Author: Bharath Ramaraj

There’s an old phrase: “First impression is always the best impression.” On certain occasions, that statement might seem like a cliche. But at least in the case of Dhruv Jurel, it holds true. By the time Jurel entered the Test arena against England in Rajkot, there were already whispers about his immense potential and sound temperament. However, as Jurel walked out to replace nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav, one wondered whether he would have a few butterflies in his stomach. The reality was somewhat different. James Anderson, the experienced pace bowler, employed his archetypal outswinger that slanted in a touch and moved…

A genuine swing bowler can generate movement either way at the flick of the wrist. Auqib Nabi, the spearhead of Jammu and Kashmir’s pace attack, is one of those bowlers blessed with the skillset required to gain entry into the swing-bowling club. The hooping inswinger that castled Kerala’s N Basil in last season’s Ranji Trophy game encapsulates his natural ability. More importantly, his 63 wickets at an astonishing average of less than 14 over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons tell a story of unremitting consistency. Such has been his golden run in Indian domestic cricket that he even claimed…

Test cricket has its own set of subtleties. The fortunes of a tantalisingly-poised match can oscillate due to moisture coming into play, or the surface getting a little drier. Even a change in the direction of winds could make a difference in relation to conventional swing bowling. In such a backdrop, it is important to strike the right balance while picking a playing XI. Ahead of India’s two-match Test series against South Africa, the home side’s selection panel seem to have played their cards quite well, picking a strong squad. When compared to India’s Test squad for the West Indies…

In sport, the victor gets all the plaudits and accolades. And rightly so. What about the defeated team or athlete and their gamut of emotions? Those few minutes at the presentation ceremony, where South Africa’s cricketers stood almost motionless wondering what might have been after they lost the final of the 2025 World Cup, have to be one of the toughest phases of their sporting careers. The legendary Marizanne Kapp, who has seen many a heartbreak, had tears in her eyes, and the Indian duo of Jemimah Rodrigues and Radha Yadav tried to comfort her. Laura Wolvaardt essayed another splendid…

Somewhere in 2019, Rohan Bopanna, the ace Indian tennis player, looked set to hang up his tennis shoes. The reason was lack of cartilage in his knees. So much so that he was taking two to three painkillers a day. He didn’t just overcome it through Iyengar Yoga and good physiotherapy but went on to win his first Men’s Doubles Grand Slam at the age of 43. He also became the oldest first-time No.1 player on the ATP Tour, at an age when most sportspersons would have already walked into retirement life. Behind the scenes, athletes have their own struggles…

The memory goes back to a rain-marred ODI at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. India Women needed one of their batters to negate the new-ball threat. But within 10 overs, everything had gone pear-shaped for the hosts. Marizanne Kapp, the South African colossus, ran through the top order and finished with figures of 4 for 21. Explore that performance further and you will see how she located the right line and length for the conditions from the very first ball. No wonder she accounted for the prized scalps of both Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj. Time flies. Almost a decade has passed…

Bharath Ramaraj The final moments of the India-Australia game were too much for the ever-smiling Jemimah Rodrigues. Tears of joy rolled down Jemimah’s cheeks during the post-match presentation. She just couldn’t control the gamut of emotions while talking about India’s earth-shattering victory over Australia in the 2025 World Cup semifinal. She wasn’t the only person who struggled to handle the joy and happiness of pipping Australia. Those Indian cricket fans at the ground, and beyond, also would have shed a few tears. After all, India had done something that seemed impossible, overhauling a total of 338 against a team that…

Bharath Ramaraj After a while, it seemed difficult to keep track of every Jasprit Bumrah achievement or his jaw-dropping offerings. Over a period of time, he has blended savagery with skill and surgical precision to befuddle many a batter. Bumrah is that complete fast bowler who can seamlessly don different roles in all three formats of the game. That is in brief about Bumrah’s all-round skill set. However, his unorthodox biomechanics are such that they could also lead to injuries. The fast bowler has already suffered a few back issues. And one more stress fracture of the back could even…

Bharath Ramaraj in Bengaluru Former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, on Monday, asked the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to announce election dates rather than pointing out clauses in order to defer it. Vinay Mruthyunjaya, administrator, and Shanta Rangaswamy, former India captain, also urged the state body to conduct the proceedings. The KSCA secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam had stepped down from their respective positions following the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 this year. The celebrations held to commemorate RCB’s title triumph turned ghastly as 11 fans were killed and many others were injured. “The whole…

What is the right template for ODI cricket? Possessing more batting depth or selecting the better bowler? On the surface, both alternatives have their own merits and demerits. To gauge the essence of the answer, one has to sift through the information case-by-case basis. Here, the case study is about whether Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar should be picked in ODI cricket. And with India slipping to a 50-over series defeat in Australia, it has become a hotly-debated topic. Before delving deeper into Washington versus Kuldeep, there is one more jigsaw to be added to the narrative — Hardik Pandya’s…