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.

Cricket : Rajasthan Royals beat Kochi Tuskers

41-year old Shane Warne (3-16) headed a superb bowling display from the Rajasthan Royals to guide them to a comfortable eight-wicket victory against Kerala Kochi Tuskers with 35 balls to spare.

The Kochi Tuskers, led by Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene, failed to read Warne's flight and spin and, with seamer Siddharth Trivedi also chipping in with three for 19, they were bundled out for a paltry 109.

Rahul Dravid (44) put on 71 runs for the opening wicket with Australian Shane Watson (49) before getting run out as Rajasthan leap-frogged from sixth to second spot with their third victory.

In Hyderabd, Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga took three for nine against Deccan Chargers to help Mumbai Indians consolidate their position at the top of the Indian Premier League on Sunday with their fifth win.

Mumbai, who were asked to bat, were tottering at 70 for four after a brisk opening stand of 47 between Sachin Tendulkar (28) and Davy Jacobs (32).

Rohit Sharma (56 off 34 balls) and former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds (44 off 33) added 102 in an unbroken fifth wicket stand to take their side to 172 for four.

Sharma hit three sixes in the final over as the duo plundered 40 runs in the last two overs of their innings against their former IPL franchise.

Malinga, who announced his retirement from test cricket last week, then got into the act with a succession of swinging yorkers. He also ran out Cameron White with a direct hit to bring about a 37-run win for Mumbai on Tendulkar's 38th birthday.