Author: Boria Majumdar

India play a very important series decider against Australia on Tuesday night. With the World Cup just 9 months away, it is key for India to win this series, for it will give the team and the skipper a much-needed confidence boost. And that’s what brings me to the captain. Harmanpreet Kaur is possibly going to play one of the more important matches of her career tonight. She hasn’t done anything with the bat of late and the pressure, clearly, is getting to her. Each time she comes out to bat, there is a kind of build-up. And when you…

Days before India begin their AFC Asian Cup campaign against Australia in Doha, the team’s talisman Sunil Chhetri explains to RevSportz why it’s important to play against stronger Asian teams. The following are excerpts: Boria: If we do well against Afghanistan, if we do well against Kuwait at home, we can make it to the next round (of World Cup qualifiers). How confident are you and how important is it for you as a captain and player? Sunil: We have a decent chance. Win against Kuwait was very important, but we were really expecting that we could get a point…

On November 28, I had written for RevSportz that it was impossible to imagine a T20 World Cup team without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. And my argument was purely on the basis of performance. Given the form Kohli has been in – he was the best batter at the T20 World Cup in 2022, and World Cup 2023 – it was tough to see him being overlooked. Shouldn’t performance be the only index? Isn’t age just a number with sports science making incredible advances? Isn’t Kohli still one of the best fielders in the team? So, why leave him…

Trevor Sinclair during Team India’s practice session in Doha. Credits- AIFF During his heyday, Trevor Sinclair was a fast and tricky winger who enjoyed his best spells in the colours of Queens Park Rangers and West Ham, before winding down his top-flight career with Manchester City. There were also 12 England caps, four of them during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. It was during his time with West Ham at Upton Park that Sinclair struck up a…

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 is in two parts, with the first published on January 6. Trent Bridge, 2007 India had escaped with a draw at Lord’s, courtesy the weather and Steve Bucknor refusing to give Sreesanth out when he was plumb in front. In Nottingham, England’s frustrations boiled over. In tricky conditions for batting, they were skittled for…

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…