IPL - What Inquiring Minds Want To Know Fri, 04 May 2012 00:17:00 +0100Long time reader Round Rock has some very pertinent questions that he would like answers to...
Value For $ In IPLWed, 02 May 2012 17:58:34 +0100We look at the 28 players who were traded publicly in IPL 2012 and determine their value to their teams in terms what was spent on them and what kind of an impact they had. It would have been great to do this across all players playing in IPL 2012 but it is not possible to do that given that their latest money values are not public. The story from just this is rather interesting too.
Dadagiri In DelhiSun, 22 Apr 2012 00:13:50 +0100Ganguly led underdogs Pune Warriors to a win over the league leaders, Delhi Daredevils, in a thrilling game witnessed by a record crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla
The Appeal of IPLSun, 08 Apr 2012 07:45:02 +0100The fifth edition of the IPL is underway, and surprisingly it still has a lot of appeal. One would have thought with the dismal performance of the Indian team in Tests and even ODIs following their triumph in the World Cup, the IPL would have lost some of its lustre. But actually the opposite is true.
English "Raj" Almost Over Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:49:48 +0100The English "Raj" atop the Test rankings may end up being unsurprisingly short. Many had questioned the self congratulatory and over the top reaction to England achieving the No. 1 ranking after defeating a disinterested and injury devastated Indian team at home last summer.
Tendulkar's Year Long Wait EndsFri, 16 Mar 2012 19:40:47 +0000Almost exactly a year ago Tendulkar scored his last international hundred, on March 12, 2011, 111 against South Africa in the World Cup. Soon after he achieved his most cherished dream that of winning the World Cup. But after that high, followed an agonizing year where he chased the elusive and artificial landmark of 100 international 100s.
Bruised And Battered India Limp HomeFri, 02 Mar 2012 23:06:24 +0000India return home after an brutal two and half months down under, with one solitary win against the hosts. Pretty pathetic returns for a team that is still the defending World Champions and recent Test number ones.
England Wilt In The HeatSat, 04 Feb 2012 21:13:44 +0000The bloom is off the English team's success built under the guidance of Andy Flower. And the disheartening thing for English fans will be that it didn't even last one series.
Slow Rise, Rapid FallSat, 21 Jan 2012 00:25:05 +0000Except for a brief period in the early to mid seventies, on the backs of the Indian spin quartet and the batting genius of Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath, India were until starting with the early years of this decade tigers at home, pussycats abroad. They have once again reverted to form.
"Agonypath" SeriesSat, 07 Jan 2012 05:43:26 +0000The marketing men of Indian TV had made a big hoo-haa about the India v. Australia series. Saying it always produced tough, combative, closely fought, cricket. They even roped in celebrities from the cricketing world such as Steve Waugh and Sourav Ganguly as well as Bollywood such as Sanjay Dutt to hype the series, calling it the "Agnipath" or "Trail of Flame" series, but after two highly one-sided whippings of the Indian team for most India fans it is more the "Trail of Shame" series.
Leading From BehindMon, 02 Jan 2012 21:56:41 +0000India are already behind the proverbial eight-ball, having lost the first Test by a comprehensive 122 runs. The onus is now on Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lead his team back from the edge of the abyss. It will be an acid test of Dhoni's leadership skills.
Bigger Than The World CupThu, 22 Dec 2011 04:22:03 +0000Some may call that hyperbole but think about it. India has won the World Cup TWICE, but it has NEVER won a Test series in Australia. For the true blue Indian cricket fan, winning a Test series in Australia is something they have never experienced in their lifetime, and doing so is thus even bigger than the World Cup.
Sehwag The MagnificentFri, 09 Dec 2011 02:22:48 +0000What can one say?... Owner of the highest individual score by an Indian in Tests and ODIs. The most feared batsman in the world. A force of nature.
Parthiv Patel Ignored AgainSun, 27 Nov 2011 01:31:43 +0000If Gujaratis were as mercurial as Bengalis and likely to throw violent trantrums when one of their own gets treated shabbily, one wonders if the Indian selectors would so easily have once again ignored Parthiv Patel for the squad to Australia.
No Takers For Boring CricketThu, 24 Nov 2011 18:21:07 +0000The third Test between India and West Indies has seen a pitch that is akin to a graveyard for bowlers. No wonder even with tickets virtually free at Rs. 50 a day, there are not too many takers. Though to be fair, one did spot Naseeruddin Shah along with Randeep Hooda two Test cricket fans in the audience. But were they there for the quality of cricket? or for history in the making?Aakash Chopra, author of a new book on Rajasthan's recent Ranji triumph which he was a part of, gives his take on the sharply reduced fan interest.
"Occupy Batting Crease"Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:12:43 +0000All over the world people are trying to occupy some pricey real estate, to make a statement about various issues. One place that folks seemed to have forgotten how to occupy is the batting crease.
India v. "The Once Mighty" West IndiesSat, 29 Oct 2011 21:50:51 +0100During much of the past 35 years or so, a visit to India by a team from the Caribbean was sure to be an exciting prospect. Giant fearsome pace bowlers, hulking batsmen who belted the ball around, despite a vulnerability to spin, that made their shot making even more breath-taking and electric heeled fielders, who all played with that special Calypso flair. Sadly the only place to see such West Indian flair these days is to the tune of Bob Marley and Co. while watching a screening of Fire In Babylon.
The ReversalWed, 19 Oct 2011 22:21:49 +0100Revenge is a dish best served cold. But in the case of Dhoni and his men, it is simply a matter of being back home. What a difference a few weeks and change in continents makes.
The Last Professional?Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:17:42 +0100In the age of IPL and other Big Money tournaments, one would think that cricketers in India would finally become a professional lot. Unfortunately, it seems that the opposite has occured, and India is down to it's last professional cricketer.
Thinning Fast Bowling ResourcesFri, 23 Sep 2011 00:52:23 +0100Aakash Chopra is a rising star of Indian cricket writing, and one who has played the game at the highest level. Here is his take on the recently concluded Indian tour of England
