Cricket : Warne's magic spell turns ordinary players into winners !!!!

Shane Warne's ability to transform ordinary players into top performers came to light again in the Rajasthan Royals match against Kochi Tuskers.

As captain and coach of the Rajasthan team, Warne gave a pep talk to his young players after his team's three defeats. Warne also led from the front to take three wickets and bowl out Kochi for a paltry 109 runs.

"After three dismal losses we sat together and had honest chats among us. We were back at the drawing board and came up good. The losses had hurt us and I am happy we have responded well with intensity," Warne said after his team's eight-wicket win over Kochi.

Warne, who was not considered for Australia's captain, is a fighter to the core.

"We did play disappointing cricket but I am happy with the way the boys have responded in this match. Now that we have beaten Kochi which has beaten top teams like Mumbai and Chennai, we will go a long way," assured Warne.

Rajasthan has two of the finest openers in the game. While opener Shane Watson is considered aggressive his partner, Dravid is more of a defensive player but together they put on 71 runs in 10 overs.

So when reporters asked Warne whether he will consider making this pair the permanent openers, he said: "Playing eleven is always taken according to the strengths of the opponents."

It was also a clear message that no place in the eleven should be taken for granted without performance.

Warne has a very clear agenda and has discussed it with his team. "If we win the remaining four matches we will be among the top four So we need to go for victories in all matches from now on and that has been made clear to the players," he said.

Incidentally, Warne does not believe in the advantages one can get by winning the toss or batting first.

"All we aim for is victories. It is important for everyone to play their roles in the team. Against Kochi our intensity was very good from the first ball. In the end it was a satisfying win," said Warne who at the age of 41, bagged the man of the match award to inspire his team.