LISTEN: Full script of Episode 110 of Spodcast where we discuss MS Dhoni's selection for limited overs series, Pune City appoint Phil Brown as coach and more

Welcome to Spodcast, the daily sports update on Firstpost. Another surprising development from India’s cricket tour of Australia. Former Indian captain MS Dhoni has been recalled for the ODI series against Australia as well as New Zealand. The BCCI had dropped him from the Australia T20I series last month, claiming they were looking for a second wicketkeeper in the format. Dhoni now returns to the Indian side after sitting out two T20I series – against Windies at home in November and the three T20s in Australia before the Test series. A BCCI official told PTI, “Since there are only eight ODIs (three against Australia and five against New Zealand), (the) selectors want to give MS as much game time as possible (before the World Cup). Three T20Is means 11 international matches through the next one month.” Current wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has been included in the squad for the T20s against New Zealand. All-rounder Hardik Pandya has also been included in the limited overs squad for the series that follow the Tests against Australia. Pandya sustained a back injury during the Asia Cup in September and missed the home series against the Windies. He rejoined the national side after the Perth Test. Other additions to the squad include Kedar Jadhav and Ravindra Jadeja. India play three ODIs against Australia after the Test series. They then play five ODIs and three T20s against New Zealand. An update from Ranji Trophy now. Delhi scored their first win of this Ranji season after a thumping nine-wicket victory over Madhya Pradesh while UP handed Tripura a drubbing, defeating them by an innings and 384 runs. Delhi’s left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra took six wickets in the second innings to restrict MP’s batsmen to just 157 runs. Vikas finished the match with figures of 12 for 71 as Delhi defeated MP in just three days. The visitors struggled against Delhi off-spinner Shivam Sharma as well, who claimed three wickets. The two spinners accounted for nine of MP’s ten wickets, setting up a fourth innings target of 29 for the hosts. In a funny twist, Delhi needed to get there without losing a wicket to claim a bonus point but lost a wicket two runs short of the target. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh registered a massive win against Tripura, beating them by an innings and 384 runs. The hosts scored a huge 552/7, with Priyam Garg scoring 206. Rinku Singh scored 149 while captain Akshdeep Nath made 106. UP then bundled out Tripura for a paltry 108 in the first innings. Asked to follow on, Tripura made just 60 runs and were all out in 25 overs. UP’s pace bowlers Ankit Rajpoot and Imtiaz Ahmed destroyed Tripura’s batting, with Rajpoot taking 6 wickets and Ahmed claiming three. Some badminton news from the Premier Badminton League, or PBL, now. Carolina Marin and Lakshya Sen won their respective singles matches for their team Pune 7 Aces but could not stop the Awadhe Warriors from winning the tie 4-3. Before the wins by Sen and Olympic champion Marin, Pune 7 Aces were trailing 0-3. South Korean player Son Wan-Ho, the World number 5, won the opening game for the Awadhe Warriors, beating Frenchman Brice Leverdez 15-14, 15-7. Son’s victory gave the Warriors 2 points. Then, in the men’s doubles match, Yang Lee of Taiwan and Christiansen Mathias of Denmark defeated the Pune 7 Aces pair of Mathias Boe and Vladimir Ivanov 15-12 and 15-14. That gave the Warriors a 3-0 lead. Marin, who lost her first game of season 4 to PV Sindhu, was under pressure to perform. She defeated Beiwen Zhang 15-13, 15-9 to give Pune two points. Sen defeated South Korean shuttler Dong Keun Lee, who is ranked 27th in the world, in straight games 15-11, 15-8. But Ashwini Ponappa and Christiansen Mathias ensured that Awadhe Warriors won the tie 4-3 to leave the Pune 7 Aces disappointed. Ponappa and Mathias won 15-8, 11-15, 15-12 over rivals Vladimir Ivanov and Line Hjmark Kjaersfeldt in the mixed doubles match. An update from the ISL to wind up today’s podcast. FC Pune City announced Phil Brown as the new head coach for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. Since 1999, Brown has managed many top English clubs like Blackpool, Southend United, Preston North End, Derby County and Hull City, a media release issued by Pune City said. Prior to that, he also played for clubs across England over 18-year career as a footballer, including clubs like the Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool. Brown took charge of Hull City in 2006 and helped the club qualify for the Premier League for the first time in its 104-year history. He then moved to Southend in League 2 in 2013 and helped them make the playoffs three times, including a promotion to League 1. Speaking of his appointment as coach of FC Pune City, Brown said, “FC Pune City has been having a difficult season but I am optimistic about taking up this job as the points table really isn’t the real representation of the talent that’s existing at the club. The potential at the club is exciting and I am really looking forward to the season.” Aidan Davison will also join Pune as goalkeeper coach.