Author: Bharath Ramaraj

Sanjay Dhas, Sachin Dhas’ father, once observed that the prodigy’s willow was examined by the authorities at a T20 event in Pune after he came into limelight for his six-hitting prowess. As Dhas went about collecting runs in the just-concluded Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, one could understand why and how his batting prowess left many in a state of awe and shock. Dhas was the fifth-highest run-getter in the tournament but the manner in which he went about scoring them suggested he might go on to achieve bigger things. His game-breaking 96 against South Africa in the semi-final…

The city of Rosario is famously known as the birthplace of Lionel Messi. But for a hockey fan, the city brings back vivid memories of Rani Rampal, one of the game’s greatest players, displaying a wonderful exhibition of goal-scoring at the 2010 World Cup. A 15-year-old then, she scored as many as seven goals. One of the goals in particular would echo in the minds of hockey connoisseurs for generations to come: She took on Netherlands’ defence single-handedly and cracked one past Floortje Engels, the goalkeeper. It was sheer wizardry with a hockey stick. For her efforts, she was duly…

Dramatic, controversial, thrilling — the storied contests between India and Australia has arguably turned out to be cricket’s biggest rivalry over the past couple of decades. A little more than two months ago, the Pat Cummins-led Australian team silenced a humongous home crowd at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad by taking home the ICC World Cup trophy (ODI). As the Indian Under-19 team braces to take on the Australian Under-19 side in the summit clash of the Under-19 World Cup in Benoni, a few fans are already whispering that it is time to exact ‘revenge’. Of course, the cricketers…

Who is Zark Crawley? Perhaps he belongs to the modern school of batting and believes in playing a range of shots. Or maybe there is more to one of the mainstays of England’s Bazball approach? The initial overs of day 4 of the second Test between India and England gave enough evidence that Crawley’s batting wasn’t just about taking the aggressive route. Jasprit Bumrah, the pace-spearhead, persistently tested the nuts and bolts of Crawley’s technique in the corridor outside the off-stump. The latter was up to the task of facing a bowler at the peak of his prowess as he…

In the 18th over of the Under-19 World Cup semi-final played between India and South Africa in Benoni, Uday Saharan cracked a courageous upper-cut as the ball rocketed to the third man boundary. For the next 32 deliveries, it turned out to be Saharan’s only boundary. With Sachin Dhas, his batting partner, essaying a string of sparkling shots, he was ready to play second fiddle. That Saharan soaked pressure of facing up to a buoyant pace attack with his side in trouble, was testament to his sound temperament. Just reading through the above description, a casual cricket fan might conjure…

After slipping to a heartbreaking loss in Hyderabad, India bounced back in style with a comfortable 106-run victory in the second Test in Vizag to square the five-match series 1-1. Eventually, England were bundled out for 292 in a chase of 399. Jasprit Bumrah (nine wickets in the match), Yashasvi Jaiswal (203 runs in the first innings) and Shubman Gill (104 runs in the second innings) were the standout performers for the home side. India’s fielding, also, was much better compared to the opening Test. At the start of the day, England still seemed to have a small chance of…

India had another fruitful day in the Vizag Test, maintaining their strong position against England. The visitors were 67 for 1 at stumps on Day 3, still needing 332 for a famous win. Shubman Gill was the fulcrum of India’s second innings effort, scoring a sparkling 147-ball 104. The day started with England making early inroads. James Anderson bowled a peach of a delivery to Rohit Sharma that slanted in a touch, pitched on a fuller length and nipped away just enough to rattle the timber. A quintessential Anderson delivery. He then dislodged Yashasvi Jaiswal by tempting him to drive,…

Jasprit Bumrah gave a virtuoso exhibition of fast bowling to put India on top on Day 2 of the second Test between India and England in Vizag. The fast bowler bagged six wickets as the visitors were cleaned up for 253. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal then extended the lead to 171 at stumps. At 114 for 1, with Zak Crawley (76) in very good touch, England would have fancied their chances of at least getting close to India’s first innings total of 396. However, Crawley tried one shot too many and mistimed one off Axar Patel towards Shreyas Iyer…

The England-India Test series continued to have its share of ebbs and flows, with Day One of the second Test turning out to be a hard-fought contest between the two sides. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unbeaten 179 was the highlight of the day’s play and it was his innings that kept India in the game. The hosts were 336 for 6 at stumps. A slew of Indian batters made starts but couldn’t convert it into big scores. Only Jaiswal was able to stamp his authority. The southpaw also showcased the right gears throughout his innings. At the fall of Rohit Sharma’s wicket,…

As the shadows lengthened at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Mohammed Siraj, India’s No. 11 batter, skipped down the pitch and was stumped by Ben Foakes. As the England players celebrated a famous win, Jasprit Bumrah, the non-striker, let out a roar of anguish. And Bumrah’s emotions perfectly summed up India’s heartbreaking loss. From a position of strength, the home side had somehow slipped to a 28-run loss in the first Test. So, what went wrong for India? Or more importantly, how can the hosts give a fitting riposte to the ‘Bazball’ machine and level the series? The…