Every time India lost early wickets, one question was louder than the noise around the ground: Why isn’t KL Rahul batting? In Perth, when the scoreboard flashed 25-3, it was not Rahul who walked out, but it was Axar Patel, a move that had much of the crowd bewildered and experts with eyes rolling. Both […]
Every time India lost early wickets, one question was louder than the noise around the ground: Why isn’t KL Rahul batting? In Perth, when the scoreboard flashed 25-3, it was not Rahul who walked out, but it was Axar Patel, a move that had much of the crowd bewildered and experts with eyes rolling. Both […]
There was a time when Steve Smith couldn’t stop batting literally. Teammates joked about him shadow-playing in hotel corridors, and fans admired his monk-like obsession. But at 36, Smith’s idea of perfection now includes six weeks of not touching a cricket bat in New York, of all places. It’s a fascinating shift. For a […]
Michael Hussey once joked that in another timeline, he’d have 5000 more runs than Sachin Tendulkar, most centuries, most Ashes wins, most everything. Then he laughs, wakes up, and accepts it was only a dream. But there’s a sting behind the smile. Hussey debuted for Australia at 28, an age when most cricketers have already […]
Every new captain wants to start with a statement win. Shubman Gill, poster boy of the latest generation of Indian cricket, was on the verge of that until Australia knocked him over with a 7-wicket hiding in Perth. Gill has now, in one night, joined a club no cricketer wants to be in, those who […]
When Shubman Gill stepped out for an interview before the toss in Perth, it is fair to say that not many people would have expected him to be the one turning the coin. After all, India possesses Rohit Sharma, a gentleman who leads with poise, charm and silverware. But the selectors had other views and […]
It’s all too familiar. It’s different cities, Mumbai in 2023, Perth in 2024, Indore in 2025. The names change, not the denouement. The Indian women get there near enough to smell victory, but, when it counts, squander it. Their four-run defeat by England in Indore might be the latest entry in a well-worn tale. […]
Just when many thought domestic red-ball cricket had lost its edge, the Sheffield Shield has roared back to relevance and it’s all thanks to the looming Ashes. With the first Test selection deadline fast approaching, every over this week felt like an exam paper and every wicket, a résumé entry. Scott Boland’s late burst, Marnus […]
World Cups often have a funny way of pretending to be predictable right until they’re not. Heading into the final league week, Australia, England, and South Africa have secured their semi-final spots, and yet, the real drama might still come from the fourth chair. India, bruised but unbowed after three straight defeats, finds itself clinging […]
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, according to all appearances, stand equal in respect of points each with two, mid-division in results, and both possess, in fact, a somewhat doubtful chance of achieving semi-final participation. But in this resemblance in position, the likeness has to cease. Sri Lanka’s points have been gained through the medium of experience […]
Often, the boldest move in cricket is not to play. When Australia withdrew Cameron Green from the ODI series against India because of what George Bailey termed “low-grade side soreness”, there were fears from some observers of further problems. This is the same Green that spent a year remodelling his bowling following back surgery, exactly […]
Shubman Gill’s maiden experience of leading an ODI team did not go well, to say the least. In a gloomy afternoon in Perth, India were beaten by seven wickets in a rain-reduced match of 26 overs. The young captain could only manage 10 runs with the bat from 18 balls, as the team was bowled […]