Cricket 365

Virat Steps down from Captaincy; NZ-Pak Tour Called Off and more | This Week in Cricket

2021-09-20T15:41:00.003+05:30

After yet another eventful week in the cricketing world, which saw some groundbreaking headlines, I’m here with another installment of the “This Week in Cricket” series; which from now on will be covering all major and minor headlines from the bygone week, all put into one. Here’s all you need to know to stay in touch with the cricketing world right now.

Virat Kohli to step down from iT20 and IPL captaincy: As previously speculated by the Times of India, Virat Kohli is indeed stepping down from captaincy from the shortest format of the game. The 32-year-old took to Instagram to reveal it himself and thanked the BCCI officials for giving him the opportunity to lead the side for almost 5 years. Virat disclosed that arriving to the decision was tough and it took quite some time but following a lot of contemplating and discussions with head coach Ravi Shastri and vice-captain Rohit Sharma, he decided to step down as India’s iT20 captain post the T20 World Cup which is to be held in UAE next month. It is still undecided as to who is to take the captaincy baton from Virat. While most fans and experts alike feel Rohit is the top contender for India’s leadership duties, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer also stand as probable contenders. Virat Kohli is hailed as one of the modern-day great captains in T20i cricket with an impressive 27 wins and just 14 losses in the total 47 games he has led the men in blue.

In a shocking turn of events, Virat Kohli also revealed that he has decided to step down from RCB’s captaincy post IPL 2021 in a video released by RCB’s official Twitter handle. ”It wasn’t an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and is in the best interest of this wonderful franchise” the Delhi born said. Virat proudly said that he will continue to represent RCB on the field till the day he decides to hang up his boots. Virat has led RCB for the past 9 seasons in 132 games, winning in 60 and losing in 65 of them, while 3 games were tied.

New Zealand-Pakistan Tour called off due to security reasons: Just minutes before the first ODI Match between Pakistan and New Zealand at Rawalpindi to be held on the 17^th of September, 2021, the Blackcaps pulled themselves out of the tour due to alleged “security reasons.” Arrangements for the team’s departure were quickly made as New Zealand hurriedly left the country. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) issued a statement which said the team will not continue with the tour following an “escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan.” The Tom Latham led side were scheduled to face Pakistan in three ODIs at Rawalpindi before moving to Lahore for a 5-match T20 series. This is another fatal blow for the Pakistan Cricket Board resulting in Millions of Dollars-worth of losses owing to TV rights and advertisements. Following the events, England’s tour of Pakistan which was supposed to happen in October this year is also being considered by many as ‘doubtful’.

IPL 2021 returns with fans back to stadiums: The second leg of the Vivo IPL returned to the UAE from the 19^th of September with 5-time champions Mumbai Indians taking on 3-time winners Chennai Super Kings in a battle of the behemoths in Dubai. The match marked the first IPL match to be held with fans in over 2 and a half years owing to the covid-19 crisis worldwide. Vaccinated fans over the age of 16 can buy tickets from IPL’s official website iplt20.com and also from PlatinumList.net as limited seating is available in all three host stadiums, abiding by the Covid-19 protocols and the UAE Government Regulations.

Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman among others in race to be India’s next Head Coach: Following a bitter fall-out with captain Virat Kohli owing to a defeat in the Champions Trophy Finals to Pakistan back in 2017 that led to Anil Kumble resigning from his post as head coach, life may come full circle for ‘Jumbo’ as the Saurav Ganguly led BCCI may offer the role of head coach to Anil Kumble once again once Ravi Shastri’s tenure as head coach ends post T20 World Cup. Along with Kumble, the BCCI may approach VVS Laxman for the role as well, given he’s done a decent job as mentor of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. “Anil Kumble’s exit needs course correction. The manner in which the CoA succumbed to the pressure of Kohli and removed him, wasn’t the best example set. However, it also depends on whether Kumble or Laxman are ready to apply for the job,” a senior BCCI source privy to development told PTI.

Zimbabwe beat Scotland in series finale: After a couple of exciting low scoring games which left the series levelled at 1-1, both the teams gave it their all in the final t20i match. Following a thrilling game which saw highs and lows, Zimbabwe emerged victorious as they chased the 178-run target given to them in the final over. At the end of it, you may feel that the deserving team won, although Scotland may not quite approve of it. The level of competition in the series was unmatched as both the sides gear up to outperform the rest in the qualifiers, eyeing an entry at the World T20 Cup in UAE next month.

Have any other stories I missed? Tell us about it in the comments.

This Week in Cricket

2021-09-13T13:11:00.005+05:30

While millions of fans await the arrival of the T20 bonanza, the world of cricket saw some monumental shifts. While it was difficult for me to write individually dedicated articles on all of those topics, I decided to write a separate article, clubbing all those major newsworthy events from the last week or so under one umbrella. Here’s all you need to know to stay in touch with the cricketing world.

India’s 5^th Test Match against England gets canceled due to covid worries: While the fate of the enthralling red-ball series hung in the balance, fans and experts alike were greatly disappointed when news came out that India had ‘forfeited’ the last test match as the team’s senior physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar had contracted the covid-19. The players, who were traveling with their families were greatly worried about their safety and thus the team management had to take the bold step of forfeiting the game and ending the series in a draw of 2-2. But in an interesting turn of events which saw the word ‘forfeit’ not being a part of the English Cricket Laws made both the cricketing boards mutually agree to cancel the game and possibly hold it on a future date (most likely along with the white ball series in July 2022).

Rashid Khan steps down from Afghanistan’s captaincy: About half an hour after the Afghanistan squad for the T20i world cup was announced, Rashid Khan sent out a tweet in which said he was stepping down as captain effective immediately. Rashid voiced his displeasure on Twitter about how he, being the captain of the side, was left out of the selection committee of Afghanistan for the T20 world cup. Khan’s disappointment is understandable as the squad named by ACB saw the comeback of senior players like Dawlat Zadran and Hamid Hassan, who haven’t played a game for Afghanistan since the 2019 World Cup and 2016 T20 World Cup respectively. Khan’s resignation is a fatal blow to Afghanistan Cricket as the 22-year-old was announced “T20i Cricketer of the Decade” by ICC. Mohammad Nabi has been announced as the new skipper of Afghanistan.

DRS is not to be used in bilateral series between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand: The Decision Review System will not be put to use in New Zealand’s upcoming tour of Pakistan as the host PCB could not procure the services of an approved provider for the technology. The three ODI and five T20i match series begins from September 17^th and the results will not affect the rankings of the ICC Super League as the ICC mandates the use of this technology. As per sources, one of the primary reasons PCB being unable to find a DRS Provider was because they sold the media rights for the New Zealand series very late. It was also reported that due to so much cricket being played around the world, it becomes imperative for the host nation to procure the equipment technology well in advance.

India’s squad for the T20 World Cup announced, MS Dhoni to be Team Mentor: BCCI finally announced India’s 15-man contingent for the world t20 on September the 9^th via Twitter. The team, despite comprising the expected names, had a few surprises as well. With the inclusion of finger spinners Ravi Ashwin and Axar Patel and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, India made it clear that they were going to back their spinners while the omission of T20 specialists Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Shreyas Iyer raised a few eyebrows as well. Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni is given the responsibility to travel with the side as the team’s mentor and assist Virat Kohli with the decision-making. He has the same role as that of Ravi Shastri as this gives millions of Dhoni fans to tune into their TV sets to watch their favorite in the dressing room once again.

India to pursue split captaincy post-T20 world cup? According to reports by the TOI, Virat Kohli is expected to step down as India’s white-ball captain post the t20 world cup in October this year. While it hasn’t been confirmed by the BCCI or other officials yet, so take it with a pinch of salt when I tell you that Rohit Sharma is likely to be India’s new captain in ODIs and iT20s. Kohli has had discussions regarding this with Rohit Sharma and the team management over the last few months and it finally appears to be put to action. TOI reported, “Virat himself will make the announcement. He is of the view… he needs to concentrate on his batting.” While his performances have dipped in recent times, Virat Kohli has been arguably one of India’s best skippers of all-time across all formats. Virat will most likely continue to lead the side in test matches with an eye on the 2023 World Test Championship, while Rohit will aim to replicate his IPL success at the international stage.

Teams announce squads for the T20 world cup as major names miss out: South Africa announced their 15-member squad for the T20 World cup on September 10^th as fans around the world publicly stated their displeasure regarding the exclusion of t20 veterans Chris Morris, Imran Tahir and former captain Faf du Plessis. In an interview, Imran Tahir stated that he deserved a little more respect from the team management who thought of him as “worthless.” He also stated how there was no communication between him and South African coach Mark Boucher regarding plans for the T20 World Cup.

On the contrary, the inclusion of names like the aforementioned duo of Dawlat Zadran and Hasid Hameed in Afghanistan, pacers Tymal Mills in England and Ravi Rampaul in West Indies left everyone astonished.

Have any other stories I missed? Comment below and let me know if you’d like to see more such articles.

India ends 50-year draught at the Oval | England vs India 4th Test Match Review |

2021-09-07T09:40:00.004+05:30

After a humbling defeat in the third test, India needed a collective team performance in order to stay alive in the series. Questionable choices in the playing XI raised a lot of doubts in the minds of experts and fans alike, but the team replied to all those criticisms in the best way possible: on the field. Not many expected India to bounce back, let alone in such an emphatic way after the visitors were given a lead of 99-runs. Yet somehow, with their backs against the wall, they fought their way through adversity and scripted a historic win at the Oval in a match filled with drama, passion and high-quality cricket. How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Umesh Yadaav.

England: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, James Anderson, Craig Overton, Ollie Robinson.

India 1^st Innings: The Lord saves the day

Openers Rahul (17) and Rohit (11) failed to give India the usual good start to the innings courtesy of some fine bowling by the English quicks; Overton and Robinson. Cheteshwar Pujara soon fell for 4 as India was left stranded at 39-3 with Ravindra Jadeja; who was promoted up the order and Virat Kohli in the middle. Despite Kohli’s mesmerizing half century which was quite reminiscent of his glory days from 2018, India could never really get going as the lower middle order comprising Jadeja (10), Rahane (14) and Pant (9) failed to step up. Being reduced to 127-7, India had the writing on the wall, feeling a sense of déjà vu from the previous test when they were bowled out for just 78. Enter: Lord Shardul. While everyone was playing checkers, the Lord was playing chess. His flamboyant innings of 57 runs off just 36 balls mirrored how greatly he has matured as a bowling all-rounder. Batting fearlessly with the rest of the tail-enders, Shardul Thakur put an exhibition of fours and sixes, some of the which could easily put the world’s best batsmen to shame. His valiant effort helped India post a respectable total of 191 as both sides were happy with the result. Chris Woakes was the pick amongst the English bowlers with figures of 15-6-55-4 while Ollie Robinson also ended his spell with figures of 3-38.

England 1^st Innings: Pope stars as England take a lead of 99-runs

Having posted just 191 runs, India couldn’t have asked for a better start from their ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah as he dismissed both the English openers Burns (5) and Hameed (0) in a single over. Struggling at 6-2, England yet again had high hopes from their skipper Joe Root, who’s recently been on a purple patch. But Umesh Yadaav’s beautiful inswinger was just too good for him to play, as he was bowled for 21 in the late hours of play of Day 1. India struck gold again in the early hours of play in Day 2, with Umesh Yadaav dismissing night-watchman Craig Overton for 1 and Dawid Malan; who was beginning to look dangerous at 31 as India seemed to have England in a strong predicament at 62-5. Despite being in almost similar situations while batting, what made England stand out was the contribution from their lower order batsmen. Putting up enormous partnerships with first Jonny Bairstow (37) and then Moeen Ali (35), Ollie Pope took the game away from India’s hands. Pope was finally dismissed for an exquisite innings of 81 by Thakur, not before he helped ensure that England were significantly ahead of the opposition. Chris Woakes’ hard-hitting cameo towards the end was quite reflective of the one Thakur played in the first innings as he took England’s total to 290, giving the hosts an almost indomitable lead of 99-runs.

India 2^nd Innings: Rohit scores ton as India go big

While the openers came to bat, everyone knew that the Indians had to either go big or go home. Facing the relentless pace attack with the new ball nonchalantly, Sharma and Rahul gave India the ideal start they’ve been accustomed to in this series. While Sharma took his time in the middle, it was KL Rahul who flourished, not missing out on a single opportunity to latch onto the occasional bad ball. The duo put up an 83-run partnership, playing through the new ball phase, before KL was dismissed for 46 by Jimmy Anderson. It was up to former under-19 teammates Pujara and Rohit to take the innings forward as the duo batted with great composure. England sensed the game slipping from their hands but Sharma and Pujara seemed to be just too good for their pace attack. Rohit Sharma’s brilliancy with the bat helped him reach his maiden overseas test hundred while Pujara scored another half century as well as the duo put together an enormous 153-run partnership before the 2^nd new ball was taken in the 81^st over. The uneven bounce from the flat track mixed with the new ball seemed to be fatal for them as Rohit (127) and Pujara (61) were dismissed in the very first over in which the new ball was taken. Virat Kohli added some much-needed runs to the total as well as India were looking quite comfortable. Wickets of Jadeja (17), Rahane (0) and then skipper Virat (44) in quick intervals helped the Englishmen get some sort of a comeuppance as India went from 296-3 to 312-6 in no time. But the Indians were far from done at that point. Shardul Thakur yet again gained the limelight by his splendid performance with the bat, with boundaries coming from left, right and center while Pant took the back seat. Rishabh Pant, who had been in the lookout for runs joined hands with the Lord himself as they put up a 100-run partnership, giving India some much needed breathing space. Cameos from Umesh (25) and Bumrah (24) helped India post a vast total of 466 runs. While it was a tough outing on the field for the Englishmen after having fielded for almost 150 overs, Woakes was yet again the pick amongst the bowlers with figures of 3-83 while Robinson and Moeen Ali grabbed a brace each.

England 2^nd Innings: England collapse after lunch: ft. Bumrah and Jadeja

Having given 367 to chase, England’s best course of action was to play for a draw after surviving the brutal day 4 and day 5 conditions. Burns and Hameed gave England the start they needed, playing with a positive intent through the end of Day 4 at 73-0. They put together a 100-run stand before Rory Burns was dismissed for a well made 50. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals for England as Malan (5) and Haseeb Hameed (63) were dismissed. Being struck at 141-3, Kohli introduced Jasprit Bumrah to the mix and his effortless yorkers put England on their back foot as he bowled Bairstow (0) and Pope (2). Jadeja dismissed Moeen Ali for 0 as skipper Joe Root watched it all unfold from the other end as England were at the brink of defeat. Root tried to steady the English ship but it was damaged beyond repair. His dismissal for 38 signaled England’s surrender as they waved the metaphorical white flag. The tail enders could only help the cause with a handful of runs as England were bowled out for just 210 runs in the last session of play in Day 5. Umesh Yadaav was yet again the pick amongst the bowlers with his figures of 3-60 as there was a brace each for Bumrah, Jadeja and Shardul Thakur as India beat England by a comprehensive margin of 157-runs.

Man of the Match: Rohit Sharma (11 and 127 runs)

Conclusion: The Oval witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions in the last five days of play and at the end of it all, the better team emerged victorious. The inclusion of Shardul Thakur in the playing XI has greatly boosted India’s batting and this is a good sign for things to come in the future. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara’s form are also green flags for the men in blue as they look to continue their winning ways. The Indian dressing room would be quite happy with their performance as it was a complete team effort. For the English side, well, it was a different story. Their side seems to be revolving around Joe Root and despite Pope’s wonderful innings of 81, the side seemed to lack a certain something. Inconsistent performances from the batsmen and bowlers have greatly hampered their momentum. The level of fielding from the hosts was also below par with as much as half a dozen dropped chances. They have a lot of homework to do if they want to stop India from winning the series because they look undeniably the favourites to win the series as it builds towards its crescendo.

Root Robinson star as England annihilate India | England vs India 2nd Test Match Review |

2021-08-29T09:55:00.006+05:30

After riding the highs from the historic win at Lord’s, India’s spirits were crushed at Headingley in a tragic turn of events. The visitors were left searching for answers for the brilliancy shown by the English bowlers. The game was a match of two halves, England dominating India with bat and ball in the first innings and India’s fight in the second innings to stay in the match. Want to know how it all went down? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

England: Haseeb Hameed, Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Craig Overton, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson.

India 1^st Innings: When it comes crashing down and it hurts inside

After winning the toss, skipper Kohli decided to bat first. What followed next was a complete and utter disarray of the Indian batting line-up bit by bit. Losing Rahul (0), Pujara (1) and Kohli (7) to the king of swing, Jimmy Anderson in the early hours of Day 1, India knew the road ahead was going to be tough, being 21-3. Ajinkya Rahane’s resourceful cameo of 18 didn’t last long as he was dismissed by Robinson. Dismissals of Pant (2) and Rohit (19 off 105) signalled India’s defeat in the first battle of the warfare ahead of them as the hosts were eager to seal the deal as quick as possible. Being 67-5 at a stage, India was shell shocked by the fantastic precision shown by the Englishmen as they stopped the visitors for just 78, registering their third lowest total in England since 1974. Anderson (3-8) and Overton (3-14) were the pick amongst the bowlers as Sam Curran and Ollie Robinson grabbed a brace each. The road ahead looked tough for the Indians but they weren’t going down without a fight.

