Author: Boria Majumdar

India begin their Asian Cup campaign against Australia, one of the pre-tournament favourites, on January 13. The team, coached by Igor Stimac, were the first to reach Doha. In this special episode of Backstage with Boria, Stimac talks of the preparations, the absence of key personnel and how this tournament will also act as a learning for the key World Cup qualifiers later this year. Excerpts: Boria: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Coach! How are you looking at things? The team is in Doha, so how can you explain this at the start of 2024? Stimac: We do not…

Every sportsperson dreams of calling it a day in front of his home fans and family. Few are able to do so. David Warner did. Scoring a fifty in his last Test innings added much to the swansong. Perhaps it was God’s way of giving it back to Warner. In fact, it is this swansong that will define him much more than some of the controversies that plagued his career. Warner was faced with questions right through his career. Some said he couldn’t play Test cricket. His riposte was 111 Test caps. Many said he couldn’t make a comeback after…

Standout overseas wins are a rarity in the history of Indian cricket. Newlands 2024 is a significant addition to this small exclusive club. As we savour the win, here are my top eight overseas wins since India started playing Test cricket in June 1932. This feature will be run in two parts, with the second to be published on January 7.  Beating England at the Oval 1971 – India won the series 1-0 With a record of 15 defeats in 19 Tests at the ground going into the match, Ajit Wadekar’s team needed something extraordinary to happen to change…

Whenever you overdo things, it backfires. This is not just related to cricket. But rather, it is a life lesson. South Africa learnt it the hard way at Newlands in Cape Town. The Proteas had blown India away in Centurion. The Indian batters were no match for the guile and skill of Kagiso Rabada and Nandre Burger. On a reasonably decent wicket, South Africa were in control from ball one. All they needed to do was prepare a good wicket in Cape Town, and leave it to their bowlers to do the job yet again. Instead, they wanted to blow…

Are the bowlers really that great? Are the batters really this poor? Is the pitch unplayable? What explains 23 wickets on a single day, the highest in 50 years? A mix of all of the above? Will it be a two-day Test match? While we can discuss each of these issues till the cows come home, lets digress a little and ask a very different question. Had this played out on an Indian pitch, with the spinners picking up the bulk of the wickets, what would be the narrative now? Rank turner, underprepared wicket, substandard pitch – you can keep…

Newlands in Cape Town is something of a South African fortress. Since their readmission to international cricket in 1991-92, South Africa have won 24 of their 35 Tests there. Four of their five defeats have come against formidable Australian sides. India, apart from a missed opportunity in January 2011, have never come close to breaking that duck. Despite that, there was one Indian who always enjoyed playing at this most picturesque of venues. Sachin Tendulkar scored two memorable centuries and two 50s in his four Tests at Newlands. In an earlier episode of Backstage with Boria, he has spoken of…

Intent, a word much used in sport. And yet a word that has serious relevance. You need to show intent in any form of sport and be competitive. You have to put up a fight, especially when you are playing at home. You are the Indian national team, not of just any other country. And that’s when and where it starts to hurt. The sport of women’s cricket has been on a consistent decline in the last couple of years. Off the field, we (India) have progressed with the WPL and more. On the field, it is the same old…

Indian Olympic sport has rarely had it as good at the start of a year. Make no mistake, there will be challenges. Fitness issues and more. Luck, so very important in sport, will always be a factor. But, at the start of 2024, India seems ready. Keen and poised to take on the world and make a sporting statement. It has rarely happened before, and that is what makes the start of the new year a really vibrant one. With the big prize eight months down the line, 10 medals in Paris 2024 doesn’t look a pipedream anymore. The 2023…

David Warner is all about timing. Even in retirement. Few are able to play sport on their own terms. David Warner did. Yes, he has many detractors and they often tried to pull him down. But today at 111 Tests and 6932 ODI runs, Warner can look back at his legacy and feel proud. He announced retirement on his terms and leaves ODI cricket a World Cup winner, freeing himself up to play the cash-rich global T20 leagues in India and other countries. From being told he can’t play Test cricket to he can’t make a comeback post the “Sandpapergate”…

It has just been 24 hours since he had made it to the Candidates. A huge achievement for the 17-year-old prodigy, and yet another momentous occasion for Indian chess with three players from India in a group of eight. “Candidates was the most important goal I had set out to achieve in 2023 and I am delighted I have been able to fulfil that goal,” said an elated, yet composed D Gukesh. Speaking about how he had almost given up hope ahead of the Chennai turnaround, Gukesh spoke of the influence of Viswanathan Anand and a lot more in this…