Mahendra Singh Dhoni

One of the unique benefits of watching cricket at SCG is that you are always close to the action from virtually any point of the ground. The stadium has been re-constructed but the iconic green-roofed Ladies pavilion still maintains its old-world charm.

With the likes of Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin knowing what it takes to win a 50-over World Cup while Rohit being a part of World T20 and ICC Champions Trophy triumph, the Mumbai opener feels that India will have that advantage going in their favour. "I think so because we all played big games.

Also outraged by the umpiring, the Bangladesh Cricket Board is all set to lodge a protest in the ICC and has got the backing of Kamal.

The victory took the tally of India's successive World Cup victories to 11, including four in the last edition, as it was yet another easy outing for the title contenders.

Suresh Raina hit a rollicking century as India recovered from a top-order collapse to prevail over minnows Zimbabwe by six wickets, finishing their group league engagements with a clean slate in the Cricket World Cup here today.

"For the coming financial year, we are very positive about the prospects of Reebok. We have invested lot since last year and it has started showing results," Managing Director, Adidas Group India, Dave Thomas said, without delving into projection figures of 2015-16.

Top of their pool, unbeaten, India took a well-deserved day off in Auckland on Thursday ahead of their final match of the first round of the World Cup.

Chasing a respectable Ireland total of 259, opener Shikhar Dhawan (100 off 85 balls) sent the Irish bowlers on a leatherhunt en route his eighth ODI hundred as the defending champions reached the target in 36.5 overs to record their fifth consecutive win in this tournament.

India have had a smooth sail till now but the road ahead is only going to get tougher as they face a maverick West Indies at the WACA tomorrow. Viv said India's campaign may hit a rough patch soon.

It isn't so much that India have won three on the bounce this time, as the manner in which they have done so, the opponents against whom they have achieved this feat, and the circumstances around which these victories have been accomplished, that is most impressive.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and fast bowler Umesh Yadav chipped in with two wickets apiece as the Emiratis were bundled out for just 102 in 31.3 overs at the WACA to post the lowest score of this year's tournament.

I feel there's nothing that's really needed from outside, and most of them are experienced when it comes to handling tense situations," said Dhoni, speaking highly of his young brigade. Ask about any pressure of maintaining India's all-win record against Pakistan in World Cup, Dhoni made it clear that he would not care for numbers and statistics.

Team India's first game is against their arch rivals Pakistan on February 15 as they look to defend their title. India has always beaten Pakistan in World Cup clashes.

Lucky to share two points with Australia, who are awaiting their opponents in the final, in the washed off game in Sydney, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will not only try to address its bowling worries but also try to pull up its batting socks.

The new year holds out both challenge and promise for Indian cricket. Mahendra Singh Dhoni‘s team finished 2013 ranked number 1 in ODIs and number 2 in Tests. Along with South Africa, England and a resurgent Australia, India form the ‘elite‘ cluster, as it were, in international cricket. Yet doubts persist.

The list of top five wealthiest cricket players, compiled by Wealth-X, was headed by Tendulkar with USD 160 million, followed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni (USD 50 million), Yuvraj Singh (USD 30 million), Rahul Dravid (USD 20 million) and Virat Kohli (USD 15 million).

Before the start of the match against England in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, team India captian Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that he had asked his team to prove that they were world champions.

After frustrating showers reduced the contest to a T20 affair, India first scored 129 for seven and then restricted England to 124 for eight in a topsy-turvy game that went down to the wire.

Team India strengthened their number one position in the ICC ODI Championship Table after adding two more rating points with an unbeaten run in the cricket tournament in England so far.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni today declined to break the BCCI gag on him in answering questions on the spot-fixing scandal that has hit IPL.