England 1^st Innings: Joe. Joe. Joe. Joe.

India had to pick early wickets if they wanted to have some sort of a resurgence in the match but English openers Rory Burns (61) and Haseeb Hameed had other idea, the latter of which looked especially good with his outing with the bat in his innings of 68. Crushing the hopes of over a billion people watching at home, the duo put a solid 135-run stand for the 1^st wicket, silencing the critics who raised questions on their selection in the process. India’s misery, however, did not end after the dismissal of the English openers as Dawid Malan and in-form Joe Root arrived in the middle. The duo upped the ante and put up a 139-run stand before Malan was dismissed for 70 by Siraj, missing out on a well-deserved century. The pair had batted through the second new ball and had put England in such a stage which was almost impossible to give away. Root continued to ride his momentum from the first two matches and registered his 3^rd straight century in the series. Joe Root’s dominant innings came to a befitting end when he was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah for 121 but this wasn’t enough for India. Cameos from Bairstow (29), Curran (15) and Craig Overton (32) towards the later stages of the innings helped England post a humongous total of 432, having an indomitable lead of 354 runs. Mohammad Shami was the pick amongst the bowlers registering figures of 28-8-95-4 while Bumrah, Siraj and Jadeja grabbed a brace each.

India 2^nd Innings: India’s batting gets exposed on Day 4 in a humbling defeat

The road ahead for India was grueling as they had to withstand 3 full days of relentless English bowling in order to draw the game which was the only viable course of action left for them. Rahul’s early dismissal for 8 did put the visitors in a state of frenzy but a solid partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma set the tempo for the Indian innings. Fighting to defend his place in the playing XI, Pujara batted exceptionally well while Rohit took his time in the middle, occasionally hitting the odd boundary. Sharma continued his hot streak in red ball cricket with the bat, registering yet another half century in the process as the pair put up an 82-run partnership, weathering the new ball storm in the process. After Rohit’s dismissal for 59, skipper Virat Kohli marched to bat with a purpose and bat he did. Leaving his past failures behind him, Kohli started on a new front with positive intent as the runs started flowing with the bat. Pujara wasn’t there to play second fiddle to his skipper as he joined the party as well. The duo joined hands and put up a 99-run partnership before Pujara was dismissed by Jimmy Anderson for 91, missing a well deserved hundred in the first hour of play on day 4. Kohli soon fell after scoring a half century as India went from ending Day 3 looking comfortable at 215-2 to struggling in Day 4 at 237-4. The flamboyant English pace attack changed the complexion of the match in the next couple of overs as they dismissed Pant (1) and Rahane (10) having completely exposed the out of form Indian middle order as India was left searching for answers at 239-6. An inspired cameo from Ravindra Jadeja (30) wasn’t enough for the visitors as England beat India by an innings and 76 runs as India was bowled out for 278. Ollie Robinson stole the whole show, grabbing a 5-fer in the process and finishing with figures of 26-6-65-5. Craig Overton registered figures of 3-47 as well as England comprehensively leveled the series 1-1.

Man of the Match: Ollie Robinson (10-3-16-2) & (26-6-65-5)

Conclusion: The rising tension in the camps can be cut by a knife, now that both the teams stand at a win each, fighting for bragging rights. Changes are eminent in the Indian playing XI but it would be interesting to see if they’re bold enough to take those brave steps. Kohli and his men would like to right the wrongs from this test while Root and co. would like to sail the ship, riding on the momentum gained from the Massacre they left behind at Leeds. The Oval is likely to be a belter, and the glimmer of hope from India's batting in the second innings needs to carry over into London. The series is reaching its crescendo and the hype is real. We have lots of exciting cricketing action coming our way and I, for one, cannot wait.

Indian Pacers help script historic win at Lord’s | India vs England 2nd Test Match Review

2021-08-17T14:02:00.005+05:30

While the world stood at political unrest, the gentleman’s game emerged as an escape to billions of people once again. The 2nd Test Match at Lord’s was a fascinating tale of exemplary performances, miraculous comebacks and exquisite cricketing action for experts and fans alike. After the dust had finally settled, India emerged on top with a victory at the Mecca of cricket after 7 long years. How did it all unfold? Read the complete article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj.

England: Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Haseeb Hameed, Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson.

India 1st Innings: India boosted by the Rahul-Rohit show as Anderson grabs 5-fer

India’s new opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul proved just how good they are again in a spectacular display of their abilities. While KL started slow, it was Rohit Sharma who stole the show with his fantastic innings of 83. His innings laid the foundation for the rest of the team to act upon. The duo put a 126-run partnership before the former’s dismissal as this was India’s first 100-run opening partnership at Lord’s in over 69 years. Pujara’s (9) dreadful string with the bat continued as he could barely scratch the surface as Rahul was joined by the Indian skipper Virat Kohli. The duo put yet another century stand with Rahul playing the aggressor in this one. Kohli’s effective innings of 42 ended courtesy of Robinson as the wickets of KL Rahul (129) and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (1) soon fell as India went from looking unstoppable at 267-2 to being stranded at 282-5. Much needed cameos from Rishabh Pant (37) and Ravindra Jadeja (40) helped India reach a respectable total of 364 while the Indian tail could only contribute 8 runs. 39-year old Jimmy Anderson grabbed the limelight with the ball yet again with a 5-wicket haul as he continues to prove that he only gets better with age while Robinson and Wood grabbed a brace each.

England 1st Innings: Joe Root’s “fab”ulous innings helps the hosts take the lead

Two back-to-back dismissals by India’s fiery sensation Mohammad Siraj put England in the back foot as Sibley (11) and Hameed (0) failed to give England the desired start. Skipper Joe Root walked in to bat at no. 4 and one could feel that he was on a one-man wrecking crew. Root and Burns joined hands and put together an inspired 85-run partnership which was the need of the hour for the hosts. Burns missed out on a well deserved half century by just a run as he was dismissed by Shami at 49. Bairstow (57) and Root put up yet another century plus stand as England looked comfortable at 229-3 before the former’s dismissal as skipper Root was nearing his century. Cameos from Buttler (23) and Moeen Ali (27) helped England’s cause as England’s innings was halted at 391 with a 27-run lead over India’s total. Skipper Joe Root stood not-out till the very end of the English innings at 180 which will be fondly remembered for years to come as one of the greatest test innings ever played at Lord’s. As far as Indian bowlers are concerned, Mohammad Siraj was the pick amongst them with figures of 30-7-94-4. Ishant grabbed 3 wickets as well as there was a brace for Mohammad Shami too.

India 2nd Innings: Sha-Boom dominate England, with the bat.

Upon arriving to bat on Day 4, India didn't get off to the greatest of starts as they lost KL Rahul early for 5. Rohit's entertaining cameo of 21 was short lived as well as he was yet again dismissed while playing his favourite pull shot as India looked to be in troubled waters. Virat Kohli failed to make it big again as he was dismissed for 20 by Sam Curran as the Englishmen began to get their tails up, restricting India for 55-3 with two out of form batsmen in Rahane and Pujara at the crease. However, against all odds, Rahane (61 off 146) and Pujara (45 off 206) batted through the insecurities and doubts and put together a solid partnership. The test veterans put together a 100-run stand which was a true test of their skill and determination as they rescued India from the lingering threat of yet another batting collapse. Pant (22) and Jadeja (3) couldn't really set the stage on fire with their bats as India was stuck at 209-8 with Bumrah and Shami at the crease and what followed next was one of the most miraculous tales of uprising in cricket history. The duo batted through the overs one after the other and grabbed every opportunity to score runs with both hands. They batted like they were the masters of their craft as if there was no tomorrow. Registering India's highest 9th wicket partnership in test history, the duo put together a 77-run partnership as India declared their innings at 286-8 with Shami and Bumrah remaining not-out at 56 and 34 each. Mark Wood was the pick amongst the English bowlers picking up 3-51 while Moeen Ali and Ollie Robinson grabbed a brace each as well.

England 2nd Innings: England outclassed by Indian seamers

With a little under two sessions left and a target of 271 runs to chase, England's best course of action was to play for a draw. They had little to no idea of what was coming their way. Enter: The Indian Pace Battery. Removing both the openers for ducks, the Indians let everyone know that they were going after the win. Haseeb Hameed (9) and Jonny Bairstow (2) could barely get anything going on for them as after Root's dismissal for 33, as the English batting had collapsed at 67-5. A gritty effort from Buttler (25 off 96) in the later stages of the innings was commendable but it couldn't stop the inevitable. England were bowled out for 120 having left searching for answers with a few odd overs left to bowl as India registered a 151-run victory over the mighty Englishmen. Mohammad Siraj was the pick of the bowlers yet again registering figures of 10.5-3-32-4. Jasprit Bumrah, the man with the golden arm finished with 15-3-33-3 while Ishant grabbed a brace as well.

Man of the Match: KL Rahul (129 and 5)

Conclusion: Oh what a formidable performance it was by the men in blue. They went from fighting to stay alive in the game on Day 4 to stealing the win in one of the most memorable test matches in recent memory. Melbourne, Brisbane and now Lords, this is definitely the dawn of a new era in Indian cricket. Gone are the days where the team would be dominated in overseas conditions, this team has what it takes to play fire with fire. That being said, India do take the lead in the 5 match series 1-0 with three matches still to go. For England it will be a bitter sweet memory. They had the game in the palm of their hands for a better part of the game but lost it all on Day 5. They'd look forward to learn from their mistakes and give their absolute best in the matches to come as we have loads of exquisite cricketing action coming our way.

Sri Lanka spin a web around Inexperienced India | India vs Sri Lanka T20i Series Review

2021-07-30T16:58:00.003+05:30

After a triumphant series win in the ODI series, the men in blue wished to repeat the results in the 3-match T20i series as well. However, after the 1st T20, calamity struck the Indian dressing room when Krunal Pandya was tested positive for covid and as a result, everyone who came in contact to him had to isolate themselves. This meant another string of changes and debuts in the Indian playing XI, which really hampered the team’s overall performance in the following games. Want to know how it all went down? Read the full article to know just how.

1st T20i: Sri Lanka succumb to India’s swing bowlers

After losing Prithvi Shaw on the very first ball, Skipper Dhawan (46) made decent 50+ partnerships with Sanju Samson (27) and then Suryakumar Yadav. The latter of which went on to score a magnificent half century as he continued to ride the momentum of his form with a string of quality performances. Being 127-4 after 15.2 overs and two new batsmen in Kishan (20*) and Hardik (10) in the middle, India looked comfortable, but some sharp bowling at the death from Udana and Chameera helped Sri Lanka contain India to a respectable total of 163-5. On the other hand, Fernando (26) and Bhanuka (10) failed to give Sri Lanka the ideal start as Sri Lanka was reduced to 50-3 after the dismissal of Dhananjaya de Silva (9). Charith Asalanka (44) was the only bright spot for Sri Lanka as the rest of the batting lineup apart from Shanaka (16) couldn't even post double digit figures with the bat. Some superb bowling from vice captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3.3-0-22-4) and Deepak Chahar (3-0-24-2) helped India run through the Sri Lankan tailenders and have a defining 38-run victory.

Man of the Match: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3.3-0-22-4)

2nd T20i: Sri Lanka steal the win in last over thriller

With around 7 changes to their starting XI, India was back in the field notwithstanding the fact that their key players were isolating themselves. Batting first, India had a decent start to their innings with Shikhar (40) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (21) putting up a 49-run stand. Debutant Padikkal's cameo of 29 was handy as well as India was looking feasibly good at 99-3 in 15 overs despite playing only 5 proper batsmen. Sanju Samson (7 off 13) and Nitish Rana (9 off 12) failed to capitalize on the momentum as India could only put up a total of 132-5 in their quota of 20 overs as the rest could barely scratch the surface with the bat. Minod Bhanuka (36) stood by from one end and played his natural aggressive gameplay despite Fernando (11), Samawickrama (3) and Shanaka (8) failed to make an impact. Despite strugging at 66-4 after 12 overs, Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva took it upon himself to guide his team home with the win. Playing an instrumental knock of 40* with the assist of a quick fire cameo from Karunaratne (12* off 6) towards the later stages of the game helped the hosts seal the deal and level the series 1-1.

Man of the Match: Dhananjaya de Silva (40* off 34 balls)

3rd T20i: Indian innings collapses ahead of Hasaranga's magical spell

With the hopes of continuing their tradition of not losing a series in Sri Lanka, Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan decided to bat first and what awaited was one of the most bitter bitter batting tragedies in recent memory. Chameera's dismissal of Dhawan on his very first ball was the first sign of what was ahead. Sri Lanka's relentless spin attack comprising Hasaranga and Mendis completely exposed the inexperienced Indian batsmen as Padikkal (9), Gaikwad (14), Samson (0) and Rana (6) could hardly make a difference. Being reduced for 36-5 and having no proper batsman left, millions of Indians had already turned off their television sets courtesy of some sublime spin bowling. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16) and Kuldeep Yadav's (23*) efforts with the bat were inspired but none could really set the stage on fire as India's innings was halted at 81-8 in their 20 overs, registering their third lowest total in T20i cricket history. Birthday boy Wanindu Hasaranga grabbed all the limelight with figures of 4-0-9-4, while skipper Shanaka grabbed a brace as well. Upon reducing their opposition for such a mediocre total, chasing it wasn't really the toughest job in the world for the Sri Lankans. They chased the target with ease in just 14.3 overs with 7 wickets in hand as Dhananjaya de Silva emerged as the highest scorer with 23*. Rahul Chahar was the only diamond in the rough for India, picking 3-15 in his quota of 4 overs but it wasn't enough from stopping Sri Lanka from winning the series 2-1.

Man of the Match: Wanindu Hasaranga (4-0-9-4)

Player of the Series: Wanindu Hasaranga - Sri Lanka.

Conclusion: While it was a heartbreaking defeat for the Indians, the men in blue wouldn't really be particularly bothered about it given that almost all their key players were unavailable for the last two deciding matches. However some of the performances did highlight that players in the likes of Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, etc still have a lot of work to do before re-entering the International stage as India's quest to find their perfect squad for the world cup may have a fewer contendors now. For Sri Lanka, it was finally a huge sigh of relief given that they ended their string of loses with a defining series win against one of the top t20 sides in the world. They delivered whenever the situation asked for it and when the dust settled, the Lions emerged as the better team and righteously so, they were the winners of the series.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of the Unacademy T20i series: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka end their 9-year wait | India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI Review

2021-07-24T12:10:00.005+05:30

Upon entering the 3rd ODI match, everyone knew that the stakes were high as both the teams wanted to secure the win. For India, the win meant clean sweeping their opponents 3-0 in prime fashion and continuing the 9-year old legacy of not losing to Sri Lanka at their home turf; whereas for Sri Lanka, it was an opportunity to seek vengeance, after they dropped the metaphrical ball in the 2nd ODI and finally getting over the rough patch they've been having in recent times. The series finale between India and Sri Lanka, despite being ridiculed by rain, was an absolute barn burner of a contest with both sides fighting tooth and nail till their last breath. The match itself was a fascinating tale of new beginnings, returns, batting collapses, spin supremacy and some nail biting action. How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson (wk), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, Rahul Chahar, Chetan Sakariya, Navdeep Saini.

Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, Minod Bhanuka (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Akila Dhananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama.

India Innings: India's batting collapses post rain break

After the usual aggressive start to their innings courtesy of the Shikhar-Shaw pair, Sri Lanka struck back with a wicket as Chameera dismissed the in form batsman Shikhar for 11. Debutant Sanju Samson and Prithvi Shaw took the innings forward with the latter spearheading the attack with some captivating boundaries. They put up a healthy 74-run partnership before Shaw was dismissed by Shanaka for 49, missing his half-century by just a run. Samson was soon dismissed for a runner-ball 46 as well, as India had two new batsmen in the crease in the form of Suryakumar Yadav and Manish Pandey being 118-3. The duo looked comfortable in the crease with the former amazing the audience watching at home with his 360° shots before rain interrupted the play. After an hour of absence, the players marched out to the field but this time things were different. The ball began spinning to a great extent as this added extra leverage to the already stacked Sri Lankan spin attack. Spinners Jayawickrama and Akila Dhananjaya tightly held the game, picking up 6 wickets between themselves and not letting the oppostion to really make a move. As a result of which, India went from cruising at 157-3 to being stuck in the middle of nowhere at 195-8 in no time with Suryakumar (40), Pandey (11), Hardik (17) and debutant Nitish Rana (7) all back in the pavilion. The tail enders could only add a handful of runs to the tally as India was bowled out for 225 in the now revised 47-over per side match.

