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Shami hails smooth operator Dhoni

Auckland - Fast-improving paceman Mohammad Shami hailed India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday, claiming the world champions' skipper never gets angry.

India have romped through the first round of the World Cup, winning five from five and comfortably wrapping up their place in the quarter-finals ahead of Saturday's last Pool B game against Zimbabwe at Eden Park.

"I am lucky that all my debuts - Tests, one-dayers, Twenty20s - all have come under Dhoni and the way he handles things looks good to me," said Shami.

"He keeps me tension-free and never says anything about mistakes, he never gets angry and gives me peace. He talks in a smooth manner and it is good for a bowler that the captain backs him and that's the biggest plus for me.

"I feel it's better than domestic matches and that has given gave me a lot of confidence."

hami, who turned 25 on Monday, is India's leading wicket-taker at the World Cup with 12 wickets, including a best of 4-35 in the opening victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in Adelaide last month.

"Look the motivation is to win the World Cup," said Shami.

"Everyone back home expects us to win, whether they are fans in India or elsewhere and our focus is also on that," said Shami.

"In 2011 it was the last World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar. This time, you don't know who is playing their last World Cup so we are focused on winning."

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