Magical Durban Test On A Knife’s Edge

VVS Laxman made a gem of a 96 to set South Africa a stiff target

It’s still anybody’s game. Although India are certainly better placed having accounted for three wickets and still having a cushion of enough runs (South Africa need 192 more to win) to get the remaining seven. The pendulum would have swung heavily in India’s favour had Cheteshwar Pujara been able to hold on to a very tough chance when Kallis … [Read more...]

Skipping The Homework And Failing The Test?

Morne Morkel

Seldom is the contrast of how much you appear to care for your wicket and how much the opposition cares about it is so pronounced as in the case of Virender Sehwag. After bowling superbly to have figures of 12.4 overs, 5 maidens, 20 runs and five wickets Morne Morkel came to the press conference on Thursday and said that Sehwag’s wicket (picked … [Read more...]

Acid Test For Indian Cricket

A key concern for the Indians would be the fitness of Zaheer Khan.

The first real trial after India became the number one Test team in the world begins on Thursday at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. India has a poor record playing in South Africa with a solitary Test win in Johannesburg that came in their last tour as the only success in 12 Test matches. After that win in Johannesburg came the debacle in … [Read more...]

The Boy From Bandra

At the other end

Sachin Tendulkar is on a different planet. Like Usain Bolt he’s left the competition to settle matters between themselves as he blazes ahead. Can we please have a bold 80-point newspaper headline saying ‘He Bats On’? Three lengthy breaks from cricket and two career-threatening injuries that needed surgeries are now years behind him and … [Read more...]

Ecstasy For The Cricket Fan

Mohammad Aamer

For a fan of the game a good day of Test match cricket is an adventure that is more exciting, intriguing, and entertaining than a season full of senseless versions of the shorter-form. Wednesday, the 21st of July 2010, was one such day; and it gave fans a double scoop of edge-of-the-seat cricket. This is how fans of Test cricket want to be spoiled. … [Read more...]

The Curious Case Of Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

It was great to sit back and watch Rohit Sharma make an audacious and unbeaten 79 in 46 balls at number 4 in India’s T20 match against Australia where seven other batsmen who played above and below him made a total of 24 runs in 42 balls. Harbhajan Singh, who made 13 runs batting at number nine, was the only other Indian player to get to double … [Read more...]

On Brilliant Hitting And Great Batting

Pathan can pack a punch and destroy an attack

The effort of the IPL sponsors and the marketers of the game got a great advertisement in the match between the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals. This was a shorter form of the delight that IPL is hoping to cash on. Mumbai won the toss and batted first and got to a healthy 212 courtesy a good start and some wonderful middle-order batting. … [Read more...]

Phenomenal Tendulkar Kills The Debate

The Genius With An Eye For Business

Sachin Tendulkar is his own competition and it seems like he is quite unmindful of the fact that his business is the intrinsically-competitive arena of international sports. He keeps pushing his limits to come up with goods that no one else seems to be trading in. Yesterday he scaled a peak higher than the Mount Everest. A peak that did not exist … [Read more...]

That Was A Number 1 Performance

A Harbhajan Special At The Eden Gardens

“We wanted to be at the top of the table; we know we have the players to keep being No 1,” Harbhajan said after the game. “We are very happy and it’s fantastic to win the way we did. The heart was pumping in the end.” The hunger and the controlled aggression of the Indian team was visible in the game throughout. This has been as good a … [Read more...]

Eden Gardens And Post-Tea Ghouls

The Master and the Blaster

India was almost there to make it two days in a row for them to get on top of South Africa and turn the Test match at Eden Gardens decisively in their favour but for the last six overs in which three quick wickets fell and the match was alive again. It has been a riveting contest for two days and India fought their way back into the Test valiantly … [Read more...]