Sri Lanka Innings: Rajapaksa and Fernando help secure Sri Lanka the win

Despite losing wicket-keeper Minod Bhanuka early for 7, Sri Lanka's innings was brought back on track by Avishka Fernando and Bhanuka Rajapaksa. The duo's free flowing shots gave Sri Lanka the perfect foundation to build their innings forward as they were firing on all cylinders. They put up a massive 109-run stand before India's young sensation Chetan Sakariya finally gave the visitors a much needed breakthrough as he dismissed Rajapaksa for 65(56) as SL was looking dangerous at 144-2 in 23 overs. The Indian bowlers struck back again, dismissing de Silva (2), Asalanka (24), Shanaka (0) and most importantly Fernando for 76, as the Lankan lower middle order seemed to be lost in the shuffle. Suddenly India had a ray of hope ahead of them, having Sri Lanka on its knees at 195-5. A few wickets here and there would've sealed the deal in a massive turnaround of events for the visitors but that little flurry of offence was too little too late. Ramesh Mendis (15*) stood by at one end and made sure the hosts got the win with 3 wickets in hand and end the series on a high. Debutant Rahul Chahar was the pick of the bowlers for India with his magnificent spell of 10-0-54-3 while another debutant Chetan Sakariya grabbed a brace as well.

Player of the Match: Avishka Fernando (76 runs off 98 balls)

Conclusion: India debuted 5 new faces in this game with the hopes of giving them a taste of the International exposure and as far as I'm concerned, it was obviously the right choice, despite the result of the game. The match was directed towards building the future set of cricketers who'll represent the country in the years to come and they most certainly delivered upon their promises. Not all things are rosy in the Indian camp right now as following a string of low scores and inconsistent performances, I think this is the end of the road for veteran batsman Manish Pandey; as far as ODIs are concerned. With the availability of batsmen like Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul in the middle order, having Manish Pandey be a part of the team would be an added liability. Sri Lanka on the other hand, must be finally relieved after winning a much deserved match as they were the better team in the contest. They'd hope to repeat the results in the iT20 series ahead as the 3 Matches promise to be must watch for experts and fans alike.

Player of the Series: Suryakumar Yadav (31*, 53, 40)

Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of the Unacademy India vs Sri Lanka ODI Series, Team India!

India pulls off a Heist at Colombo | India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Match Review

2021-07-21T09:49:00.006+05:30

The 2^nd ODI match at the R. Premadasa Stadium saw a thrilling nail-biting affair between the two Asian Heavyweights, the result of which wasn’t clear until the very last over was bowled as it kept fans at the edge of their seats throughout. The match was full of ups and downs and it took some serious heavy lifting from India’s lower middle-order to steal the game from Sri Lanka’s hands. How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, M. Bhanuka (wk), B. Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, C. Karunaratne, A. Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan.

Sri Lanka Innings: Asalanka and Karunaratne help Sri Lanka finish on a high

Sri Lanka couldn’t have asked for a better start from openers Avishka Fernando and Minod Bhanuka as the duo’s free-spirited batting gave Sri Lanka the upper hand in the match. The duo’s exquisite shots left everyone in awe of the raw talent they possess. Sri Lanka looked comfortable at 77-0 after 13 overs and posed to be a serious threat if not neutralized as soon as possible and neutralized they were. Yuzvendra Chahal continued his hot streak with the ball as he dismissed Bhanuka (36) and Rajapaksa (0) in two consecutive deliveries, pushing the opposition to the back foot. Fernando (50) reached his half-century in his partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva (32) as the duo looked to steady the Lankan innings but back-to-back wickets from Bhuvi and Chahar curbed all the momentum Sri Lanka was riding on. Charith Asalanka was next as he was seemed to be a man on a mission. He stood by from one end as the wickets of captain Shanaka (16) and Hasaranga (8) fell from the other end in quick succession. Asalanka (65) and Karunaratne (44) held their nerves and batted extremely cautiously through the tough overs of spin and rained boundaries with the bat at the death, helping Sri Lanka’s cause of putting up a respectable total of 275-9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10-0-54-3) and Yuzvendra Chahal (10-1-50-3) were the picks amongst the Indian bowlers as Deepak Chahar grabbed a brace as well.

India Innings: Deepak Chahar too good for Sri Lanka

After a dominant win just 48 hours ago, India looked to be confident in their approach with boundaries leaking from the bats of both Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan from the beginning of the Indian innings. This however didn’t last long as the introduction of spin in the 3^rd over not only put a halt at the run-rate but also earned Sri Lanka the crucial wicket of Prithvi Shaw (13). The wickets of Ishan Kishan (1) and Shikhar Dhawan (29) soon fell as India looked to be in serious trouble at 65-3 with their backs against the wall. Having their tails up, Sri Lanka was eager to prove all critics wrong with a decisive win against India but that was a long way to go from here. Suryakumar Yadav and Manish Pandey kept the runs flowing at a stable rate for the men in blue as India looked to gradually recover from the after-effects of the 3 early wickets. The duo put together a 50-run stand and it could have lasted a lot longer, had it not been for an untimely runout as Pandey had to depart for 37. Hardik’s dismissal for 0 soon left India stranded in the middle at 116-5 with newcomers SKY and Krunal Pandya at the crease. The MI lads put together a decent partnership as Suryakumar registered his maiden ODI fifty in the process. This didn’t last long as he was dismissed for 53 via LBW by mystery spinner Sandakan. Krunal’s effective cameo of 35 didn’t last long either as India was reduced to 193-7 as one could clearly see the writing on the wall. Nonetheless, Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar just hadn’t given up yet. Chahar proved to everyone just how good he is with the bat as some of the shots he played could easily put pure batsmen to shame. The duo batted with great bravado and didn’t lose hope as they continued to fight the battle all by themselves. Bit by bit as each run was scored, the tension grew in the Lankan camp as their bowlers seemed to have no answers to Chahar’s brilliancy with the bat. When the dust had settled, India needed 7 off 7 as two consecutive boundaries from Chahar and Bhuvi helped India seal the deal in one of the most inspiring tales in modern-day cricket. Deepak Chahar remained not-out at 69 while vice-captain Bhuvi’s 19 off 28 was just as important. Wanindu Hasaranga was the obvious pick amongst the Sri Lankan bowlers as he registered figures of 10-0-37-3 as Rajitha, Sandakan, and skipper Shanaka grabbed a wicket each.

Man of the Match: Deepak Chahar- 8-0-53-2 and 69* off 82 balls.

Conclusion: This game is the perfect example that cricket is an unpredictable game. India had no business getting this close to winning let alone winning the game after being stuck at 193-7. But I reckon that’s new India’s approach, they just refuse to give in. Sri Lanka failed to capitalize on the opportunity they had as they let loose of themselves at the worst possible time. They were the better side for 80% of the game but it’s the win that counts and not the chances you had. India’s morale would really be high right now but even they have a lot of areas to work on. Getting wickets with the new ball, containing runs at the death and some mature batting from youngsters Kishan and Prithvi would do them just good. As for Sri Lanka, well, they slip further down their downward spiral with hopes of getting better is far from here.

Young India tame the Lankan Lions | India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Review

2021-07-19T10:36:00.007+05:30

After a month-long absence from the cricket field, the so-called “second-string” squad of India returned to action with a tour to our neighbors South of the border while the Indian Test Contingent prepares for the upcoming test series in England. Since the big names were absent from the side, the series gave the perfect opportunity for the youngsters to step up and grab the opportunity with both hands and perform for their side at the International level, under the leadership of veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan and coach Rahul Dravid.

The series consists of 3 ODIs and 3 iT20s, all being played in the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The first ODI between the two old rivals was a completely one-sided affair with India emerging as the better team by a comprehensive margin in all aspects of the game. How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, M. Bhanuka (wk), B. Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, C. Karunaratne, Issuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan.

Sri Lanka Innings: Kul-Cha: The Spin Twins are back in World Cricket

After winning the toss, the new captain elect of Sri Lanka; Dasun Shanaka chose to bat first. Despite being the underdogs on their own home soil, Sri Lanka had a fairly decent start to their innings, courtesy of some mesmerizing shots by Avishka Fernando (33). Bhanuka and Rajapaksa joined hands and carried the run rate from there on and Sri Lanka was on quite a roll at 85-1 in 16 overs until the returning Kuldeep Yadav dismissed them both in the same over for 27 and 24 respectively. The Indian spinners held the middle overs tightly and stopped the runs from leaking. The Sri Lankan middle-order comprising de Silva (14), Asalanka (38) and Shanaka (39) all had decent starts to their innings but couldn’t really convert it into anything big, succumbing to the intimidating Indian spin attack. Karunaratne’s hard-hitting innings of 43* of 35 in the death overs was inspired but he could only take Sri Lanka’s total to 262-8 in their quota of 50 overs. Deepak Chahar was the pick amongst the bowlers with his figures of 7-1-37-2 whereas the spin twins Kuldeep and Chahal grabbed two wickets each and the Pandya Brothers grabbed a wicket each as well.

India Innings: Prithvi Came, Prithvi ‘Shaw’, Prithvi Conquered

Prithvi Shaw returned to International Cricket with a bang after he took the fans on a nostalgic trip to the good old Virendra Sehwag days, giving the Men in Blue a flying start. Boundaries were flowing left, right, and center as Shaw left everyone fascinated by his abilities. In no time India had crossed 50 within the first 5 overs and everyone knew that Sri Lanka had already surrendered. Shaw’s short but impactful innings of 43 from 25 deliveries ended courtesy of Dhananjaya de Silva but Sri Lanka’s troubles were far from over. Enter: Ishan Kishan. The birthday boy announced his arrival in ODI cricket after smashing the first ball for a six and the second for a four. The 23-year-old took to the opposition with his natural attacking brand of cricket and made victory almost certain for India while skipper Dhawan played second fiddle to him. It seemed as if India’s innings were going at a 100-miles-an-hour and in no time, Ishan reached his debut fifty. After Ishan was dismissed for 59, Manish Pandey (26) joined Shikhar and the duo kept the runs coming as Sri Lanka could do nothing but watch it all unfold. Shikhar played the anchor role till the very end and remained not-out at 86 while a quick-fire inning of 31* from debutant Suryakumar Yadav helped the visitors easily cross the threshold with about 80 balls to spare. There was nothing much on offer for the Sri Lankan bowlers yet part-timer Dhananjaya de Silva grabbed two wickets and a wicket for Lakshan Sandakan.

Man of the Match: Prithvi Shaw (43 off 25)

Conclusion: Despite lacking the big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India’s “second-string squad” absolutely dismantled the Sri Lankans as the hosts were left looking for answers after the dust had settled. India would be content with their solid performance here with a few gray areas to work upon like containing runs in the death and grabbing early wickets with the new ball. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have had quite a downfall in recent months and has been plagued with suspensions, contract negotiations, bans, and injuries. They have a few positives to take home and a lot of homework to do to get back on their feet and stand toe-to-toe against the Asian Giants.

India vs New Zealand: World Test Championship Final Review

2021-06-24T11:04:00.003+05:30

After 4 days of riveting red ball cricketing action, New Zealand was finally able to fulfill their decades' long prophecy as they defeated India and became the undisputed champions of Test Cricket. The ICC World Test Championship final was everything a final needed to be: a showcase of exceptional cricket coming from both sides and a fitting end to the career of a modern-day great. The match saw high tension, drama, heartbreaks, and heroic efforts, and to sum it all up, it was a treat to the viewers. Despite the lingering threat of rain, both the teams gave it their all and at the end of it, New Zealand emerged as the better team and etched their names in the history books.

How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma.

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner.

India 1^st Innings: Jamieson halts India’s momentum

After the first day being washed out due to rain, India was asked to bat first by Captain Kane upon winning the toss. The Indians got a steady start to their innings with the ravishing duo of Rohit (34) and Gill (29) held their nerves and battled the swing and pace of the Kiwi Pace Battery. They took little to no risk and put up a 62-run opening partnership but neither of them could convert their start into something big. After losing Pujara for 8, Captain Kohli and Vice-Captain Ajinkya Rahane batted through the day as India ended Day 2 looking comfortable at 146-3. Virat Kohli’s watchful knock of 44 off 132 came to an end in the early hours of Day 3 and thus began India’s collapse. Wickets of Pant (4) and Rahane (49) soon fell as India was reduced to 182-6 courtesy of some fine bowling by Jamieson and co. Cameos from Jadeja (15) and Ashwin (22) followed but none could really set the stage on fire. The Kiwis quickly ran through the tail-enders as India was bowled out for just 217. Trent Boult and Neil Wagner grabbed a brace each but Jamieson was the one who stole the show. Jamieson’s modus operandi was simple: ridicule the opposition with his pitch-perfect seam position and bounce. The tall lanky bowler grabbed another 5-wicket haul, ending with figures of 22-12-31-5 as NZ drew first blood in the battle.

New Zealand 1^st Innings: Shami bowls a dream spell but NZ take the lead

New Zealand received an awe inspiring start at the back of some quality knocks from their top 3. Openers Tom Latham (30) and Devon Conway (54) gave the Kiwis the ideal start with a 70-run partnership as they set the stage for the rest of the side. After Latham’s dismissal, Kane Williamson walked in to bat and he stood in the middle through the collapse of the middle order as Taylor (11), Nicholls (7), BJ Watling (1) and de Grandhomme (13) failed to make an impact in the grand scheme of things; courtesy of some mesmerizing bowling by Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. Williamson’s gritty knock of 49 off 177 balls came to an end courtesy of an unplayable delivery by Ishant Sharma. Entertaining cameos from Jamieson (21) and Southee (30) followed which helped make sure New Zealand took a lead of 32 runs as the Kiwis were restricted for 249 runs. Mohammed Shami was the man of the moment as he picked a 4-for and finished with brilliant figures of 26-8-76-4. Ishant Sharma was consistent throughout as well, picking up 3-48 while Ashwin grabbed a brace too.

India 2^nd Innings: India’s batting botches on Reserve Day

Trailing by 32 runs, India didn’t really get the desired start to their innings, losing Shubman Gill early for just 8. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara battled against the new ball and steadied the innings. This, however, didn’t last long as Rohit’s spirited knock of 30 off 81 balls came to an end, courtesy of Tim Southee. India ended Day 5 with Pujara and Kohli at the crease and the reserve day were put into effect. New Zealand had to restrict India under a total of 200 if they wanted to win the test match and the series of events that followed next was exactly what the doctor ordered for them. At the back of some magnificent bowling by Jamieson and co. in the early hours of Day 6, NZ completely exposed the inconsistent Indian middle-order as India went from cruising at 71-2 to struggling at109-5 in a matter of an hour. Pujara (15), Kohli (13), and Rahane (15) could barely scratch the surface as New Zealand started smelling victory. Rishabh Pant’s aggressive cameo of 41 was short-lived, as his care-free approach to the situation cost him his wicket. India’s lower order couldn’t deliver anything of notice, as they were restricted to a mere 170 runs as NZ needed 139 runs to be the World Test Champions. Tim Southee was the pick amongst the New Zealand bowlers as he finished with figures of 19-4-48-4. Trent Boult picked up 3 wickets and ended with figures of 15-2-39-3 while Jamieson grabbed a brace as well.

New Zealand 2^nd Innings: Willaimson and co. create history

New Zealand had to reach the target in 53 overs to win the match and the Indian bowlers gave them a tough fight for it. After receiving a seemingly okay-ish start from Latham (9) and Conway (19), New Zealand looked to be in some troubled waters at 44-2 courtesy of two back-to-back wickets from Ravi Ashwin. The two dismissals gave India a ray of hope but it was too little too late. The Kiwis’ fate hung in the balance and it was up to two of the most successful batsmen in New Zealand’s test history to rescue them from the situation and they rightfully did so. Williamson (52*) and Ross Taylor (47*) stepped up and made an unbeaten 96-run partnership, rendering the opposition’s attack insufficient. The duo batted with fantastic control and maturity and took New Zealand home comfortably with an 8-wicket victory over the Asian giants in a final day thriller. The Indian bowlers didn’t have much going on for them as apart from Ashwin; who grabbed a brace, no other bowler could pick a single wicket.

Conclusion: New Zealand’s 21-year drought for ICC Championship glory finally ended after a neck and neck battle in the Ultimate Test Match and New Zealand emerged as the better team. Their road to the finals was filled with ups and downs but as they seldom say, “Sometimes it’s all about how you finish, not how you started.” BJ Watling’s cricketing career came to a fitting end as the wicket-keeper batsman hung up his boots on a career-high. It wasn’t all smiles around in Southampton though as India fell short of yet another Championship victory. The ghosts from the past still haunt India as India hasn’t registered a single win in over 8 years now. They need a fresh start and a better approach to the game and hopefully they’ll emerge victorious next time around.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of the World Test Championship 2021, New Zealand.

Road to Southampton: World Test Championship Finals

2021-06-12T14:28:00.004+05:30

With over two years of electrifying red ball action, captivating feats of heroism, scintillating individual and team performances and era-defining moments behind us, the cricketing world is set to crown its first-ever World Test Champions. A total of 10 teams participated in the World Test Championship back in July 2019 at the time of its inception and the two rightfully deserved teams; India and New Zealand, who are on the cusp of history and are set to go head-to-head in the Finals, to be held at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

Both India and New Zealand has had quite a journey; filled with ups and downs in reaching the WTC Finals. Here’s a special look at it.

India’s Road to the Finals

Conquering the Caribbean (July 2019): India’s journey in the WTC started with a tour of the Caribbean where the visitors made a strong statement that they were the force to be reckoned with. Whitewashing the West Indies 2-0 in their home conditions, Captain Kohli’s men were off to the ideal start. Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari made sublime centuries while Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma delivered with the ball and helped India seal the series with a comprehensive margin.

