India vs Australia: One Day Series Preview

India are hosting Australia for a seven-match ODI series, which normally would have been hyped for weeks (if not months) in advance, but the Ashes (and its attendent ODIs) blurred into the Champions Trophy which blurred into the Twenty20 Champions League which only finished yesterday, so it’s almost as if the series has crept up [...]

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The Return of the Wall

Rahul Dravid is set to return to One Day International cricket after being included in India’s squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka and the autumn’s Champions Trophy. Although Dravid hasn’t played an ODI since 2007, his performances in this year’s IPL and the relative weakness of India’s middle order in the World Twenty20 [...]

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Abhishek Nayar and Ashish Nehra in India squad

India’s squad for their upcoming tour of the Caribbean makes interesting reading. In the absence of Sehwag and Raina (injured), Tendulkar and Zaheer (rested), and Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan (dropped), there are one or two names that require a little mental exploration before recognition is achieved. Ashish Nehra hasn’t played for India since 2005, [...]

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IPL 2009 Preview: Part 2

Kings XI Punjab Punjab have been relatively quiet in the transfer market, having added only Jerome Taylor, Ravi Bopara, and the previously obscure Burt Cockley. Sarwan has departed – having apparently only been on a one-year contract – and a number of key players will only play part of the season (Shaun Marsh, Brett Lee [...]

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India win a Test in New Zealand

Lots of things have happened in the last 33 years. Punk, Margaret Thatcher, Chernobyl, a cloned sheep, and my entire life. Until today, that list didn’t include an Indian Test win in New Zealand. India’s 10-wicket win in Hamilton was effectively sealed by Harbhajan Singh‘s 6 for 63 in the second innings, but it was [...]

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Sri Lanka vs India: One Day Series Preview

India go into the ODI series against Sri Lanka riding a run of good form – the tourists beat their hosts 3-2 last year without Sehwag or Tendulkar, and have since pummelled England 5-0 at home. Aside from tournaments such as the Kitply Cup and Asia Cup, their last series defeat was way back in [...]

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Solid partnership saves England

England were looking a little wobbly in their second innings of Second Test at 43/3, but arguably the two least glamourous batsmen in England’s lineup put them back on track. Strauss and Collingwood, neither of them what you might call marquee players, put on an unbroken partnership of 129 runs to leave the tourists with [...]

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India On Top Despite Strauss Ton

England’s middle order collapsed dramatically after tea to leave the tourists under the kosh despite a fine century from Andrew Strauss. Despite general forecasts of little hope for England, they had made a good start, with Cook and the supposedly under-prepared Strauss putting on 118 for the first wicket. Once Cook had gifted his wicket [...]

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Are India the Best One Day Team in the World?

All over England, people are bemoaning the national side’s run of ODI defeats to India. Some are pointing to an outdated attitude to the batting order, others to a fundamental misjudgement of Indian conditions, yet others to the general attitude to limited overs cricket that, it is argued, persists in the UK. There is another [...]

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Ricky’s big call

After a grinding third day when a mere 166 runs were scored, the Fourth Test between India and Australia exploded into life on the fourth day. It ended with Australia needing another 369 to win and square the series, and the target could have been much lower were it not for some ‘interesting’ tactics from [...]

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Ponting and his spinners

Does Ricky Ponting trust his spinners? During India’s second innings of the Second Test, White and Clarke bowled just 9 overs between them. Even Mike Hussey, who has never taken a Test wicket, bowled 8 overs. It’s not as if the conditions in Mohali aren’t suited to spin bowling. Amit Mishra took 5 wickets in [...]

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Questions after the First Test

Were Australia too defensive? Is their bowling attack up to scratch? Were India too defensive? When will Sachin Tendulkar finally break Lara’s record? Have India finally managed to shake their final day collapse problem? Where was the needle between the likes of Hayden and Harbhajan? Answers on a postcard, please…

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