Author: Boria Majumdar

When something happens over and over again, it becomes a scar — and it takes that much more effort to get rid of it. I remember speaking to PV Sindhu after she had lost her seventh straight final, and she was despondent. “Will I never win a final?” she had asked. It wasn’t that Sindhu was a bad player; reaching a Super Series final was a huge achievement. And yet, she wasn’t able to get over the line. Eventually she did, and that opened the gates. For the Indian men’s team, it is becoming a mental issue on turning tracks…

Boria Majumdar A look at India’s bowling attack tells you exactly where this column is headed. You have Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the best fast bowler in the world. Mohammed Siraj has shown time and again that he can win you games on good decks. Kuldeep Yadav is a match-winner, and so is Ravindra Jadeja. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are no less capable, making this a well-rounded attack. Yet, you opt for pitches that spin from day one — rank turners where the ball grips from the very first session. Such surfaces bring the opposition’s spinners into play, as we’ve…

By Boria Majumdar at Eden Gardens New Zealand yet again. That’s how it can best be described. India opted for a wicket that turned from day one and it once again backfired. It was a wicket of India’s choice and things all seemed to be going to plan till Shubman was injured. That cost India a few runs, and the lead was brought down to 30. And in the second innings, India badly missed their captain. Having said that, no excuses. If you can’t score 124 in home conditions, you have to cop the blame. Take a look at India’s…

I understand that teams play to win, and that’s what matters in the end. For example, no one remembers that the pitch in Sydney in January 2025 was an atrocious one. Few recall that the match in Cape Town in January 2024 finished in two days. All one remembers is that Australia won at the SCG to take the series 3-1, and India beat South Africa at Newlands after bowling them out for 55 in the first innings. The SCG wicket did raise a few eyebrows, while the Newlands pitch was rated unsatisfactory. However, that has not deterred teams from…

Boria Majumdar at Eden Gardens There were nearly 42,000 people at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. And they witnessed an intense day of Test cricket. Many will say the pitch was poor. How can India continue to prepare such wickets? Sujan Mukherjee will be taken to task. The fact is that India wanted a dry wicket, for that’s what helps them. And so far, one has to say they have controlled the game. Coming to the pitch first, yes, it isn’t the best. There is uneven bounce and turn. But then, we have seen surfaces which are far worse than…

The talking point on day 1 at the Eden Gardens was the Washington Sundar experiment. Was it unfair on Sai Sudharsan and were India being defensive by playing multiple all-rounders? Were four spinners needed in home conditions and was it not the case that one of them would be under-bowled? If we take the Sai case in isolation, it does seem unfair. He scored a very decent 87 against West Indies and deserves a long rope. Having said that, I don’t think this is a bad experiment either. We have stressed over the last few days that Kuldeep Yadav needs…

Boria Majumdar at Eden Gardens The day started with chants of “Boom, Boom, Bumrah!”. In fact, as he was fielding in front of the B block, he even acknowledged the crowd. Jasprit Bumrah and the Eden Gardens crowd was a match made in heaven on day one of the Test match. Each time he picked up a wicket, the roar was defeaning. That’s what Eden has always been about. They know their cricket, and know how to celebrate a champion effort. South Africa had started well and raced to 57 in no time. Boundaries were coming easily and fast, and…

Boria Majumdar By the time my readers go through this piece, I will be on my way to the Eden Gardens. We will start our pre-show at 8:30am every day, and early-morning Kolkata in November is the best time to be in the city. To see happy faces walking up to the stadium, talking cricket and buying some fruits and biscuits on the way, takes me back years, to when I used to request my father to please try and get me a ticket to go and watch the game. You will see very familiar figures outside the stadium. You…

After six long years, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) organised the Jagmohan Dalmiya Conclave. The keynote speech was delivered by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. It was an evening that brought together the members of the association, past and present office-bearers, cricketers from the state and legends like Anil Kumble and Jhulan Goswami. Under President Sourav Ganguly’s aegis, the event helped set the tone for the Test match that will start in less than 12 hours. Sunil Gavaskar was provocative and witty as always. And that’s what helped set up the interactive session. As host, all I had to do…

Boria Majumdar With less than a day to go for the India-South Africa Test match at Eden Gardens, it is time to look back at the 2010 match at the same venue, a game that witnessed some spectacular performances, and allowed India to retain their No. 1 position in the world Test rankings. After a magical comeback from a position of utter hopelessness, India had South Africa on the mat on the last day. Time was an issue and India needed to close out the game to level the series. South Africa had won the first Test in Nagpur and…