Humbling the Proteas (October 2019): India began their home season with aplomb, starting with dominating test series wins against South Africa and Bangladesh. In an almost fairy tale of a series that saw double centuries from Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, India absolutely outclassed South Africa 3-0 in the 4-match series. The series also helped solidify Rohit Sharma as India’s permanent test opener as the white ball veteran smashed 529 runs in 4 innings with 3 centuries to his name.

Taming the Tigers (Nov 2019): Being considered the firm favorites in their series against Bangladesh, India comprehensively beat Bangladesh 2-0 and remaining unbeaten in the WTC. Mayank Agarwal starred yet again with a sensational double century in the first game while Virat Kohli’s splendid century in the second game helped India win their first-ever Pink Ball Game and whitewash the Bangladeshi Tigers. India’s pace battery namely: Umesh, Shami and Ishant were vital too, ending the series with an enormous tally of 33 wickets in the 2-match series.

Nightmare in New Zealand (Feb 2020): India received a wake-up call from New Zealand in February 2020 as they were absolutely dominated in the 2-match series. The hosts whitewashed the Indians in the 2-match series while the visitors were left searching for answers. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, India’s batting looked out of line and they could only cross the 200-run margin once in four innings.

Breaching the Fortress (Dec-Jan 2020-21): After a humiliating defeat which saw the Indians getting bowled out for just 36 runs at Sydney, India got right back in the fight with a historical win at MCG against Australia, which saw stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane lead his men to the win with a terrific century. Heroics from Vihari and Ashwin; who battled through injuries, helped India avoid an almost certain defeat and keep their chances alive in the Adelaide Test. The Gabba Test Match was a story in itself. India found new heroes in Sundar and Thakur who chipped in with the bat and got crucial dismissals as well while commendable efforts from Gill, Siraj, Pujara and Pant on the field helped India retain the BG Trophy and win the series 2-1 in a match that perfectly defines the new generation of India.

Dominating the Englishmen (Feb 2021): Joe Root’s double century in the first test helped the visitors overpower the Indians by a staggering 227-run win. India bounced right back after the initial setback and won the next three matches; totally outclassing the opposition and confirming their tickets for the WTC Finals. Centuries from Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin in Chennai helped India level the series whereas the brilliancy in the spin department from Axar Patel and Ashwin in Ahmedabad test matches and the batting masterclass from Rishabh Pant helped India seal the 4-match series 3-1.

Thus ended India’s league run in the World Test Championship. They played 6 series’ comprising 17 matches in total and won 12 of them while losing 4 and drawing just 1 with a win percentage of 70.58%.

New Zealand’s Road to WTC Finals:

Squaring up with the Lions (July 2019): New Zealand’s Road in the World Test Championship started with a tour of Sri Lanka. Despite losing the first of the two test matches; courtesy of Dimuth Karunaratne’s majestic century, the Kiwis drew the series with an emphatic win in the second test match. Splendid centuries from wicket-keepers BJ Watling and Tom Latham and some fine quality bowling from Southee and Boult helped the Kiwis level the series 1-1.

Squashed Down Under (Dec-Jan 2019-20): In what was a series the men in black would like to forget, NZ got absolutely dominated by Australia in the 3-match series. The Kiwis had no answers to the spell-binding bowling shown by the Aussie pace attack as NZ lost all three test matches with a margin of over 200 runs. Niel Wagner’s 17 wickets in the 3 The match was the only positive thing to come out of the series for New Zealand as they looked to turn the tide in the future.

Shocking the System (Feb 2020): After a forgettable tour of Australia, things took a pleasant turn for New Zealand with a 2-0 home series win over India. Jamieson, Boult, and Southee collectively picked 34 off the 40 wickets and didn’t let the Indian batsmen cross the 250-run margin even once. The emphatic series win made sure that New Zealand was very much alive in the World Test Championship.

Dominating the Windies (Jan 2021): After a 9-month break from test cricket due to the ongoing pandemic, cricket resumed in New Zealand with a 2-match series against the West Indies at home. Kane Williamson’s career-best score of 251 helped the Kiwis gain the upper hand in the series with a dominant win in Hamilton while Henry Nicholls’ glorious innings of174 in the second test in Wellington helped New Zealand whitewash the Caribbeans. The fast-bowling trio of Southee, Boult, and Jamieson took 28 off the 38 wickets as NZ comprehensively beat WI by an innings in both the test matches.

Perfection vs Pakistan (Jan-Feb 2021): In what is considered the most dramatic test match in the entirety of the WTC, New Zealand beat Pakistan by a 101-runs with just 3 balls to spare on Day 5. Kane Williamson’s golden form continued as the skipper scored back-to-back centuries in both the games, including a double hundred in the second game. Jamieson’s 11 wickets in the 2^nd test fueled New Zealand’s victory as the Men in Black became the first team to qualify for the WTC Finals.

New Zealand will surely be on a high, on the back of a dominant and undefeated home run. The Kiwis played a total of 11 Test Matches in the WTC and won 7 of them while losing only 4 and ending up with a win percentage of 70%.

The World Test Championship Finals promises to be a showcase for the ages where world-class talents from both nations will step in the field with the hopes of etching their names in the history books and live forever in everlasting glory.

IPL 2021 Suspended Due to Covid-19 Outbreak

2021-05-04T13:42:00.007+05:30

Upon being hit hard by the Covid-19, the 14th Edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended for the forseeable future. News sources are reporting that it could be a one week precautionary break.

The bio bubble burst has led to BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla announcing that the tournament has been postponed as of now. The tournament's cancelation is a precautionary measure to control the covid outbreak, looking at the safety and security of everyone involved in the IPL.

Covid-19 hit the IPL during its inception when players and coaches namely Axar Patel (DC), Devdutt Padikkal (RCB), Kiran More (MI Staff) and others had been tested positive in early April. However, the pandemic hit the tournament hard yet again as KKR squad members including Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive yesterday. These test results led to the match between RCB and KKR; which was scheduled to happen on the 3rd of May, to be postponed. More positive cases, this time coming from the SRH and CSK camp (Wriddhiman Saha and Laxmipathy Balaji) have led to the match between MI and SRH (to be held on 4th May 2021) to be postponed and the tournament in its entirety to be cancelled.

While this may be disheartening for millions of cricketing fans expecting to be entertained by some fantastic cricketing action, the health and safety of the cricketers and staff alike has to be given primary importance.

Here's hoping that the aforementioned players recover from the illness and the IPL runs smoothly once it restarts.

IPL 2021: Week 3 Full Review

2021-04-30T08:48:00.008+05:30

The moving stage of the IPL is now behind us and we're almost mid-way through the tournament with every team knowing what its best XI is. With that being said, here's a detailed review of the third week of the IPL 2021; a week which comprised some of the most prolific cricketing action ranging super overs to last balls finishes, impossible human feats to sheer individual brilliance and giant upsets to dominating victories.

Match 17: MI v PBKS - Chepauk, Chennai

Middle-order fails again as MI plummet ahead of Punjab

With two early wickets in the form of QDK (3 off 5) and Ishan (6 off 17) and Sharma and Suryakumar gasping for runs in the dismal Chepauk track, MI struggled to score runs in the first half of the innings. Some fantastic bowling by the Punjab bowlers Ravi Bishnoi and Md Shami (2-21 each) helped contain the runs from leaking in the middle overs. Surya (33) and Rohit (63) batted through the middle overs but were dismissed in successive overs as Punjab gained the upper hand in the death. This change in momentum helped Punjab as they restricted the opposition to just 131-6 in their 20 overs, with just 26 runs coming from the last 24 balls. With a small target ahead of them, the Kings were off to a flying start courtesy of Mayank Agarwal (25). He helped set the stage for KL and Chris Gayle who finished the game for the Punjab Kings. KL scored 60 while Gayle remained not-out at 43 as PBKS easily chased the target in 17.3 overs with 9 wickets in hand.

Man of the Match - KL Rahul (60* off 52 balls)

Match 18: RR v KKR - Wankhede, Mumbai

Rajasthan cripple dismal KKR

Yet another IPL match saw the team batting first being restricted to a mediocre total and the target being chased by the chasing team in prime fashion. Given the chance to bat first, KKR had a sluggish start with both of their openers being at the defensive end of things. Gill (11 off 19) and Rana (22 off 25) never really got going and neither did the middle order with Morgan getting run out for a duck and Narine for just 6 as KKR was relegated for 61-4 in 10 overs. Cameos from Karthik (25) and Tripathi (36) followed but none could really get going as the Knight Riders' were halted for a mere 133 runs in their quota of 20 overs. Chris Morris was no doubt the talk of the first innings, finishing his sensational spell with figures of 4-0-23-4. Despite losing Buttler early, the Royals were given a decent start by 19-year old Yashashvi Jaiswal (22) and Sanju Samson. Samson anchored the innings and stood right till the very end with a score of 42 runs. Important cameos from Shivam Dube (22) and Dave Miller (24*) followed as the Rajasthan Royals cruised to their win with 6 wickets in hand and 7 balls to spare. Shivam Mavi was excellent in his spell of 1-19 and Varun Chakravarthy grabbed a brace as well but it wasn't enough to stop the Royals from getting the W.

Man of the Match - Chris Morris (4-0-23-4)

Match 19: CSK v RCB - Wankhede, Mumbai

All hail Sir Ravindra 'Midas' Jadeja

Owing to a fiery start by the openers Gaikwad and Du Plessis, CSK looked to be in the driver's seat in the first half of the first innings. Faf and Gaikwad got the runs going and put up a 74-run stand before the latter was dismissed for 33 by Harshal Patel. Faf soon fell to Harshal as well not before scoring another 50. Quick cameos from Raina (24) and Rayudu (14) followed but the hemorrhaging rate at which the runs had been coming for CSK looked to have been sizzled out. CSK who were once looking comfortable at 100-1 after 12 overs were now stuck at 154-4 with Jadeja and MSD at the crease and one over to go. What followed next was the complete disarray of Harshal Patel's bowling as Ravi Jadeja took to the opposition and hit a flurry of offense. Boundaries were coming in left, right, and center for the men in yellow as CSK finished with a stupendous total of 191-4 after 20 overs with a record 37 runs (6,6,6nb,6,2,6,4) coming from the last over. Jadeja reached his fifty as well amidst all the chaos and ended his innings not out at 62 off 28 balls while Harshal finished with 3-51. RCB had a solid start courtesy of Devdutt Padikkal (34 off 15) but no one really kept going as the CSK bowlers struck back. They didn't let the RCB batsmen settle on the crease as they continued to exploit the opposition. After being 44-0 after 3 overs, RCB were left stranded at 83-6 in 10.1 overs with no hope whatsoever. The Royal Challengers only managed to score 122-9 in their 20 overs as CSK beat RCB by 69 runs. Jadeja was the pick amongst the bowlers as well registering figures of 4-1-13-3.

Man of the Match - Ravindra Jadeja (62* off 28 balls & 4-1-13-4)

Match 20: SRH v DC - Chepauk, Chennai

SRH choke in Super Over Thriller

The Delhi Capitals were given the proverbial perfect start as the Dhawan-Shaw duo put up an 81-run stand for the 1st wicket in 10 overs in the slow Chennai pitch with the latter being the aggressor of the two. The SRH bowlers came back in the game dismissing them both (Dhawan 28 & Shaw 53) in two consecutive overs and having a tight hold on the game. Suchith, Shankar, and Rashid were crucial in curbing DC's run-rate in the middle overs and were restricted to an above-average total of 159-4 with handy cameos from Pant (37) and Smith (34*) while Siddharth Kaul grabbed a brace. Despite Warner's early wicket, Jonny Bairstow gave SRH the start they needed, with boundaries galore coming in for the Orange Army. His subtle cameo of 38 off 18 put SRH way ahead in the game but the middle order flopped again. Virat, Abhishek, Kedar, Rashid, Vijay; none could get even double-digit scores as SRH's woes continued. Kane Williamson (66*) anchored the innings till the very end with his mature batting and SRH debutant Jagadeesha Suchith's cameo off 14 off 6 helped SRH tie the match which resulted in this season's first Super Over. Avesh Khan was the pick amongst the bowlers for his spell of 3-34 while returning Axar Patel grabbed a brace too.

SRH batting first only managed to score 7 runs while DC chased down the target at ease, grabbing two more points.

Man of the Match - Prithvi Shaw (53 runs off 39 balls)

Match 21: KKR v PBKS - Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

KKR come on top in a low scoring affair

Being put to bat first, the Punjab Kings never really got going. Their dismal form continued as the batting order collapsed completely as a result of some exquisite form shown by the KKR bowlers. Despite the openers adding 50 runs (KL 19 and Mayank 31), the Punjab middle-order could barely get anything going. Chris Jordan's hard-hitting cameo (30* off 18) towards the end helped the Kings post a total of 123-9 in their 20 overs. Prasidh Krishna was the pick amongst the wicket-takers (3-30) while Cummins and Narine grabbed a brace each. Despite suffering a few early setbacks and being 17-3 in 3 overs, the Knights never really looked out of the game. Rahul Tripathi and Eoin Morgan's watchful innings of 41 and 47* respectively helped KKR cross the threshold and secure the W.

Man of the Match - Eoin Morgan (47* off 40 balls)

Match 22: RCB v DC - Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

RCB hold their nerves in the last-ball finish

Game 22 of the IPL 2021 saw an exquisite contest between two of the best teams this season giving their absolute best to get those 2 crucial points.

Given the chance to bat first, RCB didn't really have a good start as they lost both their openers pretty early on in the game, kudos to some sharp bowling by Avesh Khan (1-24) and Ishant Sharma (1-26) with the new ball. Entertaining cameos from Rajat Patidar (31) and Glenn Maxwell (25) followed as the duo helped set the stage for AB de Villiers. As they say, "Cometh the hour, cometh the man"; and thus began the ABD saga. Taking his time in the middle to serve the situation, De Villiers played yet another magnificent innings, rescuing his team from danger and putting them in the driver's seat. His innings of 75* off 42 balls helped the Royal Challengers post a respectable total of 171-5. The Delhi Capitals didn't have a good start as well, losing Shikhar (6) early and then Shaw (21) and Smith (4) in quick succession. Restricted to 47-3 in 7.2 overs with two new batsmen in the middle, RCB had total control of the game. Pant and Stoinis (22) put up some sort of a partnership and after the latter's dismissal, Pant was joined by Shimron Hetmyer (53*). Hetmyer's captivating shots brought Delhi back into the game while Pant (58*) stood as the anchor. The duo took the game to the 20th over and fought valiantly in a last-ball thriller but the RCB bowlers were just too good for them. Harshal (2-37) and Siraj held their nerves as RCB beat DC by 1 run.

Man of the Match - AB de Villiers (75* off 42 balls)

Match 23: CSK vs SRH - Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

SRH activate Self-Destruct Mode

After losing Bairstow early (7), Manish Pandey and David Warner had to build the SRH innings from scratch. The duo took their time to set themselves to the pitch but could never really change the gears. They put up a 106-run stand (Pandey 61 & Warner 57) in a staggering 83 balls as CSK didn't seem to have an issue with it, given the rate at which the runs were coming. Kane Williamson (26) and Kedar Jadhav's (12) hard-hitting cameos gave SRH something to root for; as the Men in Orange finished with 171-3. Ngidi was the pick amongst the bowlers with figures of 4-0-35-2. CSK never looked out of the chase as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis gave them the ideal start for any chasing team. The duo (Gaikwad 75 & Du Plessis 56) batted with sheer brilliance, scoring runs all around the park and put up a 129-run stand in 13 overs. With the game in the palm of their hands, CSK finished the game in 18.3 overs and 7 wickets in hand as they go on top of the table yet again.

Man of the Match - Ruturaj Gaikwad (75 off 44 balls)

Match 24: RR v MI - Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

QDK's unbeaten knock helps MI get back to winning ways

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, RR didn't have much to complain about by the start given by their openers; Yashashvi Jaiswal (32) and Jos Buttler (41). The duo held their nerves against the strong MI bowling and put them on the defensive scheme of things, building a 66-run partnership. Important cameos from Sanju Samson (42) and Shivam Dube (35) helped the Rajasthan Royals put a par score of 171-4 in their 20 overs, which was at least 10-15 runs short of what they had expected. Rahul Chahar was the pick amongst the bowlers with his spell of 2-33 while Bumrah and Boult grabbed a wicket each. Mumbai's approach to the target was subtle and QDK stepped up for his team. The Protean batted with grit and repaid his team management's faith in him, who carried on to play him despite his poor form. His partnerships with Rohit (14), SKY (10) and Krunal (39) with him being the anchor throughout helped MI gain the upper hand. Quinny was unbeaten at 70 while Pollard helped with the finishing duties, being not out at 16 off 8 as MI wiped out RR by 7 wickets in hand and 9 balls remaining. The RR bowlers didn't have a lot going on for them, yet Morris could grab a brace, finishing with 2-33.

