Author: Boria Majumdar

Boria Majumdar in Leeds Test cricket is all about playing to the conditions. You need to be ugly on occasion, but do not give up. And that’s exactly what Yashaswi Jaiswal did today at Headingley. For a period, Sunil Gavaskar was sitting with us at the press box and watching the young man bat. And just when he flashed at a ball, you could see the great man’s face contort. “Don’t play too many shots too soon,” he said. “You have loads of talent to do well on this wicket.” Just then, Jaiswal played one of his signature straight…

For decades, Headingley was associated with one of Indian cricket’s lowest points. The scoreboard showing 0-4 in the second innings in 1952, after Fred Trueman and Alec Bedser ran amok with the new ball, remains a sore point. That Vijay Hazare and Dattu Phadkar battled back to make a match of it was forgotten thanks to that one photograph of the scoreboard. By the time India arrived in England in 1986, they had gone 10 Tests without a win – seven of them draws – since beating the same opponents in Mumbai in November-December 1984. England, fresh off a 5-0…

Boria Majumdar There has been much talk about the naming of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, and in all of this, Sachin Tendulkar decided to stay silent. In fact, against the backdrop of the Ahmedabad tragedy, he insisted that there should be no celebration over the renaming. Finally, he decided to open up on the entire issue, and also helped set up the England-India series in this exclusive conversation with Boria Majumdar for RevSportz. Boria: Sachin, there has been much controversy over the naming of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy. You have stayed silent all this while. How do you look at it? Tendulkar:…

Shubman Gill is, no doubt, the next pin-up boy of Indian cricket. After Sunil Gavaskar left the scene, it was Sachin Tendulkar who filled that void. By the time Tendulkar made an entire nation emotional, Virat Kohli was ready to take the baton from him. And now that Kohli has retired, it is Gill who is the next in line. Gill’s story is of perseverance, hard work, unbelievable talent and also the sacrifices of a family that moved out of its comfort zone to build a career for their beloved child. His father, Lakhwinder Singh, is a farmer, as is…

Boria Majumdar in Leeds Talks over the last few days had centered around Gautam Gambhir’s return to England and when he would rejoin the team. The Indian team head coach did so late last evening and was extremely hands-on in India’s first practice session at the Headingley cricket ground. Gambhir had to fly back home after his mother was hospitalised. At the nets, Gambhir spent time monitoring the batters and also had multiple one-on-one conversations with the players. For example, he was seen to be having a close to 15-minute conversation with Shubman Gill. And as I write, he is…

If you are driving around England, the one constant companion in cars is the inbuilt technical support system that warns you of speed cameras and speed limits. “Speed cameras in 100 yards” is something I have now heard a few thousand times already! While it is frustrating on occasions and interrupts conversations, may I say, it is essential. None other than Sachin Tendulkar had learned it the hard way back in 1992, on his way to Leeds from Newcastle. It is one of my favourite Sachin stories, and it is best to narrate it in his words. “After the match…

Boria Majumdar in Leeds As reported by RevSportz on June 7, there is now confirmation that the Pataudi name will continue to be associated with the England versus India series, with the winning captain to be awarded the Pataudi Medal for Excellence. From what we understand, this has the consent of the Pataudi family. Also, Sachin Tendulkar and Jay Shah played a key role behind the scenes to make this possible and spoke not just to the family but also the two cricket boards, convincing them to do the needful. On the other hand, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be…

As you reach Leeds, you feel the temperature drop a couple of notches below that in London. There is a certain quiet about the place, and even the malls aren’t really crowded. It is a cold welcome of sorts. On the 20th, it is this challenge that awaits India. The pitch curator, in an exclusive chat with RevSportz, has already sounded the bugle, saying it will be a green wicket and batting will be challenging. In all of this, the Indian batters can surely look back to 2002 and seek inspiration. The new millennium had brought new promise, and in…

It has been a very special build-up on RevSportz so far. The reception in the national and regional media stands testimony to that. Almost all our interviews have made news and created headlines. With the series now on us, it makes sense to do the build-up conclave on Monday, June 16. A day full of exclusive interviews and stories on all RevSportz platforms. We will start the day with an interview with Kuldeep Yadav. Many, including former Australian greats like Matt Hayden and Michael Clarke – not to forget Brad Hogg – have talked up Kuldeep as a possible X-factor…

By Boria Majumdar As Sania Mirza settles into a commentary career, the belief is firmed up that we won’t ever have another like her. She was much like Aamir Khan’s character in Three Idiots — a once in a lifetime phenomenon, who came as a breath of fresh air, for Indian tennis. And that’s what begs the question: ‘How did Sania happen?’ More questions follow. ‘What made Sania the Sania?’; ‘How could a middle-class family from Hyderabad with no background in elite sport produce a champion?’; ‘What’s the back-story?’; ‘How did Imran Mirza help Sania become what she is?’…