Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune Indians live in hope. Whatever the odds, they think that the cricket team can surmount them. Even after Rohit Sharma’s boys got bowled out for 46 in the first innings of the first Test, fans believed something was possible. It’s no different in the second Test. Despite New Zealand taking a lead of 301 runs with five wickets standing, the Blue Army thinks this can be overturned. For hope, a lot of people are looking back to the India-England Test in Chennai in 2008. Trailing by 75 runs in the first innings and being set a…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune The collective struggle of the Indian batting line-up in the New Zealand series raises some tough questions. Looking ahead to the tour of Australia and India’s chances of making it to the World Test Championship final, does the team need some tinkering? Should there be out of the box ideas and some unlikely decisions? Right or wrong, there is room for debate nonetheless. Let’s start with something that sounds outlandish. What about bringing back Cheteshwar Pujara? He was the best batter by a distance in the win Down Under in 2018. Not as prolific in 2021,…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune The visiting side bowled out for 259 after electing to bat in Pune, on a pitch which is showing indications of becoming increasingly spin-friendly. Hardcore fans of Indian cricket will not take it as a good sign. It was here at the MCA Stadium in 2017 that Australia made 260 under similar circumstances and went on to win the Test by a whopping 333 runs. Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had played in that game, where India folded for 105 and 107 against Steve O’Keefe’s left-arm spin. That’s something this team led by Rohit…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune They call him ‘Washy’ in the dressing room. There was nothing wishy-washy whatsoever with the effort he put in against New Zealand on Day 1 of the second Test. Washington Sundar brought India back into a match they have to win to stay in the series and he did that in a manner which must have surprised even the hardest of his backers. A specialist batter who could bowl, he played at No. 4 in the 2016 U-19 World Cup final in a team led by Ishan Kishan, which also included Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan.…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune In India, the team looks up to him, especially when the chips are down. There is a reason for it. He is deadly in these conditions, as the records confirm. Cerebral and creative, he does tricks with the ball that few can. Not without a reason do they call him India’s greatest ever match-winner on home soil. The time has come for Ravichandran Ashwin to do that once again. The team is trailing 0-1 in the three-match series. At stake are World Test Championship (WTC) points, which will determine whether India can become the only team…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune Sometimes, players returning from injuries are under additional observation. The media keep asking the team management about their progress and follow their every step. Each move they make is subjected to scrutiny. In the context of the India-New Zealand series, this cricketer at the moment is Shubhman Gill, who missed the first Test due to a stiff neck. To be fair to him, Gill has looked earnest enough to make a comeback. He was seen batting in Bengaluru during breaks in play. Even in Pune, before the second Test, he spent hours at the nets on…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune All eyes are on the pitch at the MCA Stadium. Speculation is rife that it will assist spin. The Indian team has added spice to such talks by naming Washington Sundar in the squad. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate added intrigue to everything by saying that another off-spinner might be a handy option against a New Zealand batting line-up containing a number of left-handers. As the plot thickens and the Indian team contemplates how to come back in the three-Test series after losing the first, there is no doubt who the best bet is. Be it…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune After rains in Bengaluru, a blazing sun greeted the teams in Pune. With that, the focus turned to the pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, in the outskirts of the cultural capital of the state. India must win the second Test against New Zealand to harbour hopes of clinching the series and confirming a berth in the World Test Championship final. The playing surface was covered in the morning. That was natural, considering that there was some rain here as well, until 48 hours ago. When the Indians arrived for practice in the afternoon, the…

He lives in Auckland. He likes coming to India and, currently, is on his fourth visit to the country. He loves Indian food, especially the fare in Kerala, and prefers masala dosa over KFC when he is here. Thrilled to see New Zealand win the first Test in Bengaluru, he says he will have no regrets even if his country loses the next two. There is nothing unusual about that. Save for the fact that Peter Calder is 73 years old. This retired journalist is travelling alone and is prepared to take the local train to go to the ground…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru Instead of a disgraceful defeat, which was looming at one point of the first Test, the Indian team heads for the second heads held high. Monumental humiliation was on the cards after they got bundled out for 46 and New Zealand took a lead of 356 runs. From there to raise hopes of a miraculous win before eventually losing was a creditable performance. Chances are high that opponents will remember this resilient team instead of the one that surrendered in testing conditions on the first day in Bengaluru. In Pune, in the second Test, the side…