Video: England gift Cook a fitting farewell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCHqDImbmMo
What a Test series it had been! What a fascinating contest we all witnessed at the Oval and the end of a career, which deserves plenty of accolades.
Deep Dasgupta, Arunabha Sengupta, and Faisal Caesar discuss the final Test at...
5 talking points from the England-India Test series
The highly competitive and much-anticipated series between England and India ended with the hosts routing the visiting team 4-1, but the scoreline betrayed the level of intensity and competition that was on offer throughout the 5 Test matches. With...
The silent rise of Ishant Sharma
"However, it must be remembered here that Ishant has played 11 of his 31 Tests over this period at home on pitches mostly designed for spinners. Three of the remaining Tests were in Sri Lanka and one in Bangladesh,...
Joe Root gets monkey off his back; sets himself up for Lankan tour
"Until yesterday that Root had gone missing. But with diligence and dedication, in a dead rubber where Cook was perhaps the only England player who needed this game, Root has turned it around"
As Alastair Cook's fairytale farewell hundred took...
Alastair Cook will be missed
Alastair Cook notched up a hundred in his final Test and became only the fifth batsman ever to score a hundred on his debut and final Test. He would end his illustrious Test career with his head high, but...
India walk away from England with a Pandora’s Box
"However, the most crucial doubt is whether the side should go in with a 6-5 combination or play 7 batsmen and 4 bowlers"
As they trooped into England a mighty opportunity awaited; a chance for redemption was up for grabs....
Ravindra Jadeja: A splendid all-round show raises a lot of questions
"The choice of the lone spinner in foreign conditions should not be as axiomatic as it was made out to be at the beginning of this tour"
The Lord’s Test of 2014 was one of the most fascinating ones. The...
India’s inability to wipe off the tail remains a long-standing underlying issue
The Indian bowling attack is very good, but why they struggle against the tail-enders remain a moot question.....
A steady start and an end with a flourish are one of the most understated lessons taught to athletes who come out...
Buttler turning into England’s all-weather guy
Buttler was spot on, yet again!
At 198/7 overnight, England would have gladly taken 250 for a first innings score given the rhythm with which Indian bowlers were bowling. Jos Buttler, though, had other ideas. 105 runs came in the...
The sting in the England tail made the difference in the series
"Perhaps there is something to be said about the way the two sides have bowled to the tail-enders as well. However, it seems quite accurate to say that by limiting the tail to just a solitary No 11, the England...
The sluggishness of Alastair Cook and Moeen Ali backfired on England
"A flash or two of semi-attacking strokes did create a variation, but it will be a huge stretch to say that they brightened the proceedings"
There were hordes of spectators, proudly flaunting Alastair Cook face masks. There were several rows...
Alastair Cook and another old fashioned grind
"If there is an uglier top three in the world than Andrew Strauss, Cook and Trott, I don't know of it."
Graeme Swann once stated the above words about England's top three at one time. Two of them are gone...
Video: A fascinating contest is expected in a dead rubber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znfUUt-wHt0
England have already won the series and the importance of the final Test seems lesser, but definitely, England would want Alastair Cook to leave the Test arena with a victory. Moreover, India's competitive mindset to win is expected to...
With insane expectations, Kohli is a victim of his own greatness
"With great skill comes great responsibility, and with inane talent comes more expectations. Yes, it is time the others stood up to perform but for as long as another stalwart is not in our midst, the hopes will forever...
Moeen Ali: The latest of India’s finger spinning nemeses
"But then, being spun out to defeats by mediocre finger spinners is more of a norm rather than an exception"
Moeen Ali bowling England to a win was not really a surprise. Especially if one is aware of the way...
The mediocracy of Hardik Pandya out in open
"Hence, ideally, India should give Pandya another go at the Oval Test to prove his worth. But if he doesn't put up significant performance, the think-tank should look to try out new option like Vijay Shankar in the home...
Video: England smile at Southampton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt1J686ul7E
Ageas Bowl delivered another wonderful Test. It was about brilliant comebacks and how a team could handle pressure and in the end, it was England who left the field smiling.
Deep Dasgupta, Arunabha Sengupta, and Faisal Caesar discuss the fourth...
Wise beyond his years, Sam Curran shows great potential
"There will be many more situations that will be beyond the grasp of his formative mind in the next few years, but with a serene calmness and a stubborn will, be rest assured that Sam will once again wade...
Moeen Ali is back where he belongs
"Moeen Ali is back, and it is clear that he belongs here"
A crucial 40, 5 for 63, 4 for 71.
In the middle of all this, he was also sent in at No 3 in the second innings. Why not?...
Ravichandran Ashwin and the disappointing 3rd Day at Southampton
Ashwin was disappointing....on Day 3 at Ageas Bowl!
The rough was there to be exploited. Moeen Ali had shown how. Among his five dismissals in the first innings, there was Ravichandran Ashwin himself, bowled off a horrendous reverse sweep.
Although Ashwin...