Man of the Match - Quinton de Kock (70* off 50 balls)

Match 25: DC vs KKR - Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

KKR bowlers get tamed by Prithvi Shaw

Despite losing Nitish Rana (15) early, the Knight Riders had quite a decent start. They stood at 69-1 after 9 overs with Gill (43) and Tripathi (19) looking in good touch but the Delhi lads struck back. Picking up wickets one after the other, KKR went from 69-1 to 82-5 in no time as every KKR fan couldn't process what just happened. The DC bowlers gave the Knights zero margin for error and took the game away from them. However, they could not stop a late flurry of offense from Andre Russell (45*) as his humongous sixes helped KKR put up a respectable total of 154-6. Lalit Yadav (2-13) and Axar Patel (2-32) grabbed a brace each as there was a wicket for Avesh Khan and Stoinis as well. As DC came out to bat, it became immediately apparent that the game had slipped out of KKR's hands. Prithvi Shaw hit 6 consecutive fours off Shivam Mavi's over as Delhi was off to a flying start. The openers never looked back as they kept on scoring the runs at a fast rate and in no time, they had put up a 132-run partnership. Shaw was the talk of the hour, with his flawless performance with the bat (82 off 41), was a delight to watch. His partner Shikhar Dhawan was instrumental with his knock of 46 as the Delhi Capitals beat the Kolkata Knight Riders with 7 wickets in hand and 21 balls remaining.

Man of the Match - Prithvi Shaw (82 runs off 41 balls)

Batsman of the Week: Prithvi Shaw (53 vs SRH, 21 vs RCB, 82 vs KKR)

Bowler of the Week: Chris Morris (4-23 vs KKR, 2-33 vs MI)

Player of the Week: Ravindra Jadeja (2-13 vs RCB,0-23 vs SRB, 62* runs vs RCB)

Team of the Week:

Prithvi Shaw (DC)

Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK)

Faf du Plessis (CSK)

Kane Williamson (SRH)

Rishabh Pant (DC)

Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)

Andre Russell (KKR)

Chris Morris (RR)

Harshal Patel (RCB)

Rahul Chahar (MI)

Avesh Khan (DC)

Honorable Mentions: Rohit Sharma (MI), AB de Villiers (RCB), Shikhar Dhawan (DC), Mohammad Siraj (RCB)

IPL 2021: Week 1 Full Review

2021-04-16T17:45:00.012+05:30

The first week of the Indian Premier League saw everything from nail-biting finishes to tremendous batting collapses; from 5-wicket hauls to centuries and from giant upsets to comfortable wins. Now that the first week of the IPL is in the record books, let's have a look behind at the pulsating matches.

Match 1 - RCB vs MI - Mumbai's batting collapses as ABD proves why he's the Boss

After being put to bat first, the partnership between Chris Lynn (49) and Suryakumar Yadav (31) put MI on the driver's seat. Ishan Kishan made a cameo as well of 28 odd runs before MI's lower middle order collapsed courtesy of RCB's prodigal son, Harshal Patel; who ended up taking his maiden 5-wicket haul. The MI Paltan; who were eyeing around 190 had to settle for an average total of 159-9. RCB didn't have the ideal start as they lost wickets of Rajat Patidar and Washington Sundar early. However, the 30-run cameos from both skipper Virat and Maxwell helped build RCB a solid foundation for ABD's fireworks which was ahead of them. ABD's innings of 47 off 28 helped RCB clinch a final ball victory as MI lost its 8th consecutive opening match of the season.

Man of the Match - Harshal Patel (4-0-27-5)

Match 2 - CSK vs DC - All Hail the Gabbar-Shaw Show

The Delhi quicks namely Chris Woakes and Avesh Khan gave their side a decent start by dismissing CSK's opening pair cheaply. The returning Suresh Raina (54) and Moeen Ali (36) helped CSK weather the early storm and added some valuable runs to the total at a quick rate. Rayudu (23) and Jadeja (26) played some important cameos for the men in yellow before Sam Curran's heroics with the bat (34 off 15) boosted CSK's tally to a whopping 188-7. However, this was certainly not enough for them to stop the Capitals as Shikhar Dhawan (85) and Prithvi Shaw (72) helped Delhi overcome the odds with ease. The duo batted with great bravado and absolutely dominated CSK's bowling department, putting up a 138-run partnership in the process and as a result of which DC won the match by 7 wickets and with 8 balls to spare.

Man of the Match - Shikhar Dhawan (85 off 54)

Match 3 - KKR vs SRH - Rana and Tripathi Steal the Show

Nitish Rana (80) and Rahul Tripathi (53) took perfect advantage of being asked to bat first by the SRH captain as the duo kick-started the run machine at Chepauk. Runs began to shower as the Hyderabad bowlers were being smothered around the park left, right, and centre. The collapse of the middle order couldn't distort KKR's momentum as former captain Dinesh Karthik's 22 off 9 helped KKR post a solid total of 187-6 after their 20 overs. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi each picked a brace as the duo was economical in the middle overs. After a rough start to their innings, Manish Pandey (61) and Jonny Bairstow (55) put in the grind in an attempt to put the SRH innings back on track. Despite their efforts, the run rate kept increasing as the pitch grew slower and it became difficult to bat. It felt like SRH was always chasing the game right from the time Rana and Tripathi set the stage. The quick-fire cameos from Samad and Shankar couldn't help SRH chase down the mammoth total and they fell short by 10 runs.

Man of the Match - Nitish Rana (80 off 56)

Match 4 - RR vs PBKS - Run Fest at Wankhede

KL Rahul proved just how good a T20 player he is, in his sheer perfect innings off 91 from 50. He was firstly supported by Chris Gayle (40) and then Deepak Hooda (64); the latter of which was quintessential in the Punjab's boosted run-rate in the later stages of the game as he slaughtered bowlers all over the ground. All these factors helped the Kings from Punjab post a gigantic total of 221-6. At the other end, Chetan Sakariya was nothing but fantastic with the ball as he grabbed three important wickets in his debut match for the Royals. Looking to repeat history, RR didn't have the greatest of starts as they lost their openers early. However, skipper Sanju stood in the crease like an immovable object and made sure RR was in the game till the very end. He put up three crucial partnerships with Dube (23), Buttler (25) and Riyan (25) and went on to make his 3rd IPL hundred in a showcase of an innings. However, despite all the effort, RR felt short of 4 runs as Samson (119) was dismissed on the last ball by Arshdeep Singh (4-0-35-3) as he made sure Punjab secured the W.

Man of the Match - Sanju Samson (119 runs off 63 balls)

Match 5 – MI vs KKR – Mumbai Pull off a Heist

Upon being asked to bat first and suffering an early dismissal, Suryakumar (56) and Rohit Sharma (43) set the stage for their side by building up a solid partnership and laying the foundation for their side. The Mumbai Indians’ middle order was victim to yet another batting collapse which witnessed Andre “the Giant” grabbing a fifer in just 2 overs. MI; who looked strong and eyed the 180-run margin was bowled out for a meager total of 152. Shubman Gill (33) and Nitish Rana (57) gave the Knights a flying start as the Knights were at 72-0 after 8.4 overs. KKR had the game easily won but they had no idea that was to become the subject of one of the biggest chokes in IPL history. Rahul Chahar (4-0-27-4) with Krunal Pandya (4-0-13-1) turned the game upside down and wreaked havoc on the opposition. They halted the runs and built immense pressure upon the Knights. KKR ultimately succumbed to the excellent bowling and fell short of 10 runs when all was said and done.

Man of the Match – Rahul Chahar (4-0-27-4)

Match 6 – SRH vs RCB – The Choking Saga continues at Chepauk

Virat Kohli’s men marched to bat upon being asked by SRH skipper David Warner and after losing two quick wickets, Virat (33) and Maxwell tried to steady the innings, playing the occasional risky shot. After Kohli’s dismissal, the lower middle order failed to contribute much to the total but Maxwell stuck by till the end. The Big Show’s innings of 59 helped RCB post a respectable total of 149 at the Chepauk surface that offered very little to the batsmen. After Saha’s early dismissal, Manish Pandey (38) and Big Dave (54) built a rock-solid partnership. With 42 needed off 5 overs with 8 wickets in hand, SRH had the game in the palm of their hands and yet somehow, they managed to screw it up. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals and no one stepped up to hit the much-needed boundaries and as a result of which RCB sealed the deal and beat the Sunrisers by 6 runs. Shahbaz Ahmed picked three wickets in just the one over he bowled as RCB claimed the top spot in the points table.

Man of the Match – Glenn Maxwell (59 runs)

Match 7 – RR v DC – The “Million Dollar Man” proves his worth

The slow turner pitch of Chepauk wasn’t missed a lot, as the Wankhede pitch proved to be just as difficult to bat on. Being asked to bat first, the Delhi Capitals had a nightmare of a start, losing 4 wickets for just 37 runs as the top order completely failed in front of the freakishly good bowling from Rajasthan’s prodigal son, Jaydev Unadkat. Skipper Pant batted ferociously and added much-needed runs to the Delhi total. He was ran-out by Riyan Parag, not before scoring a well-deserved 50. The lower order couldn’t add anything of notice to the tally as the Capitals were halted for just 147-8. RR had an even dreadful start as compared to DC as they stood at 42-5 after 9 overs as DC was high on confidence. Up next: The Killer Miller Show. David Miller (62) single-handedly brought the Royals back in the game and along with some fine hitting in the death from their most prized possession, Chris Morris (36 off 18); RR was able to pull off a miraculous win out of the hat. At the other end, Avesh Khan picked 3 wickets while there was a brace each for Chris Woakes and Rabada.

Man of the Match – Jaydev Unadkat

Batsman of the Week - Nitish Rana (KKR): 80 vs SRH, 56 vs MI

Bowler of the Week - Harshal Patel (RCB): 4-0-37-5 vs MI and 4-0-25-2 vs SRH

Player of the Week: Harshal Patel (RCB): 4-0-37-5 vs MI and 4-0-25-2 vs SRH

Team of the Week:

KL Rahul (PBKS)

Shikhar Dhawan (DC)

Sanju Samson (RR)

Nitish Rana (KKR)

Suryakumar Yadav (MI)

Glenn Maxwell (RCB)

Andre Russell (KKR)

Chris Morris (RR)

Harshal Patel (RCB)

Rahul Chahar (MI)

Chetan Sakariya (RR)

Honorable Mentions: Avesh Khan (DC), Jaydev Unadkat (RR), Deepak Hooda (PBKS), Prithvi Shaw (DC)

IPL 2021: Preview and Predictions

2021-04-08T09:38:00.013+05:30

It's that time of the year again, where eight teams compete among themselves; in the grandest T20 spectacle of them all, so as to etch their names in the history books. The stage where heroes are born, legends are made and Gods are immortalized. The majestic grandeur of the Indian Premier League still remains unparalleled since its inception back in 2008. This Friday marks the beginning of what is to be a two-month-long celebration of T20 franchise cricket in the form of the 14th Edition of the Vivo IPL. Here's a special look at where the teams stand and what is to be expected out of them.

Chennai Super Kings: 2020 was a year to forget for everyone and that's especially the case if you're a CSK fan. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in history and looked weak throughout the event. With vengeance in heart and motivation in mind, the Chennai lads will look to right their wrongs of the past. The team has great finishers and all-rounders of the game; namely, Dhoni, Curran, Jadeja, Ali, and Bravo who have what it takes for the Men in Yellow to finish strongly. The Thakur-Chahar duo has the knack to take wickets early and will be vital with the new ball. However, there may be a few things holding the Whistle-Podu Express back. The team has quite a lot of inactive players who haven't really played any Cricket for a while. CSK also is the oldest team in the tournament when it comes to the average age of the talent involved which may pose unforeseen threats as injuries. They need to find their best XI early and stick with them because that's what they failed to do last season.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - Faf Du Plessis

Highest Wicket-Taker - Shardul Thakur

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Despite having a promising start to last season, RCB lost a series of consecutive matches and was subsequently out of the tournament. This year, with a couple of over the top purchases in the IPL Auctions, the Royal Challengers are back in the race, being ever so popular again. Having T20 giants like ABD, Virat, Maxwell, etc RCB is no team to be taken lightly. They have a good Indian Core comprising talent like Padikkal, Virat, Washington, Chahal, Siraj, and Saini have proven to be assets to the franchise over the years. However, there are a few gray areas to be looked after as well. The lower middle-order lacks the star power so as to help Bangalore gain an advantage towards the later stage of the innings. Over-reliance on Virat-ABD has always been an issue as players often fail to step-up and deliver in the need of the hour. Bowling has never really been RCB's biggest strength as talents like Siraj, Saini, Jamieson, etc. don't really act as a cushion to the destructive death over batting the rest of the teams have.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - Virat Kohli

Highest Wicket-Taker - Yuzvendra Chahal

Sunrisers Hyderabad: The Sunrisers may be considered the Dark Horses going into the tournament. They had a solid season last year and bought a few key players in the Auctions as well. Dave Warner would like to see his team lift yet another trophy this season as the team looks stacked with world-class talent. With a solid top-4 comprising Warner, Bairstow, Kane, and Manish scoring a majority of the runs, SRH would like things to continue the same way. One of their biggest ups is the variety and quality of bowlers they possess. Talents like Bhuvneshwar, Natarajan, Rashid, Sandeep Sharma are all key to SRH being one of the best bowling units heading into the tournament. However, not all things are rosy for the Orange Army as SRH's foreign-stacked top order doesn't permit them from playing a well-established player in the lower middle order, and as a result of which, the team's death over batting may suffer. Their batting run rate usually dips in the middle overs as well which may haunt them in the slow turning pitches like those at MA Chidambaram and as a result of which Pandey, Jadhav and Garg will have to step up.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - David Warner

Highest Wicket-Taker - Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Delhi Capitals: The Delhi Capitals made it to their first-ever finals last year under Shreyas Iyer but their opponents proved to be just too good for them. They'd like to do the same this year with the result going in their favor this time because this time, there's a twist in the tale. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Shreyas Iyer suffered a shoulder injury and was ruled out of the IPL whereas Rishabh Pant was adjudged the franchise's new captain. As a team, Delhi looks slick; despite lacking Shreyas. The Capitals have a wide Indian Core seamlessly blend in with the right amount of experience and youth; comprising Ashwin, Mishra, Rahane, Umesh, Ishant, Shikhar along with youngsters like Pant, Axar, Shaw, and others. Delhi's bowling attack is bolstered by the presence of experienced vets like Rabada and Nortje who spelled fire with the ball last season. However, the vast amount of talent does pose a threat of finding the right balance in the team and playing the best XI, which they failed to do right throughout the tournament last year. There's also a risk of too many cooks spoiling the broth as the presence of leaders like Ashwin, Rahane, Shaw, Smith, and Shikhar may make things difficult for the newly appointed skipper.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - Shikhar Dhawan

Highest Wicket-Taker - Kagiso Rabada

Kolkata Knight Riders: The Knight Riders were knocked out last season on account of net run-rate as their newly appointed captain Eoin Morgan failed to take their team to the playoffs. However, a fresh new season with a few old faces back in the side and with 14 matches ahead of them, KKR has a lot to look forward to. All in all, they have a stacked batting roster ranging from power hitters like Morgan, Narine, and Russell to anchors like Gill and Rana. The inclusion of Ben Cutting, Harbhajan, and Shakib adds to their credibility as well. They're one of the stronger teams on paper but it's what they do on the field counts. The performances of Narine and Russell are of the grave importance for the Knights because the duo didn't really set the stage on fire last season which hampered their momentum. The fitness concerns of players like the aforementioned duo and Varun Chakravarthy is unnecessary baggage the team would like to get rid of. The team's only down-sight is its bowling line-up which is slightly less experienced compared to the rest of the teams.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - Shubman Gill

Highest Wicket-Taker - Pat Cummins

Rajasthan Royals: Under the leadership of their own groomed talent comes the dawn of a new era for the Royals from Rajasthan. Skipper Sanju will look to pull the curtain down and bring back the glory days of RR. Making a bunch of grand purchases in the Auctions gave a hint of what is to be expected out of the Men in Pink. With quality talent like Buttler, Stokes, Samson, and Miller at the top, RR has one of the best top 4 in the tournament. They also possess good all-rounders and quality finishers like Riyan Parag, Tewatia, Dubey, Stokes, etc which is a luxury for any team. The Royals have proven to be over-relied on their foreign players over the years and the absence of Jofra Archer makes them one of the weakest bowling sides heading into the tournament. Unadkat, Morris, and young Kartik Tyagi have a lot of responsibility upon them and have to step up otherwise it all can go horribly wrong for the Royals.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - Jos Buttler

Highest Wicket-Taker - Chris Morris

Mumbai Indians: While the rest of the teams are busy chasing success, MI is determined to look for greatness. Without a doubt the strongest team on paper heading into the tournament, the Mumbai Indians will look to do what no other team has done in the history of the IPL, ie, to win the Trophy for record 3 consecutive times. The defending champions have got everything it takes to be the champions once again; be it good openers, confident middle order, aggressive finishers, adequate bowling options, and some of the world's finest bowlers. They have the strongest Indian Core (Rohit, Pandyas, SKY, Ishan, Bumrah, Rahul) and have some quality backup and foreign talent as well. Having arguably no weakness, the Mumbai lads would look forward to minimizing possible threats like controlling the run-rate in the middle overs and the effectiveness of their spin department. The Skipper hasn't really delivered with the bat in recent memory and changing that for someone of his caliber and class would surely be instrumental for the Men in Blue's success.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - Suryakumar Yadav

Highest Wicket-Taker - Jasprit Bumrah

Punjab Kings: Punjab was one of the most entertaining teams last season living through everything from super overs to upsets to phenomenal moments and a series of ups and downs. They were also perhaps the unluckiest team in the tournament, missing out on sure-shot wins on more than one occasion. With a brand-new name and a brand-new spirit, the Kings from Punjab are back after having a blockbuster of an Auction. They tried to right the wrongs from last season and invested in talent that could finish the game for them by batting in the lower middle order (Henriques, Allen, Shahrukh, etc) and some prolific quicks as well (Meredith, Richardson, etc). Punjab has unarguably the best top 4 in the IPL and the inclusion of the no. 1 iT20 batsman in the world, Dawid Malan makes the batting core even stronger. However, their main issue remains the contribution of their lower-middle order in case the top order fails and the bowling department. The team looks perfect on paper but quite a few of them lack the experience playing in such a huge stage. The team lacks bowlers who can bat at numbers 7-8 and batsmen who can bowl which can be a burden on batting heavens like the Chinnaswamy and the Eden Gardens.

