competition, which has caught the eye. In fast-bowlers Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma, India have an in form attack, which conceded more than 250 runs only once they had already secured a quarterfinal place. On paper they have been drawn into the most one-sided of the quarterfinals, against a country which is in the last eight of a World Cup for just the second time. But the previous occasion Bangladesh made it there was courtesy of a victory over India in the group stage in 2007. And they have already caused one upset in this World Cup when defeating England to take fourth spot in Pool A.
Australia vs. Pakistan (Adelaide Oval, Thursday, 11:30 p.m. ET)
Australia won the most famous meeting between these sides, in the 1999 final, but the two countries have shared their eight previous World Cup meetings. On home soil, Australia will be confident of breaking the tie in Adelaide, after looking impressive in the group stage. Australia’s four victories came in resounding style, and their one defeat was against an impressive New Zealand side in Auckland, when they came within one wicket of pulling off an improbable victory having been bowled out for just 151. But the unpredictability of their opponents mean that they can never be discounted. The bad side of Pakistan came to the fore in their first two matches, when being comprehensively outplayed by both India and the West Indies to leave them facing an uphill task to make the last eight. Yet Misbah-ul-Haq’s men then won four matches on the bounce, including a winner-take-all contest against Ireland over the weekend. While Australia’s stroll to the quarterfinals has been a formality, Pakistan are already battle hardened in the sudden-death format.
New Zealand vs. West Indies (Wellington Regional Stadium, Friday, 9 p.m. ET)

New Zealand have made full use of playing all their matches at home so far, steamrolling through Pool A with a perfect record. Their win over local foes Australia, in particular, has fuelled belief that Brendon McCullum’s side could be the one to finally guide New Zealand to a World Cup final, after six losing semifinal appearances. The fact that they will not have to leave home soil until the final only adds weight to that perspective. In contrast, the West Indies’ progress to the last eight has been, unsurprisingly, far more eventful. Entering the competition under a cloud, with some of their top talent left at home and having named 23-year-old Jason Holder as captain, the West Indies began the World Cup in ignominious fashion, with a defeat to Ireland. But they bounced back impressively and will always be a threat with the big hitting of Chris Gayle, who became the first man to score a double century at a World Cup when scoring 215 against Zimbabwe.
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CRICKET WORLD CUP QUARTER FINAL MATCH 1 : SL V/S SA

A colourful and noisy house will be in attendance as South Africa and Sri Lanka clash at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday in what can be the best of the quarterfinals games in the WC. Hopefully, curator Tom Parker and his team will roll out a track on which the outcome of the high-voltage game will not depend only on the toss.
The teams have similarities they lost two games each in the league phase; they have had pretty much an even record against one another in the past couple of years; and, they are both hungrily nervous ahead the big game. They have differences, too Sri Lanka have a history of doing well at the World Cup competitions while South Africa are seeking to break new ground.
The teams are blessed with experienced batsmen who can deliver on the big stage but with a more balanced bowling attack, South Africa can fancy themselves of achieving that dream first win in a World Cup play-off game and then head to Auckland for the semifinal. Sri Lanka are yet to find a bowling combination that can stop the talented and determined teams.
If, despite the talk, South Africa take the ghosts of past along with them to the park, they will court trouble. The other significant thing that can stop them from realising their passionate dream of winning a knockout game in the world's premier cricket tournament is Sri Lanka's batting, especially if Angelo Matthews' team takes first strike.
Kumar Sangakkara's incredible purple patch has fetched him a tournament high of 496 runs, including four centuries, from six league games while opener Tillakaratne Dilshan is just five runs shy of the 400-run mark. Lahiru Thirimanne has contributed to the Sri Lankan top-order looking the most productive in the tournament.
Sri Lanka have the experience of winning big games but they cannot forget that their bowling unit has not been their strongest suit. Paceman Lasith Malinga was gingerly on his comeback from ankle surgery and the team is still sweating over left-arm spinner Rangana Herath's return from a split finger that needed stitches and kept him out of the last two games.
With a set of stroke-players who can win games on their own, South Africa will need Hashim Amla to play an anchoring effort. Of the batsmen left in the tournament, AB de Villiers is the only one besides Sangakkara to have logged more than 400 runs so far. South Africa's batsmen were not up to scratch when chasing targets set by India and Pakistan.
Talking of losses, Sri Lanka's defeats by co-hosts New Zealand and Australia showed their vulnerabilities, too. As they prepare for battle on Wednesday at SCG whose tracks in the three World Cup games have been on the slower side, Sri Lanka and South Africa will both be looking to avert making mistakes under pressure.
Fans who will throng the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground will be hoping for a humdinger, with the team that holds their nerves getting their nose ahead. It would be a travesty if winning the toss has a direct bearing on the outcome of the game. Certainly, that was the case when South Africa beat the West Indies and Sri Lanka chased a tall score by Australia at the venue.
England bucked the trend by winning after choosing to field first but against Afghanistan. Only a Herculean bowling effort in the afternoon can ensure the replication of that on Wednesday. South Africa are better equipped to achieve that than Sri Lanka. They chose not to train on Tuesday, wanting to keep their minds fresh.
But the moot question remains: Does South Africa's will to win have the strength to overpower their raging desire not to lose in the playoff again?
Teams:
South Africa (From): Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock(w), Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers(c), Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Jean-Paul Duminy, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Farhaan Behardien, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Kyle Abbott
Sri Lanka (From): Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews(c), Kushal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Sachithra Senanayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Upul Tharanga

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