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In the glorious annals of Test cricket, which will ring in its 150th anniversary next year, some numbers have acquired permanence over time. Sir Don Bradman’s otherworldly Test average of 99.94 will forever be iconic. Sunil Gavaskar’s 10,122 runs, on account of the Indian being the first in the world to cross 10K, is epochal….
Read More “Analysis: Why a 50-plus Test batting average is becoming rarer” »
When he fell on Wednesday afternoon, caught and bowled by off-spinner Kounain Quraishi one agonising run short of his ninth First Class century, it was the first time in nearly two months and six competitive innings that Tilak Varma was dismissed. Since making 53 in the final Twenty20 International against England in Southampton on July…
Every generation asks the question: Will Test cricket survive? The game has been an anachronism in every age, and that is its beauty. When motor cars or passenger trains or aircraft arrived in the 19th and 20th centuries, there was talk of the increased pace of life and how the long-format game was doomed. The…
Read More “It’s tempting to imagine the future is here; it might not be” »
Even before November 1999, a host of exceptional wicketkeeper-batters had graced the international scene, not least India’s own Farokh Engineer and the wonderful Andy Flower from Zimbabwe. But from the time a left-hander from Western Australia stormed the Test firmament at the Gabba in Brisbane nearly 27 years back with a bruising 81 on debut,…
Read More “Dhruv Jurel — a blend of versatility and fortitude” »
Chaminda Vaas was never purely about raw pace or theatrical intimidation. He was about craft. A left-arm seamer with immaculate control, subtle movement and relentless accuracy, Vaas could make a new ball swing, seam or move sharply inward into a batsman before settling into the kind of pressure that eventually broke them. Vaas took 355…
The end came swiftly. It took New Zealand only 51.2 overs to wrap up the England second innings at Trent Bridge. Jamie Smith’s slog against Mitchell Santner ended in the hands of a diving Nathan Smith, running in from long-on. That was not just the end of the third Test. It was also the end…
Read More “Bazball Ends: How Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum changed Test cricket” »
Michael Atherton is regarded as the greatest English opening batter of his generation, almost a natural successor to that other wonderfully accomplished technician who also hailed from the north of the country and who will rank among the top openers of all time, Sir Geoffrey Boycott. Earmarked for the English captaincy from very early in…
Read More “Ajinkya Rahane — The eternal crisis-man with a penchant for the big stage” »
It was 25 years ago that Mark Butcher scored a monumental 173 not out in England’s successful chase against Australia in the Headingley Test. He scored seven other Test hundreds, some of them against the most fearsome attacks. He is now a popular commentator and sharp analyst of the game. Excerpts from Butcher’s exclusive interview…
Since the start of the IPL, runs have been flowing from B. Sai Sudharsan’s bat. The Gujarat Titans opener had a great season, finishing as the third-highest run-getter (722 runs). He then seamlessly switched into the longer format, scoring 81 in the Test against Afghanistan before following it up with twin centuries for India-A in the two four-day games in…
Read More “Interview | Sai Sudharsan: The satisfaction from scoring runs in Tests is unparalleled” »
The legacy a celebrated, high-profile achiever leaves behind isn’t defined merely by awards and accomplishments, no matter how staggeringly impressive they might be, but equally — if not more — by how many people they have touched, how many lives they have impacted, how much joy they have provided. The unchecked outpouring of grief at…
Read More “Garry Sobers: cricket’s greatest— a legacy beyond numbers” »