Predictions :

Highest Run-Scorer - KL RahulHighest Wicket-Taker - Mohammad Shami

Which team are you looking forward to see the most? Tell me about it in the comments!

8 of the Deepest and Darkest Secrets from the World of Cricket

2021-04-01T12:17:00.007+05:30

The cricket world has for hundreds of thousands of years been guarded by mystery. Today we pull back the curtain and take a look at some of the biggest and controversial secrets those big wigs at ICC and BCCI don't want you to know.

8. Gautam Gambhirr used to be a fortune teller - We all know about Gautam Gambhirr the cricketer. The legendary top order Indian Batsman who had a habit of delivering at the grandest stage of them all. But did you know that GG used to be a fortune teller while he was trying to crack it as a cricketer? Yes! It most definitely is a true fact. You may see glimpses of his greatness in his recent tweets as the genius successfully predicts the future and tweets just the opposite of what is going to happen just so that no one doubts his magical abilities. Legend has it that the "Sundarlal" character from TMKOC was also inspired by some aspects of him.

7. Narendra Modii was named after the Narendra Modii Stadium - Did you know that arguably the greatest politician India ever produced was named after the largest cricket stadium in the world? Sounds insane right? But it actually happened. You can check on Google and both the individual and the stadium have the same names!

6. Toss Results are fixed by the bookies - The probability of getting a heads or tails in a coin toss is 50/50. That's basic math. But what if I tell you that the coins are actually paid off by the bookies so that they can earn money by winning bets. Yes that is indeed correct and the biggest example is that of the recently concluded India vs England Series where Captain Kohlii won just 2 out of the 12 tosses which is mathematically impossible. Our sources have confirmed that the coin used during the tosses were actually paid off in figures ranging six figures each for altering the results. Voila! The more you know.

5. AB De Villiers belongs to the Andromeda Galaxy - There have been several conspiracy theories which suggest that ABD is not from this world and I can confirm it that it actually is the case. Abraham Benjamin De Villiers was a common man in his native planet of Niðavellir but since Thanos snapped his planet out of existence (in his quest to get all the infinity stones), he was forced to come to earth so as to save his life. Here he got a new identity by the name AB De Villiers (which is so close to his real name) and started living in South Africa. If only everyone knew about such a secret. Haters say that Mark Zuckerbergg was also from the same planet.

4. Piyush Chawlaa and Sachin Tendulkarr are the same person - For years cricket fans have been decieved into thinking that Piyush and Sachin are two different cricketers. But when you look at the evidence, it becomes crystal clear that they're the same person. Allow me to present my argument : both cricketers are of the same height. Co-incidence? I think not. That was easy, wasn't it? We didn't need an eight part Netflix series to reach that conclusion. To further support my argument, here's a question for you : Have you ever seen Piyush and Sachin in the same field at the same time? Ha? There might have been an odd interaction between the two but believe me when I tell you that it was all a hologram and Piyush doesn't actually exist. It's all a part of a running joke the dressing room boys have been playing since the past decade.

3. Pakistan Super League Doesn't Exist - Well everyone knows this, don't they? The ICC banned Pakistan from hosting any cricket matches back in the day and the rule still applies. If you look carefully, you'll realise that all the matches are edited out clips from all other different matches and carefully put together by the Pakistani Media so that the fans and cricketers alike can finally fill the void of not being allowed to play in the IPL.

2. Virender Sehwagg is my dad.

Before we conclude our list, here are some Honorable Mentions :

•The Umpire's Call always has been the most accurate method to take a decision and it still upholds.

•The incidents of the movie Lagaan are actually true and Bhuvan was actually Kunal Kumra in disguise all along.

1. The results of all matches are pre-determined - I mean this was pretty obvious. Just like pro-wrestling, cricket is actually pre-determined. All the results are actually written ahead of time in the sacred book published by the ICC each year. Cricketers are asked to follow the script and act accordingly. Those who oppose to doing so are actually asked to retire. Huh. I'm looking forward to my vote of thanks after revealing such big secrets to you.

India win Thriller as Curran wins Hearts | India vs England 3rd ODI Match Review |

2021-03-30T10:00:00.004+05:30

Millions of cricket fans; be it avid or casual, were glued to their seats as Natarajan bowled the final over that decided the fate of the entire ODI series as a young Sam Curran fearlessly stood at the other end of the pitch, fighting for his country alone. Everyone watching the spectacle knew that they were watching something historical unfold. How did the match get there and what happened next? Read the article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India - Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Prasidh Krishna.

England – Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler (c&wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley.

India 1^st Innings – Pant-Pandya help India reach a Respectable Total

After losing the toss for the 10^th time this tour, Virat Kohli’s team was asked yet again to bat first. Owing to the slow starts in the last two innings, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma gave India a blinder of a start. Shikhar, especially, was firing on all cylinders as the duo made their intent crystal clear. Dhawan reached his fifty and in no time, the Rohit-Shikhar duo had put up a 100-run partnership. Buttler was forced to bring the spinners onto the attack as his pacers weren’t getting any margin for error. What followed was the slow and complete disarray of the Indian top order. Rashid dismissed Rohit (37) and then Shikhar for 67. At the other end, his spin partner Moeen Ali dismissed Kohli for 7 while Livingstone removed KL for the same as well. India; at that point, seemed to have lost control over their innings but there was another twist in the tale. At 157-4 came to bat Hardik Pandya as the prolific duo of him and Pant took to the spinners like a panther to its prey. They absolutely dismantled the spin bowling by their sixes and put up a 99-run stand. Pant’s fine innings came to an end after he was dismissed by Sam Curran for 78 and no longer after that Hardik was removed by Stokes for 64 as well. Krunal (25) and Shardul (30) helped India cross the 300-run margin not before the entire team was bowled out for 329 in 48.2 overs. All of the 7 bowlers that bowled got one or more wickets from the English side however Mark Wood stood out from the rest with his splendid spell of 7-1-34-3. Adil Rashid picked up a couple of wickets as well.

England 2^nd Innings – Sam Curran, remember the name

It was quintessential for England to get a good start in order to chase the huge target ahead of them but there was a major hindrance lying in between, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvi made sure India were ahead of England since the very first over as he got the key wickets of one Jason Roy (14) and then Jonny Bairstow (1). Ben Stokes and Dawid Malan tried to revive the English innings after the mayhem caused by Bhuvi in his first two overs. They added a few vital runs and made sure the run rate never dipped below the asking rate. This didn’t last quite long and despite being dropped earlier by Pandya, Stokes was dismissed by Natarajan for 35. Skipper Buttler (15) failed to impress with the bat as well as England were struggling at 95-4. Malan got to his maiden ODI half century but was immediately dismissed by Shardul as well. Cameos from Livingstone (36) and Ali (29) despite being commendable weren’t quite up to the ask. Struggling at 200-7 Sam Curran was England’s last trick in the book and it almost did the impossible. The 22-year old with very little help from his fellow Englishmen built two vital partnerships en-route to the target set by the opposition. His 57-run partnership with Adil Rashid was admirable but his 60-run partnership with Mark Wood showed exactly to what extent Sam Curran has matured as a cricketer. He stood alone in the middle with a never say die attitude and fought for his country till the last ball was bowled. Showing great character, Curran refused singles and played the majority of the balls all by himself, facing beaming yorkers from seasoned vets like Bhuvneshwar and Thakur. But despite all the mesmerizing effort, it was yet another case of “so near yet so far.” At the outset, India emerged as the better team as Sam Curran couldn’t quite help England cross the finish line despite taking the match till the very last ball. India beat England as the visitors fell short just by 7 runs as a result of some magnificent bowling and character shown by the Indian bowlers. Out of the 9 wickets taken by India, 7 belonged to Bhuvi and Shardul Thakur. Thakur was the lead among the bowlers registering figures of 10-0-67-4 whereas Bhuvneshwar finished with figures of 10-0-42-3.

Man of the Match – Sam Curran (95 runs off 83 balls and 5-0-43-1)

Man of the Series – Jonny Bairstow (219 runs)

Conclusion – Despite the result, this match will be fondly remembered by cricket fans throughout the world as sort of a coming of age innings from Sam Curran. The young gun has so much to offer to the cricket world and his journey has just started. I can go on and on with my praises but the fact is that one requires grit and courage to play such an innings which is rarely found these days. England have a lot to work on after they’ll look back to this series. Their death bowling, middle order, inconsistent batting, rotation policy etc. all need to be worked upon. You cannot claim to be the champions of world cricket if you don’t put in your A-game every time you step foot on the ground. India, on the other hand, must be pleased with their performance. With a lot of key players like Jadeja, Shreyas, Bumrah, Shami still not present, they managed to conquer the best team in the world. They were lead well and the workload of the players was managed extremely well. Kudos!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of the PayTM ODI Series – Team India

Stokes and Bairstow leave a Massacre Behind | India vs England 2nd ODI Match Review |

2021-03-27T09:50:00.008+05:30

After registering a massive total of 336 runs, India was almost guaranteed a win, given the home conditions were favoring India. The Indian fans were so over-joyed by the heroics of their team’s batting that they almost took the visitors a bit too lightly. They had very little idea that they were about to witness something historic. What followed next proved exactly why the England side is a force to be reckoned with. Want to know what went down? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI :

India – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav.

England – Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley.

India 1^st Innings – Form is temporary, KLass is Permanent

After failing to win yet another Toss, India were asked to bat first by the stand-in skipper, Jos Buttler. Reece Topley’s perfect outswingers ensured that India couldn’t get a steady start as he dismissed Shikhar Dhawan early for 4. Rohit Sharma played aggressive cricket while Virat Kohli set himself to the pitch. Not too long after that, Rohit was dismissed by Sam Curran for 25 after playing a poor shot. As they say, “One Man’s loss is another Man’s gain” and thus at no. 4, came to bat KL Rahul in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer. Rahul and Virat steadied the innings and built a solid partnership. The duo took very little risk and made sure the runs kept on coming. Both of them reached fifties as they put up a 100-run partnership but soon Virat Kohli was dismissed for 66 by Rashid as he failed to convert yet another 50 into a ton. Rishabh Pant came in next and he took full advantage of the foundation laid by the Kohli-Rahul partnership. Pant assessed the pitch and started with his natural game while Rahul was nearing a ton. Rahul played shots of the highest caliber and not before long, he reached his 5^th ODI hundred. The past month has really been a rollercoaster ride for little old KL. Tom Curran dismissed KL Rahul for 108 and thus came an end to one of the finest ODI innings in recent memory. However, this certainly had no impact on the run rate as the runs kept on coming at an almost hemorrhaging rate. The Hardik-Pant show didn’t last long but it certainly provided entertainment with those massive sixes coming from both ends. Pant’s impressive innings of 77 off just 40 balls came to an end courtesy of Tom Curran. Hardik Pandya’s short cameo of 35 runs off just 16 balls helped India reach a humongous total of 336-6. There wasn’t much to celebrate for the English bowlers as they were all thrashed all around the park. However, Tom Curran and Reece Topley picked two wickets each and there was a wicket for Sam Curran and Adil Rashid as well.

England 2^nd Innings – Bairstow, Stokes prove to be just too good for the Indians

Chasing 337 in an ODI Match is difficult but what makes it exceptionally hard is if you’re going one on one against the 2^nd best side in the world in their home conditions. Enter: Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. The English batters welcomed the Indian pace attack with cover drives and square cuts of their own. They built up a solid partnership with the majority of their runs coming in boundaries. The Indian bowlers couldn’t get an early dismissal and the Englishmen took full advantage of it. The duo added 110 runs for their opening stand before Jason Roy was run out by Rohit Sharma for 55. India hoped that the breakthrough will lead to more dismissals but Ben Stokes and Bairstow had other ideas. They took full advantage of the Pune pitch which had nothing for the bowlers and thrashed every single bowler. They were hitting sixes at will and made batting look like a child’s play and that’s what differentiates great batsmen from the rest. They completely dominated the opposition as the match grew tougher and tougher to even watch. Shardul? Dispatched. Kuldeep? Dispatched. Krunal? Dispatched. Krishna? I heard he’s good but no, absolutely Dispatched. Bairstow reached his century. Ben Stokes reached his 50 in 40 balls and in no time was on 99 at just 51 balls. England were 285-1 after 35 overs needing just 52 more runs in 15 overs. These bare facts tell you their sheer domination over the Indian bowlers. The Indian bowlers showed some signs of a resurgence after a flurry of offense as they dismissed Stokes (99), Bairstow (124) and Buttler (0) in a span of two overs but it was too little too late. Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone took England safely home as they beat the hosts by 6 wickets and achieved the seemingly impossible target with 39 balls to spare! The less said about the Indian bowling the better. Prasidh Krishna and Bhuvneshwar Kumar grabbed two and a wicket respectively as the rest of the bowlers had their economy rate over 7.50.

Man of the Match – Jonny Bairstow (124 off 112)

Conclusion – What a way to assert your dominance for the English Side it was. Chasing a massive total in record fashion as England levelled the series 1-1 each and the winner of the PayTM ODI Trophy will be decided in the final match. There are no two ways about the fact that England were the better side in all three aspects of the game. They have one of the; if not the best batting order in world cricket right now. However, things may not be rosy on the other camp. India have a lot to work on. Their 5-bowler policy isn’t really working and the openers aren’t giving them the desired start. Expect Yuzvendra Chahal to replace Kuldeep Yadav in the next match as the fate of the ODI Series hangs in the balance.

Debutants Shine as India OverPower the Visitors | India vs England 1st ODI review |

2021-03-24T09:12:00.005+05:30

As the 14th over of the English innings came to an end, the Indian fans at home were silenced by the sheer dominance showed by Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. It looked as if they would go on and finish the match in the next 15 odd overs. But as they say, a game of cricket isn't over until the very last ball is bowled and a young tall lanky bowler, making his debut, proved just how. What followed was one of the most enthralling scripts of a cricket match ever written. How did it all unfold? Read the article to find out just how.

Playing XI :

India - Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya (Debut), Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna (Debut).

England - Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan (C), Jos Buttler (VC & WK), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

India 1st Innings : Late start and a good finish help India put a par score

After losing the toss for the 8th time this series, Virat Kohli's team was asked to bat first by Eoin Morgan. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma took their time so as to set the tempo of what was about to come on the dicey Pune pitch. The duo batted with character and respected the better balls and didn't miss on any opportunity to latch onto the bad ones. Rohit and Shikhar put up a solid 64-run stand before the Hitman was dismissed for 28 by Stokes. The in-form batsman Virat Kohli walked in to bat next and played solid cricket along with fellow Delhi-lad, Shikhar. The duo accelerated the run rate and put the hosts in charge. Virat reached his 61st ODI half century, scoring 56 runs before being dismissed by Mark Wood as he celebrated with joy on breaking the healthy 105-run partnership. This dismissal almost changed the complexion of the entire match as a cluster of wickets soon fell in the form of Shikhar (98), Shreyas (6) and Hardik (1) as India went from cruising at 169-1 to struggling at 205-5 in 40.3 overs. KL Rahul and Krunal Pandya, however, were able to weather the storm and started batting freely. KL played a couple of elegant shots and announced the arrival of his form. Krunal, on the other hand, batted with all his might as runs were coming galore. They put India on the driver's seat once again as the duo helped India reach 317 runs for the loss of 5 wickets with both KL (62 off 43) and Krunal (58 off 31) finishing with match saving half-centuries. The English bowlers, at the other end, couldn't get much help as the pitch offered little to nothing to the bowlers. Ben Stokes was the pick amongst the bowlers as he orchestrated India's batting collapse in between the 30th and 40th overs, finishing with figures of 8-1-34-3. Mark Wood picked a couple of wickets as well.

