Author: Boria Majumdar

As R Ashwin pauses at 500 wickets, I’d like to take my readers back to a conversation that took place when he was on 220 wickets after 39 Tests. “I am bowling at my best,” he said with the resolve that has always set him apart. “There is no doubt about that, but can I do better is the question I keep asking myself. There is no end to improvement. But at the moment, the ball if coming out nicely and I am feeling very good about bowling. I don’t go into matches thinking I will win the game, but…

This is an Indian side without the great Virat Kohli and the dependable KL Rahul. There are two debutants, and one who is a Test match old. And then you are reduced to 33-3, with the two centurions from the Vizag Test both back in the pavilion. England were breathing fire and the toss advantage had been nullified. As skipper, Rohit Sharma had to let his bat take over. The batter in him needed to take centre stage for the captain and the team. A wicket then, and you had two debutants to follow. Clearly, the match was already in…

As we get ready for the Rajkot Test, there are reports in the media that Jasprit Bumrah might be rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi. It is because the selectors are concerned with the load on Bumrah, and want to ensure that his body holds up for the challenges going forward. All of these calls are based on principles of workload management. The question is when did workload management first come into Indian cricket? How did things evolve, and how were processes put in place? To understand this, we need to go to Bharat Arun, former bowling coach of…

Carles Cuadrat won an ISL title with Bengaluru FC, while playing a dominating brand of football that made them the neutrals’ team for a while. Now, he has taken on a far bigger challenge, tasked with restoring East Bengal – one of Indian football’s Big Two, historically – to former glories. His tenure has started with a Super Cup win and there is plenty of optimism in the air as they approach the climactic stages of the ISL season. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz’ editor-in-chief. Boria: Tremendous impact so far. Tell me about the journey so…

Dream on. Dreams do come true. For others these may be words of encouragement. For Manasi Joshi, however, they are much more. These words define her life in a way. Sample this: “When I was trying to make a comeback to sport and make a career out of it, these words were a constant source of support. As a para-athlete I had my own share of challenges. Life wasn’t easy. But that’s what it is all about. To be able to fight. To overcome adversity. ‘Dream on’, as Sachin Tendulkar says. For dreams do come true. And may I say…

He is a genius. And his humility is what has defined him. On the occasion of his 75th birthday yesterday, February 12, here is a conversation with Gundappa Viswanath that helps us understand the man and his philosophy. Happy 75th birthday, chief. India’s win at The Oval was a miracle. Much like the 2001 victory against Australia at the Eden Gardens where India won after following on, India came from behind at The Oval on August 24, 1971 to hand England their first series loss in years. While the victory will forever be analysed as a spectacular underdog success story,…

It was 5:52 am in the morning and the sun was already out in Kolkata on September 12, 2023. That’s when Akshay, who heads marketing for Rugby India, called saying he was waiting at the main gate of the SAI Center within the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan complex. It was a special invite from Rahul Bose, President of Rugby India, to watch the Indian team train just ahead of the Asian Games. While I had reached at 6 am sharp, Rahul arrived at about 6:30 am. Just as he was speaking, Hupi Majhi, one of the seniors in the team,…

Courage. A very simple word, but with a deeper meaning when it comes to finals. And perhaps something that India has lacked when it comes to the big stage in the last few years. When it comes to Australia, courage is what sets them apart in a big final. Harjas Singh, out of form for the entire tournament, grabbed his opportunity in the final. Courage, as we said. India, on the other hand, were limp. An early collapse and another loss, which is now becoming routine. If it was Travis Head and Steve Smith at The Oval in the WTC…

Why does India lose finals? I wish I knew the answer. But the truth is, India loses. And keeps losing. And lose some more. The senior team loses. The women’s team loses. The U-19 team loses as well. And all to Australia. Add the football team that lost to the same opponent recently at the Asian Cup. Australia and India in finals is a sad sad story. And unless we change this narrative soon, it could become a psychological issue if it isn’t already one. Are Indian teams not able to handle pressure? Is it that we choke on the…

Each time Anju Bobby George started her run to the pit at Athens in 2004, the nation jumped with her. Her jump of 6.83 metres may not have been good enough for a medal but it was enough to make her the poster girl of Indian athletics. This is what the Tribune had to say about her on the eve of the Olympics: “For a Syrian Christian girl from the remote village of Cheeranchira in Kottayam district of Kerala, an Olympic gold was farthest from her dream when she took to athletics at school, at the prodding of her businessman…