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...]

Obama And The Balance Of Expectations

US President Barack Obama

On November 6, US President Barack Obama will pay a tribute to the victims of 26/11 from the heritage wing of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai—the place where massive destruction and bloodshed took place for the longest duration during the siege in Mumbai in end-November 2008. That’s where his trip begins and that is where we will know what he … [Read more...]

Give Mohammad Amir Another Chance

Mohammad Amir

A billion dollars can’t buy you an ounce of the talent that oozes out of Pakistan’s young left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir. Is there anything that an aspiring fast bowler would not trade to-have-even-half of what this 18-year-old boy has in abundance? And is it, therefore, a rational question to ask that why would the proud possessor of such … [Read more...]

VVS Laxman: A Bad Wicket Genius

VVS Laxman

The older lot in the Indian dressing room knows it all too well and now the younger generation got to witness it at the P Sara Oval in Colombo: Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman is a bad wicket genius. Laxman’s flawless hundred had Murali Vijay giving him a bow when he was returning to the dressing room while Dravid and Tendulkar could just not … [Read more...]

A Colombo Classic

‘Match turning out to be a classic’ was what Justin Langer said after the fourth day’s play of the second Test of Australia’s 2004 tour of India. It was a four Test series and Australia had won the first Test in Bangalore by quite some margin. Ricky Ponting was unavailable for the first three Tests due to a finger injury and Sachin … [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...]

John Howard Loses Support

“That bloke’s making me look ordinary! He’s ruining my career!” said Phil Tufnell, the bad boy of English cricket in the 1990s, while stripping all his insecurity about Shane Warne. India too finds itself in a situation where all that ails the cricketing universe is painted as its doing. The Australian, which presents itself as the … [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...]