England 2nd Innings : Roy and Bairstow flourish but Indian bowlers prove to be just too good

Chasing a total of 318 runs in ODI cricket is never easy, so that's why the plan of the opening batsmen was to attack from ball one and that's exactly what they did. They dispatched the Indian attack with ease as runs started to come at a haemorrhaging rate. Their goal was simple : put India on the back foot and score as many runs and as fast as possible so that the middle order has very little to do, and to some extent, they did manage to do that that. After 14 overs, England were 135-0 but little did they know what was about to come next. Prasidh Krishna, making his debut, got the important wicket of Jason Roy (46) and gave India a key breakthrough. Then like a castle made out of sand, it all came crumbling down for the visitors. Ben Stokes was dismissed for 1 by him as well, as in walked captain Eoin Morgan. Morgan failed to capitalise upon the catch Kohli dropped of him on his very first ball and couldn't score score big. Shardul Thakur dismissed Bairstow for 94 (66), Morgan 22 (30) and Buttler 1 (2) in quick succession as England was treading on hot water at 176-5 after half the overs were bowled. Sam Billings and Moeen Ali tried to put up a partnership but yet again the debutant Prasidh Krishna struck back as he dismissed Billings for 18. Moeen Ali soon fell to Bhuvneshwar for 30 and the lower order couldn't contribute much to the cause as England's innings was halted at just 251 runs. After a point it looked as if winning the match for England was a walk in the park but with some exquisite bowling and fantastic character shown by the Indian bowlers, it seemed almost impossible. Debutant Prasidh Krishna was the pick amongst the bowlers as he registered figures of 8.1-1-54-4. Shardul Thakur was also amongst the wicket takers, finishing up with figures of 6-0-37-3. Bhuvneshwar grabbed a brace and there was a wicket for Krunal Pandya as well as India beat England by a comprehensive margin of 66 runs.

Man of the Match - Shikhar Dhawan (98 runs)

Conclusion : The surface proved to be a heaven for the batsmen as there was pace, seam and extra bounce on offer, contrary to other Indian pitches. England failed to follow the foundation laid by their openers as wickets fell galore as the ball became old. The Indian bowlers completely ran through the middle order of the best cricketing team in the world right now and asserted their dominance. India's batting was strong at most parts but it seemed to struggle as the wickets kept on falling in between the 30th and 40th overs. There were a few gray areas of improvement like the middle order or getting wickets with the new ball but hopefully it improves as the games progress. All in all, it was a commendable performance by the hosts as they take a 1-0 advantage in the three match series which has surely lots to offer to the fans.

Here's hoping a speedy recovery to Shreyas Iyer for his partially dislocated shoulder.

Important points :

• Shreyas Iyer is expected to be out of the rest of the series, so do hope Suryakumar Yadav to get his debut cap in the next game.

• Prasidh Krishna becomes the first bowler to pick 4 or more wickets in his debut

• Krunal Pandya's 50 off 26 balls was the fastest half-century by a debutant.

'SPIN'credible India Overpower England | India vs England 4th Test Match Review |

2021-03-06T20:10:00.006+05:30

After a triumphant showcase in the third match of the Test Series, India needed a win or at best a draw in order to confirm their ticket to Lord's; where the Finals of the World Test Championship will be held. After three days of players metaphorically fighting for the glory of their country through blood, sweat and dirt, India managed to overpower the English side by a significant margin, etching it's name in the record books. How did it all unfold? Read the article to find out just how.

Playing XI : India was forced to make a change as Jasprit Bumrah, who was unavailable for the match was replaced with Mohammad Siraj. England, on the other hand, had made a couple of changes. Daniel Lawrence and Dominic Bess were back in the playing XI in place of Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad.

England 1st Innings : ENGLISH BATTING FAILS YET AGAIN

After winning the toss on back to back occasions, the English skipper, Joe Root chose to bat first. The Indian bowlers, namely Axar Patel and Mohammad Siraj didn't let the batsmen settle on the crease for long as England lost three early wickets in the form of Crawley (9) , Sibley (2) and Root (5) as England were struggling at 30-3. Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow tried to control the collapse of the English innings by building a decent partnership. The duo added 48 runs before Bairstow (28) was removed from the middle by an unplayable delivery from Siraj. Joined in by the "second coming of Ian Bell"; Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes helped England go over the 100-run barrier. Pope (29) played a cruicial role in building match-saving partnerships with first Ben Stokes (55) and then Daniel Lawrence (46) helping England post a respectable total of 205 in the tricky conditions. The batting line-up was once again taken down bit by bit by the prolific spin duo of Axar (26-7-68-4) and Ashwin (19.5-4-47-3). Mohammad Siraj picked up a brace as well as the bowling department did exactly what was asked from them.

India 1st Innings : HAVING A LONG TAIL IS NEVER A BAD IDEA

The Indian opening duo of Rohit and Gill were welcomed by a motivated James Anderson, who added yet another scalp to his legendary tally of 600+ test wickets, removing Gill for a duck. Pujara and Rohit batted till Stumps before walking in to bat in the early hours of Day 2. Pujara (17) was removed yet again by Jack Leach as he looked lost in the middle throughout his innings. Ben Stokes, at the other end, upped the ante by removing skipper Virat for a duck as India looked to be in troubled waters at 41-3. Ajinkya Rahane came in next with a counter-attacking approach. He took to the opposition and hit a flurry of offence before his short cameo of 27 came to an end, courtesy of Jimmy Anderson. At 80-4 and the confidence of the Englishmen at a soaring height, came in Rishabh Pant. Pant settled himself in the crease while Rohit was hitting the ball with ease. Sharma (49 off 144) missed out on a well deserved half-century as Ben Stokes got him out via LBW. Ashwin (13) walked in next but couldn't make much of a difference with the bat as England were ready to seal the deal. Little did they know that Pant and Sundar had other ideas. From 146-6, the two left handers showed exemplary batting skills against the powers at be and took India's total over the required margin. Pant, especially, outjogged the Englishmen and managed to reach his first century in his homeland. He was dismissed by Anderson for 101 as India looked comfortable at 259-7. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar both played innings of great solidarity, putting up a valuable 106 runs to the tally. Axar Patel was run out on 43 while Sundar remained not out till the very end, in a great showing of 96 runs, whilst India's innings was halted at 365. Stokes was the pick amongst the bowlers as he registered figures of 27.4-6-89-4 while Anderson picked three and Leach picked a couple of wickets as well.

England 2nd Innings : CHECKMATE

Trialing by a massive margin of 160 runs in such tricky conditions of Day 3 is never easy for any opposition and it proved to be exactly the case here. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel totally ran through the English Team all by themselves as no one looked comfortable to bat in the middle. Joe Root's 30 and Daniel Lawrence's 50 were the only recognizable attempts by the English Players in an effort to prolong the inevitable defeat. There was not a single 50+ partnership which briefly explains the fact how the spin duo sabotaged England's batting. Apart from the aforementioned duo, only Ben Foakes (13) managed to get to double figures as the visitors watched their team succumb to the defeat helplessly. This was all made possible by the commendable efforts of two of the finest spin bowlers in Test Cricket right now, Axar and Ashwin. Both of them picked a 5-fer each with Axar ending with figures of 24-6-48-5 and Ashwin with that of 22.5-4-47-5.

England were bowled out for just 135 runs as India beat England by an innings and 25 runs, winning the Anthony De Mello Trophy by 3-1.

Conclusion : India completely outplayed England in all three aspects of the game and registered it's name in the finals of the WTC Finals. Rishabh Pant finally fulfilled his prophecy and scored a test century at home. His vastly improved wicket keeping skills has impressed one and all watching the game. The 23-year old's recent heroics in the longer format of the game has made sure he's India's no. 1 pick as a wicket-keeper. Rohit was the only bright spark in India's batting throughout the series as problems still linger in the middle order. He was the glue holding the batting unit together from falling apart. The prolific spin attack set the difference between the two sides throughout the series as Axar and Ashwin have proved to be the best in the business. With such positives and a few aspects to work on, India is ready to take on New Zealand as the fate of the World Test Championship hangs in the balance at Lord's.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of the Anthony de Mello Trophy - Team India 🇮🇳

Side Note : I won't be reviewing the T20I matches between India and England because of my semester exams. See you soon with my review of the ODI matches.

Spinners Create Chaos in Ahmedabad | India vs England 3rd Test Match Review |

2021-02-26T09:08:00.011+05:30

Well let's be honest, no one was expecting this article to arrive this early given that the 3rd Test match between India and England started a couple of days ago, but given the circumstances, here we are. The Test format is generally played between two sides for 5 consecutive days but this one ended right after the second session of Day 2. What exactly went down in these two days? How did the Pink Ball become a major factor? How were the pitch and other criterias equally responsible? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI : England made four changes to the side with Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Jimmy Anderson and Jofra Archer all in for Rory Burns, Daniel Lawrence, Olly Stone and Moeen Ali. The hosts, on the other hand, had made just 2 bowling changes. Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah were back in the side after missing out on the second test match while there was no place for Mohammad Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav.

England 1st Innings : AXAR PUTS THE VISITORS IN A STATE OF FRENZY

After winning the toss, skipper Joe Root had no hesitation in batting first, taking into consideration the importance of the toss in the previous two matches. The English openers were welcomed by a motivated bowling attack. Ishant Sharma; playing his 100th Test Match, drew first blood, removing Dom Sibley early for 0 before the spinners, Axar and Ashwin joined the party. Axar removed Bairstow (0) from the middle before Captain Root came out to bat. Root and Crawley played responsible cricket and put up a 47-run stand before Root was dismissed for 17 by Ashwin. Crawley went on to score a half-century (53) but was soon dismissed by the man with the golden arm, Axar Patel. With England struggling at 80-4, the spin duo of Axar and Ashwin strangled the remains of the batting lineup and dispatched the English lower middle and tailenders, restricting England to a below par total of 112. Apart from Root and Crawley, only Ben Foakes and Jofra Archer could get double digit runs which perfectly describes the chaos created by the Axar-Ashwin connection. The duo continously and meticulously bowled 35+ overs together, with local boy Axar registering figures of 21.4-6-38-6. Ravi Ashwin on the other hand, got figures of 16-6-26-3, dominating the batting lineup.

India 1st Innings : ENGLAND STRIKE LATE, BUT STRIKE HARD

The Broad-Anderson duo welcomed the Indian openers with great in and out swinging deliveries. They had an okay-ish start before Shubman Gill was dismissed by Jofra Archer for 11. Jack Leach removed Pujara for 0 as India looked to be in a risky state, stuck at 34-2. Skipper Virat and Rohit Sharma played through the twilight period and through the third session until Jack Leach finally had his say right before stumps, bowling out Kohli for 27. Rohit and Rahane walked to bat in the afternoon of Day 2 and apart from a few decent shots from Sharma, England completely dominated the game. It all began with Rahane's dismissal for 7 followed by that of Rohit Sharma (66) by Jack Leach as India went from cruising at 98-2 to struggling at 115-5. Joe Root came to bowl and single handedly took out the rest of the batting lineup halting India's run at just 145. Only Ashwin and Ishant could get to double figures on Day 2, which describes how the Indian batting collapsed ahead of spin. Jack Leach registered figures of 20-2-54-4 whereas skipper Root got a 5-fer, registering figures of 6.2-3-8-5. The game was hanging in the balance for both the teams but what followed next was quite memorable to say the least.

England 2nd Innings : AXAR and ASHWIN FIRE ON EVERY CYLINDER

Crawley and Sibley came out to bat as England looked to ride the momentum gained in the previous innings in an effort to get a massive lead but as soon as the first ball was bowled, it became immediately apparent that the Indian spinners were just too good for them at that point. Axar removed Crawley in the very first ball of the innings and also dismissed Bairstow in the third ball, sending shockwaves through the English camp. Hometown Hero Axar also dismissed Dominic Sibley (7) before Stokes and Root tried to hold their nerves and bat till they could. They took England's total above 50 but the both of them were dismissed shortly after (Root 19 & Stokes 25) by the Axar-Ashwin duo. At 56-5 and already on their knees, England was bowled out by the hosts at just 81, having a lead of just 48 runs. Axar Patel got yet another 5-wicket haul, registering figures of 15-2-32-5 while Ashwin registered figures of 15-3-48-4. The duo was so good at their job that Ishant and Bumrah didn't even get a chance to bowl.

India 2nd Innings : FORMALITY

Rohit Sharma (25*) and Shubman Gill (15*) were enough to chase down the small target ahead of them as India registered a 10-wicket win against England, going 2-1 against them in the 4 match series with a match still to be played. The bowlers tried hard but stopping India under 49 in India is beyond impossible, no matter the circumstances.

CONCLUSION : Indian pitches have been a subject of widespread criticism for being too spin friendly and having very less scope for pacers and batsmen. Yes, it was a tough track but as Kohli summed it up, both teams looked a little hurried for reasons unknown. The spinners had the batsmen conditioned to play for the spin, only to miss the straighter ones at regular intervals. The pink ball also played an important role in helping things wrap up within two days. Irrespective of how fast the result came, both the teams shouldn't be content from their performances. Both the teams have to work on their middle order batting as well as come up with improved measures to play the straighter balls from the spinners. Kudos to the spinners, they really worked their hearts out, bowling 20+ over spells at a stretch, helping their respective teams get valuable wickets.

Man of the Match - Axar Patel (21.4-6-26-6 and 15-2-32-5)

Important & Interesting Facts :

1. Ishant Sharma played his 100th Test Match, becoming the fourth Indian bowler to achieve the feat after Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin became the second fastest bowler to pick 400 Test Wickets, taking just 77 Test Matches to achieve that feat.

3. With three 5-wicket hauls in 2 Test Matches, Axar Patel now has more 5-wicket hauls than Andrew Flintoff!

Zimbabwe Cricket: What Went Wrong?

2021-02-18T13:51:00.007+05:30

On July 19, 2019, the ICC suspended Zimbabwe Cricket because of government interference in their cricketing affairs. Funding to Zimbabwe Cricket had been frozen and they were barred from taking part in any upcoming ICC events. It was a sad end to the story of a promising cricketing nation who rose through the ranks, produced great talent and emerged as a force to be reckon with. How did it all unfold? Read the article to find just how.

Picture this. It's 2002. You're a cricketer from Zimbabwe. Your team has been growing, you earn a decent salary and there's no room for politics in the sport. Life's well and good for you at the moment. You look forward to the future with high hopes and aspirations with very little idea of what awaits you.

But for that, we need to go a little back in time.

"STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM, NOW WE'RE HERE"

After gaining independence on April 18,1980, Zimbabwe became an associate member of the ICC on July 21, 1981.

They flirted with the idea of winning the 1983 Cricket World Cup (then the Prudential Cup), rubbing shoulders with cricketing heavyweights like Australia, England and West Indies. They became an official Test Playing nation in 1992, despite them winning only one out of their first 30 matches. The coming years saw Zimbabwe's rise to prominence in the cricket world. They began to conquer new frontiers and had a solid squad built around gifted players like the Flower Brothers, Henry Olonga, Heath Streak, Murray Goodwin, David Houghton, Neil Johnson and many more. But things were about to change.

"PRESIDENT MUGABE'S REIGN OF TERROR"

The year was 2003. Zimbabwe was getting ready to co-host the Cricket World Cup along with Kenya and South Africa but then president Robert Mugabe's recent policies hadn't gone down too well with the International Community. His radical land reforms led to the seizure of white-owned farms, thousands of arrests and human rights abuses. There was a growing concern among Zimbabwean cricketers as well and thus Mugabe faced opposition from them. The country's most successful player, Andy Flower and it's first Black Cricketer, Henry Olonga wore black armbands in protest during the 1st match of the tournament mourning the "Death of Democracy". Flower announced his retirement right after the tournament and moved to England. Olonga, on the other hand, went into hiding following death threats and being chased by Mugabe's 'secret police' and never returned. His career as a cricketer was over.

"YOU'RE FIRED"

In 2004, Zimbabwe Cricket; under the patronage of Mugabe, hit rock bottom when then captain Heath Streak was sacked for protesting against the quota system for black cricketers. Several of his teammates walked out of the team in protest, resulting in chaos.

"WHEN IT COMES CRASHING DOWN"

In 2008, Mugabe won yet another controversial election, which led to cutting down of bilateral ties between them and several other cricketing nations. Zimbabwe's crippling economy had also been an issue. The Zimbabwean 50-billion-dollar note was worth just 33 U.S. cents in 2008, signalling a major economic crisis in the country. This lead to salary disputes with the players and sometimes the board didn't have enough money to pay for the players' meals.

"I QUIT"

Cricket was resurging back in Zimbabwe during 2009-11 but that wasn't going to go on for much long. In 2015, Brendan Taylor left Zimbabwe after leading the side in the 2015 World Cup and moved to England to play county cricket for Nottinghamshire. Taylor revealed concerns about his financial future behind his retirement from international cricket as he had to look after his financial security after being paid just $250 for the entire World Cup campaign. Virat Kohli played 14 IPL games last season. For that, he was paid roughly US$2.5 million. That works out to about $178,000 per game. Last season Zimbabwean franchise cricketers were paid a daily stipend of $10. This is enough to make you aware of the magnitude of the crisis of cricketers in Zimbabwe.

The final nail in the coffin came in the form of ICC banning Zimbabwe from participating in any ICC events due to government's political interference. It was, however, lifted later on but Zimbabwe cricket hasn't recovered from it yet.

What would you have done? Would you have walked out of the team as protest to the racial discrimination or continue to represent your nation hoping for a better change. It all comes down to the mental anguish between our morals and will. Cricket in Zimbabwe has been on a steady decline and rightly so. The country's economic crisis along with its hyperinflation and corruption has curb stomped cricket to its very roots. Why would a mother groom and train their child to be a cricketer when literally any other job would pay more than representing your country on the highest level of sports. Even though the players have gone on record to say that they'd play for free, which is awe inspiring, that isn't a viable solution to the crisis which remains unfulfilled to this very day.

We still don't know if there's a ray of hope waiting for us at the horizon but things look dark for Zimbabwe Cricket.

