Author: Boria Majumdar

I have written far too many times that the 241 not out in Sydney in 2004 is my favorite Sachin Tendulkar innings. The reason is simple. It was very un-Sachin like, to say the least. He, at no point, let his ego take over. He allowed modest bowlers to sledge and get away, and never lost resolve. Ahead of the game, he had promised his brother Ajit that he’d not play and get out to a ball pitched wide outside off stump. In the ten hours that he batted, he did not. And that’s what brings me to Virat Kohli.…

Did India not know that the red Kookaburra doesn’t do much between overs 35 and 80? Did they not know that Jasprit Bumrah would get tired after a fantastic first spell? Did they not know that the Australians would counter-punch after lunch with Travis Head out there? Did they not know that they needed control to be able to come back with the second new ball? To not know is silly. For Morne Morkel, the bowling coach, to come and say time and again that India is “leaking runs” sounds a lame excuse. It is Test cricket, and instructions can…

It was very much like old times. Setting the alarm for 4:30am to get up and watch cricket in Australia. Yes, now it’s work, shows and more, but the passion remains the same. While for most Bengalis, it is a hot cup of Darjeeling tea, ‘monkey cap’ and the morning papers in a decently chilly Kolkata winter, for me, it is Test cricket and what India does at the Gabba. Bowl first was the call from India, and though Australia negotiated the ten-plus overs bowled without undue alarms, they haven’t managed to race away either. India’s bowlers would surely want…

Lord’s 2014, and England had given India a green top. Despite Ajinkya Rahane’s fine first innings ton, India were far from safe going into the second innings. And when MS Dhoni was dismissed, leaving Murali Vijay stranded, hopes of an Indian win seemed remote. In walked Ravindra Jadeja. Two hours later came the first-ever sword dance. A Ravindra Jadeja 50, and the match had been set up. Thanks to Ishant Sharma’s super bowling effort, India won a famous victory, which to an extent had also been set up by Jadeja. Back home, he has always been superb. But overseas as…

Mohun Bagan Super Giant currently lead the table in the ongoing ISL season, thanks in large part to their star recruit, Greg Stewart. Known for his visionary passes and game-changing skills, Stewart has quickly become a fan favourite among the green-and-maroon faithful. In an exclusive interview with RevSportz’s Editor-in-Chief, Boria Majumdar, Stewart opened up about his football journey, his affection for Mohun Bagan supporters, the derby, the ultimate aim for the season and more. Boria: From 16 to 19, about to give up football, from then on to being hailed as one of the greatest players to play for Mohun…

Mohammed Shami has been one of the best red-ball bowlers in Indian cricket history. In fact, why just red ball? He was India’s best bowler in the home World Cup in 2023. But from the looks of it, he isn’t traveling to Australia. Chances are that he will yet again go back to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and unless something dramatic transpires in Brisbane, he might not be called upon to join the team in Australia. Only a reversal at the Gabba could change things, but even that is no longer certain. With the World Test Championship (WTC) final…

Soon after he came back from winning the Candidates in April 2024, Gukesh started to prepare for the World Championship. He was Candidates champion at the age of 17. The youngest ever to win the tournament. And yet, things hadn’t gone to his head. Even when saying it hadn’t sunk in, he was pragmatic and reasonable. “We are longing for some rest and for things to settle down,” he said at the time. “Once that happens, I think the realisation will sink in. I haven’t really had time to process things yet.” For Gukesh, it has always been about the…

I tried reaching out to him the moment the match was done but, understandably, his phone was busy. In fact, soon after, he responded saying his phone was constantly ringing and he’d get back soon. True to his word as always, 15 minutes or so later, Viswanathan Anand called back to have a conversation about this historic achievement in the history of Indian chess. Gukesh Dommaraju, all of 18 years and eight months old, winning the world championship has to be one of the greatest achievements in the history of Indian sport. Excerpts from the conversation: Boria: Vishy, we finally…

It finished 3-0 to Australia, and there was a kind of inevitability to it. It was as if it was expected, and nothing could be done about it. That’s where the problem lies. In the sense of resignation. The despondency. Despite the magical Arundhati Reddy spell, the match was lost. Reddy bowled four special balls to get rid of Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry, and yet her teammates did not get much motivation from that. That’s where, as supporters of the women’s game, you tend to feel deflated. At the lack of accountability. At the lame…

The most important question confronting India going into Brisbane is where Rohit Sharma, the skipper, should bat. The No. 6 experiment did not work, and with KL Rahul not doing as well in Adelaide, the question is all the more important ahead of the Gabba Test. If the captain under-performs, there is bound to be negative energy within the team. As leader, Rohit is the key cog, and so far, he has appeared soft in comparison to Pat Cummins. Take the end-of-match press conference, for example. Australia had bowled multiple bouncers to the Indian tail, and had literally hit all…