India's senior players will have to perform for World Cup success: Shane Warne
Australia spin legend and member of the 1999 World Cup-winning team Shane Warne has said that the senior players of the Indian team haven’t yet stood up and delivered in the three months that they have spent so far in Australia . MS Dhoni’s men won their first game Down Under on Tuesday, when they beat Afghanistan in a warm-up game at the Adelaide Oval.
"I just think they have not clicked yet. In a World Cup, you need senior players and major players to stand up. If that happens you going to go close to winning the game,” Warne told PTI, during an event organised by Tourism Victoria.
"They have not been in great form. India had been here for three months and they won their first match the other day," he added.
The 45-year-old further said that Pakistan, India’s opponents on Sunday, have been playing very good cricket in the lead-up to the tournament.
"India has got some senior players and they have lots of inexperienced players but don't worry about Pakistan, they have been playing pretty good cricket for the last six months.
"It's going to be a massive game. It's a sold out game and what a weekend to start the World Cup with Australia-England at MCG and India-Pakistan at Adelaide Oval," the former leg-spinner said.
Anybody can beat anyone else on their day: Warne
When asked which team he thought would lift the title on March 29 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Warne said that no one team can be termed favourites to win the competition, and with a little bit of fortune by their side, anybody can defeat anyone on their day.
"There are a lot of different things come into a World Cup. There's always that rivalry between Australia and England with the Ashes and everything but when you're talking about a World Cup it doesn't matter who the favourites are.
"Someone has a day out, someone has a bit of luck their way and anyone can beat anyone.It's a different pressure, the fear of losing, what happens if we lose, all those things," Warne said.