If this is all signalling the end of cricket in Zimbabwe, then the cricketing world will mourn it's death and if not, it will be a new dawn with a miraculous tale of uprising.

Ashwin, Rohit too Good for England | India vs England 2nd Test Match Review |

2021-02-16T14:54:00.013+05:30

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going". This statement fits perfectly with the scenario left after the 2nd Test match was played. After a humiliating defeat in the 1st Test, the Indians were desperate to strike back and strike back they did. All 11 players brought in their A game and as a result, India inflicted a crushing defeat on the England side.

How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI : India made three changes as Bumrah was rested while Sundar and Nadeem were out in place for Mohammad Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and debutant Axar Patel. England one-upped the hosts in terms of changes made to the playing XI by making four changes. Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Olly Stone and Ben Foakes were in for Jimmy Anderson, Dominic Bess, Jos Buttler and an injured Jofra Archer.

India 1st Innings : THE HITMAN OBLITERATES THE BOWLING ATTACK

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, India had a rough start. Shubman Gill was dismissed for 0 in the second over by Olly Stone. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara then put up a solid 85 run stand as Rohit reached his half century. Jack Leach dimissed Pujara for 21 not much before Moeen Ali removed Kohli for 0 as India was struggling at 86-3. Ajinkya Rahane joined his fellow Mumbaikar in the middle and put up a solid 162 run partnership. Both of them played proper cricketing shots in the tricky conditions, shutting up all their doubters in the process. Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 161 by Jack Leach followed by Rahane (67) by Ali as the duo helped boost India's total. Rishabh Pant played his natural game and made an unbeaten 58 and with some support from the tailenders, guided India over the 300 run barrier to a respectable total of 329. Moeen Ali picked 4 wickets, ending his spell with figures of 29-3-128-4 while Olly Stone, Jack Leach and Stuart Broad picked 3, 2 and a wicket respectively.

England 1st Innings : LET ME TELL YOU A KUTTY STORY FT. RAVI ASHWIN

The pitch was deteriorating at a fast rate and England had to score as many runs as possible before the game reached out of their hands. But there was one hindrance in between, Ravichandran Ashwin.

England had a horrible start to their innings after Ishant Sharma removed opener Rory Burns for a duck. The spinners, Ashwin and debutant Axar Patel joined hands and completely dismantled the English front. Sibley (16), Larence (9), Root (6) and Stokes (18) were all dismissed by the duo as England was already on its knees, at 52-5. Ollie Pope made a cameo of 22 runs before being dismissed by Siraj, who was playing his first test match in India. Ben Foakes batted with grit and character till the very end whilst Ashwin and Axar ran through the tail end of the batting lineup. Foakes' 42 helped England avoid follow on, halting at 134, which was 27 short of what Rohit Sharma had alone scored in the first innings. The extent of the devastation could be felt and it was largely made possible by the efforts of one man, Ravi Ashwin. He kept things super tight from his end and did not give the batsmen any margin for error. Ashwin bowled 23.5 overs, ending with figures of 43-5. He also registered his 28th 5-Wicket haul in the process. Siraj and Axar picked two wickets each too as India seemed to be in total control of the game.

India 2nd Innings : ASHWIN AND VIRAT MAKE SURE THE GAME STAYS BEYOND ENGLAND'S REACH

After leading by 195 runs, India just had to make sure the game stays out of England's reach. After a fairly okay start, India lost Shubman for 14. Pujara was dismissed for 7 shortly followed by Rohit (26) as India stood at 55-3. Rahane (10), Pant (8) and Axar (7) all came and went by but none of them could really hold on and build a partnership with skipper Virat in the middle. At 106-6, already 301 runs ahead of the English team, any team would have given away the innings but the Indians had other ideas. Ashwin and Kohli put up a 96 run partnership before Virat was dismissed by Moeen Ali again for an estatic innings of 62. Wickets continued to fall but Ashwin stood at one end. He and Siraj added a vital 49 run partnership towards the very end, not before Ashwin scored his 5th Test Century (106) in the process, helping India put another 286 runs on the board. Not only with the ball, Ravi Ashwin was oozing confidence with his bat as well. Jack Leach and Moeen Ali both picked 4 wickets each as England had an almost impossible task ahead of them. Chase down 482 runs in Day 4 and Day 5 conditions of Chepauk.

England 2nd Innings : ENGLAND SURRENDER TO SPIN

Chasing down such a huge target is almost difficult and to do it with 3 wickets down at the end of day 3 is next to impossible. Axar removed Sibley early for 3 as Dominic Lawrence joined the party. He played some good shots along with Burns before his fellow left hander was dismissed by Ashwin for 25. Jack Leach failed to do the job of the night watchman as he was dismissed on the very first ball he played off Axar Patel. Joe Root played through the first session of Day 4 as the Indian spinners totally out-played the English batsmen. Stokes (8), Foakes (2), Pope (12), Stone (0) none could get going and soon after lunch, skipper Root was dismissed for a gritty 33 (92) as well. At 126-9, Moeen Ali did some fireworks with his bat but could only add 38 runs. Mo (43 off 18) was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav as England was bowled out for 164, 337 short of what was asked of them. Axar Patel was the pick amongst the bowlers, ending with figures of 21-5-60-5 while Ashwin and Kuldeep picked 3 and 2 wickets each.

CONCLUSION : India really needed a win of this sorts as this helps bring back the confidence in a lot of players. Rohit and Rahane got their forms back and the inclusion of Axar and Kuldeep really boosted up the bowling strength. All 10 wickets came courtesy of the spinners in the 2nd innings and this shows the quality of spinners we have. A lot of positives are to be taken away from this match and Rishabh Pant's improved wicket keeping abilities is one of them. Ravi Ashwin's all-round performance adjudged him the man of the match. With the series levelled at 1 win a side, the fate of the Anthony de Mello Trophy as well as the finals of the World Test Championship hangs in the balance. We hope we get to see more neck and neck competition between the two side as they fight for greatness.

Here's hoping Jofra Archer a speedy recovery from his injuries.

The Visitors Humble the Hosts in Series Opener | India vs England 1st Test Review |

2021-02-09T16:53:00.004+05:30

Almost 4 years of complete domination, India finally lost a test match in it's home soil as the Brits dominated the Indians in the first test match. Despite toiling extremely hard for their efforts, the Indians were no match for the spectacular Englishmen as things start getting dicey in the World Test Championship Finals scenario.

How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI : England had made a few changes to their squad since their last outing in Sri Lanka as Jofra Archer, Rory Burns and Ollie Pope were back in action. On the other side of the camp, Ashwin, Ishant, Virat Kohli, Bumrah and Shahbaaz Nadeem were starting ahead of Natarajan, Shardul, Saini, Siraj and Mayank in the Indian starting XI. There was still no place for Kuldeep Yadav in the first test match.

England 1st Innings : ROOT CONTINUES HIS PURPLE PATCH AS ENGLAND REGISTER A MAMMOTH TOTAL

After winning the toss, the visiting captain Joe Root had no hesitation in batting first as the pitch looked promising for batsmen. England got a decent start from their openers as Sibley and Burns batted with patience. Burns was dismissed by Ashwin for 33 and Daniel Lawrence was dismissed shortly after for a duck by Bumrah, who picked his first test wicket in home soil. What followed next seemed to be a never ending partnership between Dominic Sibley and Joe Root. Sibley took his own time at the crease while Root was oozing confidence. The duo batted with great fortitude and added a 200 run stand. Sibley was dismissed in the final ball of Day 1 by Bumrah at 87. The Indians had no time to celebrate as Ben Stokes joined the party the following day. Root and Stokes played attacking cricket and added yet another century (124) run partnership to their tally before Stokes missed out on a century for 82 after Nadeem got him out. Skipper Root went on to make his second double century in his last three matches before getting LBW by Nadeem for a comprehensive 218 runs. Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler and Dominic Bess played a few valuable cameos of 34, 30 & 34 as this helped England post a gigantic total of 578 runs. The Indian bowlers worked very hard, especially Ashwin and Bumrah. They kept toiling in the sun but England were just too good for them. Ishant and Nadeem grabbed two while Ashwin and Bumrah both grabbed 3 wickets each as India had a tough task ahead of them.

India 1st Innings : TOP ORDER FAILS BUT PANT & SUNDAR'S HEROICS GUIDE INDIA TO A RESPECTABLE TOTAL

Following such a mammoth total is never easy especially in a pitch deteriorating like it was at Chepauk. India had a bad start as Rohit Sharma was dismissed by Jofra Archer early for just 6. Shubman Gill looked good while he lasted, being dismissed for 29 by Archer as well. India's middle order collapsed as Kohli (11) and Rahane (1) were dismissed shortly after as India was struggling at 73-4. Pujara and Pant continued their hot streak from Australia as the fire-ice duo added a 119-run partnership before Pujara was unluckily dismissed for 73 off Dom Bess. Pant was playing his usual form of cricket as Washington Sundar joined him. In an attempt to attack the offspinner yet again, Pant gave away his wicket at 91, falling short of yet another well deserved century. Sundar batted with the entire Indian tail, scoring an unbeaten 85 as India's innings was halted at 337, falling short of 241 runs from what was asked of them. Dominic Bess was the pick amongst the bowlers, registering figures of 26-5-74-4 while Archer, Anderson and Jack Leach took 2 wickets a piece.

•The Chennai pitch really worsened after this as there was uneven bounce and it became really slow. This really affected the batting from here on.

England 2nd Innings : ASHWIN HALTS THE ENGLISH EXPRESS, GIVES INDIA A GLIMMER OF HOPE.

Deciding not to give India the follow on, England decided to bat on. Ashwin got Burns out on the very first ball of the innings in a record breaking wicket. No other spinner had taken a wicket in the first ball of the innings in over a 100 years. Sibley (18), Lawrence (16) and Stokes (7) could never get going as England's middle order collapsed, kudos to Ashwin and Ishant. Captain Root looked sharp in his innings of 40 runs before Bumrah got him out LBW as England were looking in trouble at 101-5. Ollie Pope, Jos Butter and Dominic Bess all scored much needed cameos of 28, 24 and 25 respectively but none could really get going. Ravichandran Ashwin picked his 28th fifer and registered figures of 17.3-2-61-6 as he helped halt the visitor's innings for just 178; 400 short of their total in the first innings. Bumrah, Nadeem and Ishant were amongst the wicket takers too. In order to win the match, India needed 420 runs, which looked impossible given the circumstances and the class of the bowlers in the opposite camp. And our fears turned out to be true.

India 2nd Innings : MIGHTY INDIA COLLAPSE AS ANDERSON PROVES WHY HE'S REGARDED AS THE BEST

Expectations were soaring high when the Indians came out to bat but what followed next was the complete disembowelment of the Indian batting lineup. Rohit Sharma (12) was once again dismissed early by Jack Leach and so was Cheteshwar Pujara (15). Flamboyant Shubman batted with character and reached his 50 before Jimmy Anderson took his off-stump off the ground. He also dismissed Rahane in the same over for a duck as India was lingering in danger. Rishabh Pant (11) came in and tried to play his natural brand of attacking cricket but he was of no match to Anderson. With Sundar dismissed for a duck by Leach, India seemed to have surrendered to the opposition. Virat Kohli tried to score in as many runs as possible but was bowled by Stokes for a well made 71. After the sipper was gone, the English bowlers quickly ran through the tail enters as India was bowled out for just 192. Jack Leach was the pick amongst the bowlers, finishing his spell with figures of 26-4-76-4. Jimmy Anderson picked 3 cruicial wickets and made sure England got the winner's share of the purse, registering figures of 11-4-17-3. Archer, Bess and Stokes were amongst the wicket takers as well.

CONCLUSION : Outplaying India in India is a feat only few teams can hold claim to but the current English team may be one of the strongest of them all. Keeping the deteriorating pitch aside, the Englishmen played a high brand of cricket and outplayed India in all aspects of the game. They much deservedly are one of the best teams in the world. They would look forward to replicate the efforts in the upcoming matches in an attempt to qualify for the WTC finals at Lord's. However, India would have to re-think their approach. Some of the players lack consistency as they'd like to make some changes in their spin department as well. They'd also have to work on their techniques as the bat and pad gap is dangerous when the ball starts to reverse swing, which was evident on Day 5. Hopefully both the teams come back strongly and we get to see more neck and neck competition between the two nations.

Man of the Match - Joe Root (218 and 40 runs)

Indian Players to watch out for in the IPL Auctions

2021-02-02T16:02:00.002+05:30

The IPL is considered to be a platform where talent meets opportunity so as to showcase its skills. It has been a proving ground for youngsters over the years. The League has given them a great amount of exposure which prepares them for the next milestone; that is International Cricket. For the rest, it gives them the chance to reinvent themselves, in order to stay relevant in the cricketing world.

With the list of the released players out and hundreds of others waiting in the shelf, here is a list of Indian Cricketers who are most likely to make it big in the IPL Auctions this year.

1. KEDAR JADHAV - Being one of the biggest Indian names available for the auction this year, Kedar Jadhav comes with a great reputation of being a good match finisher. Despite his size, Jadhav has been one of India's best finishers in the past few years. Kedar regained his form in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he played a couple of decent knocks. He's the ideal choice for teams looking for a No. 5-No. 6 batsman who can score runs at a decent strike rate, which is evident of the fact that Kedar features in the list of players with the best strike rate in ODIs. Hoping to overcome his last year's performance, here's wishing Jadhav a great season ahead irrespective of the team he plays for.

Expected Price Purchase Range : 3-5 Crores

Expected Team : RR, KXIP, RCB

2. SHIVAM DUBE - Having still not met his potential yet, Shivam Dube is one of India's top fast bowling all-rounders at the moment. With his hard hitting batting abilities at the lower end of the innings, Dube can be as dangerous as it gets. His 6-hitting abilities have often led to comparisons with those of Yuvraj Singh in recent years. Apart from that, Shivam can even chip in a couple of overs with the ball, helping decrease the burden on the main bowlers. At just 27, Shivam Dube has a lot to look forward to and a decent IPL contract with the right team may just be the beginning of something bigger and better.

Expected Price Purchase Range : 2-6 Crores

Expected Team : RCB, SRH, KXIP, MI

3. KRISHNAPPA GOWTHAM - Nicknamed 'Bhajji', Krishnappa Gowtham does resemble his idol, Harbhajan Singh, with his prolific off spin bowling and the explosive batting abilities at the tail end. He has proven to be a T20 speciliast over the years and comes with a bucked load of experience. The Karnataka born is the right fit for teams looking for a spinner who can add on a few valuable runs towards the latter stages of the innings.

Expected Price Purchase Range : 2-4 Crores

Expected Team : MI, CSK, SRH

4. UMESH YADAV - Being amongst the list of India's best fast bowlers over the past decade, Umesh Yadav must be destined to right the wrongs of his performances in the last few seasons of the IPL. Yadav has got all it takes in his arsenal to be the leader of the pace attack for any given side, be it pace, swing, control or bounce and can be effective with the new and old ball as well. His consistency and being prone to injuries have been an issue in recent times but it can be overcome with the adequate amount of effort. With all things being said, Umesh Yadav is an ideal pick for teams looking to boost their Indian Pace attack.

Expected Price Purchase Range : 3-5 Crores

Expected Team : CSK, RR, KXIP, DC

5. PUNIT BISHT - Being one of India's most underrated cricketers, Puneet Bisht was in the limelight recently after his career defining innings of 146* off just 51 balls in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He smashed 17 sixes in his innings and matched Chris Gayle's record of the most sixes hit in a T20 Match. Having an average of over 102 in the tournament, Punit made a statement that he's ready for the big leagues one more time. An attacking middle order batsman, who happens to be a wicket keeper as well, Punit Bisht will surely attract a lot of attention from the franchises.

Expected Price Purchase Range : 1-2.5 Crores

Expected Teams : RR, SRH, KKR

6. S. SREESANTH - After completing his suspension and making his much awaited comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Sreesanth was bound to return to the IPL to complete the metaphorical circle. At almost 38, Sreesanth has been working really hard on his fitness and bowling to adapt to the game since he last played it. Several franchises have shown interest in him and have contacted him to be prepared for the IPL which will see his return in our the TV sets, on the cricket field; where he rightfully belongs. The right arm pacer is a decent option for teams looking for Indian fast bowlers as he's determined to right his wrongs of the past.

Expected Price Purchase Range : 1-2 Crores

Expected Teams : RR, RCB, KXIP

7. SHAHRUKH KHAN - Shahrukh Khan is a dyed-in-the-wool finisher and this breed comes rare in the game. His prolific outings with the bat have shown that he too has what it takes to be a "big-budget star". The youngster's performances with the willow in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy towards the latter stages in the innings [ 12(4), 18*(10), 40*(19), 18*(7) ] show that the 25 year-old is bound to be one of the best finishers in the format. Such talents cannot and should not be lost in the shuffle, as several teams, looking for quality match finishers must be eyeing him.

Expected Price Purchase Range : 1-3 Crores

Expected Teams : SRH, RR, RCB, KXIP

HONORABLE MENTIONS :

1. Harbhajan Singh

2. Varun Aaron

3. Mohammad Azharuddin

4. Murali Vijay

5. Karun Nair

6. Kedar Devdhar

7. Piyush Chawla

Who are you looking forward to see represent your favourite side? Tell us about it in the comments.