Tendulkar returns as World Cup looms

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Superstar batsman Sachin Tendulkar returns to bolster India's batting line-up on Wednesday as the World Cup favourites play their last warm-up game ahead of the much-anticipated tournament opener.
India take on New Zealand in their second and final practice match in Chennai ahead of the first World Cup clash against co-hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday.
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The other top team in action on Wednesday is England, playing minnows Canada as the three-time finalists look for a confidence boost after a 6-1 mauling at the hands of Australia, the top-ranked ODI side.
As teams finalise their preparations, on Tuesday strongly fancied Sri Lanka comfortably beat the West Indies, South Africa thumped three-times defending champions Australia and Pakistan crushed Bangladesh.
Tendulkar, who has a record 17,629 runs in a stellar ODI career, missed Sunday's win over Australia, a legacy of the hamstring injury that forced him to cut short his participation in the recent ODI series in South Africa.
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But he came through a long net session on Tuesday and is poised to open the batting against the Black Caps in what will be only his third one-dayer since his historic double-century against South Africa in Gwalior a year ago.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, disappointed with the batting against Australia, issued a rallying call on Tuesday, saying India "need to pick up intensity as we progress into the World Cup."
"We have a very good side," said Dhoni. "That is what I have said always. I don't believe in comparisons. We have a mix of players who are very good. But obviously what we have on paper is not important, it is what we do on the field which matters. We need to see what the conditions are and pick our best 11 accordingly."
Dhoni said bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan would be rested for Wednesday's warm-up to allow him to be fresh for the tournament opener.
Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke dismissed his team's disappointing form in the warm-ups after defeats to South Africa and India and vowed to shape up in time for the main event.
"A practice game is a practice game. So it's important to maximise the chance to give everybody the opportunity to bat and bowl, and more importantly, to get used to the conditions," he said.
The World Cup is being hosted jointly by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
India, winners in 1983, are placed in Group B with England, South Africa, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, the West Indies and Ireland.
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Group A features Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
Teams will face sudden-death after the preliminary league. The second round format was revived to ensure a team plays a minimum of six matches even if they do not make the next round.
Meanwhile, England off-spinner Graeme Swann has urged officials not to make the World Cup a closed shop for cricket's elite nations.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is trying to slim down the existing 14-team tournament which will stretch to a stamina-sapping six weeks, to a 10-team contest in 2015.
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But as there are 10 Test playing countries, the second-tier sides believe they will be frozen out as none of the major teams will accept a change to a system where they all now qualify as of right.
"Why would you want to take the world out of the World Cup? Shocks can happen," the England off-spinner said in an interview with the March edition of the Wisden Cricketer magazine.
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Ton-up Dhoni fires India to victory

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a blazing century to set up India's crushing 117-run victory over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday.
The Indian skipper cracked three sixes and 11 fours in a 64-ball 108 not out to help his team post an imposing 360-5 and virtually bat New Zealand out of the day-night match in Chennai.
New Zealand were bowled out for 243 after a brisk 94-run stand for the opening wicket between Brendon McCullum (58) and Martin Guptill (38) to suffer their first defeat in two practice matches.
Jesse Ryder (32), Nathan McCullum (29 not out) and Scott Styris (20) were the other main contributors.
Indian spinners, who played a big role in their team's win over defending champions Australia in a warm-up match on Sunday, again struck it rich as they shared seven wickets.
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Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh each took two wickets, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged one.
"It's a difficult task for any side when they have to chase six or seven runs an over. This is the way we should play all the time," said Harbhajan Singh, who took 2-17.
"When you set that total, teams have to chase and it gives you the chance to get wickets as their batsmen look to do something."
"We have won our two warm-up games, but we are not taking anything for granted. It's up to us now to keep it simple and stick to the basics."
Dhoni and Suresh Raina (50) earlier gave a superb display of power-hitting to help their side set a stiff target, plundering 124 runs for the fifth wicket off just 56 balls. Raina hit three sixes and four boundaries in a 26-ball knock.
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Dhoni's best came when he smashed paceman Jacob Oram for five successive fours, while Raina also punished the same bowler as he hit three sixes in an over. Oram conceded 70 runs in his nine overs.
Dhoni said India were able to achieve "a total that was above par".
Speaking about his own game, he said: "In the past few games I have been in a hurry, but my game is different. I take my time and then like to stay until the end for the slog overs. You have got to remind yourself of your strengths."
New Zealand stand-in skipper Ross Taylor said Dhoni had taken the game away from his side, adding: "Spinners are going to be a big part of the World Cup, and we have got to improve against them."
The stage for the closing-overs onslaught was set by Gautam Gambhir (89) and Virat Kohli (59), who put on 106 for the third wicket after India lost openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar for 42 runs.
Record-breaking batsman Tendulkar, who recently missed the last three one-day internationals in South Africa due to a hamstring injury and was rested against Australia, contributed just 17.
His eagerly awaited return lasted 23 balls before he was deceived by a slower one from paceman Tim Southee and bowled.
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India suffered another blow when hard-hitting Sehwag (23) was bowled by an Oram delivery that kept low, but Gambhir and Kohli steadied the innings with their sensible knocks.
Gambhir hit 11 fours in his 85-ball stay while Kohli hit seven boundaries in a 68-ball innings.
India open their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday, while New Zealand take on Kenya in their first match the following day in Chennai.
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