Author: Bharath Ramaraj

At close of play on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy game between Punjab and Karnataka, in Bengaluru, the side from the North Zone was hurtling fast to an embarrassing defeat. Punjab, who were already 420 runs in arrears after the completion of Karnataka’s first innings, looked shaky in the second dig too. With just about an hour left for close of play, Shubman Gill and Prabhsimran Singh, the two openers, had nothing to gain. It was all about survival. Unfortunately, Punjab lost two wickets during that testing one hour. Despite watching a procession of wickets at the other end,…

On September 14, 2020, Alexander Zverev was very close to edging out Dominic Thiem in the final of the US Open. In the summit clash, he had won the first two sets and was up a break in the third. But in a match that had its share of twists and turns, it was Thiem which clinched his first Grand Slam, winning the final set via a thrilling tie-break. The very next year, he was involved in another of those edge-of-the-seat humdingers during the later stages of a Grand Slam. In the semifinal of the 2021 Roland Garros, he came…

Bengaluru Mumbai – 120 all out. Jammu and Kashmir reduced to 174 for 7 at stumps in the same Ranji Trophy game. Vidarbha ended up with just 165 while Rajasthan could muster 101 for 5 at stumps. Madhya Pradesh were snuffed out for 160 against Kerala. Meanwhile, Haryana were cleaned up for just 157 by Bengal. Last, but not least, Punjab finished up with their lowest-ever Ranji Trophy total (55) while facing Karnataka. With most of those low scores, there was one connecting point – grassy decks that tend to stay low. Now, the main argument in favour of such…

There is an old maxim related to swing bowling: don’t send a telegram to the batter. In simple terms, it means achieving late movement in the air and off the pitch to deceive the batter. Arshdeep Singh possesses this enviable skill in his bowling arsenal. He showcased his swing-bowling expertise in the recently concluded T20I against England. The third ball of his second over provided ample evidence of his skill set—Arshdeep appeared to slant the ball into the left-handed Ben Duckett, only for it to move away late in the air and then off the pitch, beating the edge. The…

When he was young, one of Jacob Bethell’s main tasks was to wake up Giselle Bethell, his mother, early in the morning, and persuade her to bowl at him. Bethell, who grew up in Barbados, and came over to the UK only when he was about 13, is now one of the promising cricketers in the England set-up across formats. His burgeoning potential could be noticed in the U19 World Cup, where he played a blazing innings against South Africa U19. The essence of his batting then was a little more time on his hands. And that salient feature of…

The not-so-good memories of watching Beau Webster smash Washington Sundar for a boundary followed by a loud roar after steering Australia to a Test series win, still echo in the minds of Indian fans. Meanwhile, a slew of Indian players wearing a dejected look walked back to the pavilion. However, in sport, two weeks seem like a long time. As an Indian team prepared for the five-match T20I series against England at Eden Gardens, amid controversies related to dressing room leaks and BCCI’s 10-point guidelines, the players seemed to be in a cheerful mood. It felt like a completely different…

KL Rahul, the India cricketer, is all set to miss the upcoming Ranji Trophy clash against Punjab, on January 23, due to a niggle. However, according to sources, “there is a possibility that he might play” in Karnataka’s next clash versus Haryana, starting on January 30. The right-hand opener is said to be suffering from an elbow problem. Incidentally, Rahul has also been picked for the three-match ODI series versus England, commencing on February 6. Rishabh Pant, the aggressive wicketkeeper-bat, will represent Delhi, and he could be up against the experienced Saurashtra all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. As per sources, the spinner…

January 18 in the Indian cricketing circles would be remembered for delays and more delays. The Indian squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, to be held in Pakistan and the UAE, was scheduled to be announced at 12.30 PM IST. But it got postponed by approximately 3 hours. Ultimately, when the squad was announced, there were very few surprises. One of them was perhaps the dropping of pace bowler Mohammed Siraj. There was something else that caught the eye – Shubman Gill’s appointment as the vice-captain of the set-up. On expected lines, there were plenty of question marks over his…

“We are hoping that Bumrah will be fit. We will talk about it if he is not fit. But we are hoping he will be fit,” Ajit Agarkar, the Indian chief selector, said in the press conference while discussing the spearhead’s inclusion in the national squad for the forthcoming Champions Trophy. Ever since Bumrah has been laid low by a back problem, the major talking point in Indian cricketing circles has been about his fitness—something that was bound to happen as he is one of the treasured gems of Indian cricket. There were even speculations that Bumrah could be down…

Ever since Jasprit Bumrah, India’s pace spearhead, has been troubled by a back injury, there have been question marks over his participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy. By the looks of it, Bumrah could even miss out on the ICC event, leaving a massive hole in the bowling line-up. Mohammed Shami’s likely return to the 50-over squad would boost India’s confidence, but in Bumrah’s absence, who are India’s pace-bowling options? Let’s take a deep dive to analyse the contenders for that slot, provided the Indian selectors don’t take a risk with Bumrah. Harshit Rana The tall fast bowler possesses good…