Sydney, March 24 (IANS) Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Tuesday said that though both India and Australia have a 50-50 chance, one cannot rule out the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-factor when the two teams clash in the cricket World Cup semifinal at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Thursday.
"There is something about Dhoni and World Cups. Dhoni knows how to win World Cups and that goes quite a long way. What he did after the tri-series is remarkable. I really do think it is a 50-50 caller. India has got the power and finesse," Vaughan was quoted as saying by bcci.tv.
The former right-handed batsman said the SCG pitch could suit the Indian slow bowlers.
"India would fancy themselves playing at the SCG. It will take some spin. (Ravichandran) Ashwin is getting the ball to shape through the air which is very important to his style of bowling," said the 40-year-old.
"They are looking at what South Africa's Imran Tahir did in the quarterfinal and it will come down to certain players winning their opening battles, from (David) Warner and (Aaron) Finch to Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma winning the opening battle against Mitchell Starc. Come Thursday, it will be about which of the teams plays better."
Vaughan also stressed on the batting armoury of both the sides.
"The Indian team has a wonderful array of batsmen who have been there and done that. They have got a couple of young players like (Ajinkya) Rahane who I believe is the best technician among Indian players. He plays the quicks and spin as well as anybody. With MSD, they have a firecracker," he said.
The former cricketer said that if all-rounder Glenn Maxwell gets going it will be tough for the defending champions to stop him.
"For the Aussies, Maxwell has had a wonderful tournament and has the ability to hit the ball 360 degrees from ball one. If Maxwell has his day, India can’t win because he would score 100 in 50 balls. MS can do the similar but it’s generally down to the foundation,” he said.
The Englishman added that skipper Michael Clarke and Smith will be crucial as they are the best players of spin in the Australian side.
“Smith and Clarke will be crucial for Australia as these two are the best players of spin and one of them at least will have to get a decent score,” he said.
IMF praised India's direct cash transfer scheme, saying - this scheme is nothing short of a miracle
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday praised India's direct cash transfer scheme. Along with this, it was called a 'Logistical Marvel'. Also said that it is a big deal to successfully
Microsoft's dual screen smartphone can be launched in July, screen will be able to fold from any angle
If you too are waiting for Microsoft's foldable phone then there is big news for you. It is reported that Microsoft is about to launch its foldable smartphone Surface Duo in July, although no official
ODI WC 2023: Three semi-final teams confirmed, three contenders for one place; Chances of India-Pakistan match are being made
With Australia's victory over Afghanistan, three ODI World Cup teams have made it to the semi-finals. Three teams India, South Africa, and Australia have reached the semi-finals. It has also been
US sanctions three North Korean officials, all involved in an ICBM missile test
The United States has imposed sanctions on three senior officials associated with North Korea's weapons programs after North Korea's latest and biggest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test. This
Modi said in SCO: Recent developments in Afghanistan are a big challenge, the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit meeting via video conferencing. During his address, he congratulated the people of Tajikistan on the
There will be many changes in the metro service after the lockdown, due to the corona, the token can be closed for some time.
According to the plan the government is planning to introduce Metro service after the coron virus lockdown, tokens can be stopped for some time and people will be able to travel only through
G20 Summit: From the hotels of the guests to the venues, everything was given a 'code name', even the police were unaware of many things.
While hosting more than twenty heads of state from across the world, the police and various security agencies in Delhi had to adopt the strictest and unique security standards. Just as 'POTUS' is the
Musk is no longer 7, father of 9 children: Top executive gave birth to twins last year, name change petition revealed
Apart from his business, Elon Musk, the world's richest man and Tesla CEO, is often in discussion about his personal life as well. A report claimed that she had twins last year with a top executive of
Islamabad becomes battleground: Independence march ends after the violence, Imran returned after giving 6 days ultimatum to Shahbaz government
Political upheaval has started once again in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Imran Khan has returned after giving a 6-day ultimatum to the Shahbaz government to announce the elections. He said that the
In the second phase of weekend lockdown, markets and malls were closed, inter-district and inter-state bus services also failed
Jalandhar. Corona infection is not taking the name of stopping. So far 97 out of 3906 infected have died in Punjab. In the last 10 days, 40 people have died in Unlock-1 and 51 people. So far, 227012
