Today Abhijato looks at the recent Test series from an Indian perspective. Where are the BCCI succeeding whilst the ECB are failing? And what roles are money and the IPL playing in India’s new found strength in depth? Washington Sundar’s first name is the closest we’ve come to involving the US in world cricket. Yet, its most famous ideal—capitalism—permeates every institution in our sport today. And no, this isn’t going to be a critique of the vices of those who rely on materialism to...
I’m writing this a little sheepishly to be honest. Why? Because I don’t want to write this any more than you probably want to read it. One of the reasons why I write so infrequently these days is that my passion for English cricket has diminished considerably. To be frank, I’m almost past caring. However, someone’s got to write a ‘reaction’ to our limp 1-3 surrender in India. So here I am. Somewhat begrudgingly. And I’ll start by simply embedding one of...
By Our Nepotism Columnist, Steve Jobsfortheboys AHMEDEBAD, INDIA – England captain Joe Root assured reporters that he retained full faith in his best mate Jonny Bairstow ahead of the Fourth Test against India, as “he may have made two ducks in t’book, but he racked up back-to-back tons in my heart.” Bairstow, who is apparently a cricketer as well as Root’s bestest buddy since they came through the youth system together at Yorkshire, endured a torrid time in the day-night test. Having been...
There’s nothing like a strong opinion to wake people up on a Monday morning. Here’s guest writer Ren Soni with his personal take on that pitch … After losing the toss and subsequently being drubbed by England in the first Test, it was inevitable that India would throw their toys out of the pram and produce rank turners for the following matches. Two wretched dust bowls where the ball turned from day one equalled two wins. Congratulations, India. You showed the cricketing world...
Mental disintegration was the phrase coined by Steve Waugh re: getting into the batsman’s mind via sledging. But, as new writer Ned Vessey, explores, nothing can utterly confound batsmen like the spinning ball on a minefield … Test cricket is a cruel beast. It can leave the players bruised and battered, broken-boned. It drains, and leaves the body dehydrated. It makes muscles sore and strained. It is relentless and punishing on those who take part. Its greatest cruelty, however, is...
So that was, erm, interesting. Seventeen wickets in about four hours’ play, more bowled and LBW dismissals than an hour of Phil Tufnell facing Waqar Younis in the nets, five wickets for Joe Root, and an England defeat by 10 wickets inside two days. My head is spinning and hurting in equal measure. Let’s start with that pitch. Was it a shocker? Yes. Was it completely inappropriate for Test cricket? Yes. Was it ironic that the Indians spent the equivalent of a small nation’s GDP...
