Author: Boria Majumdar

Rohit Sharma and India got it badly wrong on day 1 in Bengaluru. And that’s what sealed the deal. Yes, India did have a chance on day 3 at 400-3, but then it was always going to be near-impossible after the 46 all out. Batting first was the wrong call, and India now find themselves in a situation where they have to win the remaining two Tests to not just win the series, but also stay in control of the WTC rankings. What is interesting, however, is the reaction to India’s loss. Fans have not just started to question Rohit’s…

Rishabh Pant had just hit one of the most audacious shots that we will see in Test cricket. As the ball sailed over the gallery and outside the ground, the camera caught KL Rahul, the non-striker, up close. First, there was surprise. Did he really hit that shot? Rahul’s expression was fascinating. He just couldn’t believe what he had seen, and after a few seconds, he broke into a wry smile as if to say only Rishabh could have done that. He is extraordinary, and it was yet again evidence of his very special ability. Pant had gone into bat…

Sarfaraz Khan is one of a kind. He is unconventional and happily so. He is not the usual elite cricketer like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, and happily so. And yet, he is effective and happily so. Can he be as effective in Australia? Can those magic hands adjust to the faster wickets down under? The truth is we don’t know. What we do know is that he loves to defy odds and make a difference. Loves to embrace the occasion and put on a show. Most importantly, he isn’t overawed by failure and continues to back himself amidst adversity.…

It is the first Kolkata derby of this season’s Indian Super League (ISL) and, needless to say, passions are running high. With the controversy over Anwar Ali playing out in the background in the last few months, the game has an added layer of intensity to it. Fans of both clubs crave a win and anything to the contrary is unacceptable. For East Bengal, with four losses in the first four games, this is make-or-break territory. A loss could mean this season’ss ISL goes downhill and the pre-season positivity is lost. The club have already replaced a coach mid-season, and…

Two press releases arrived back to back. The first was issued at 3pm by JSW Sports, which announced Sourav Ganguly as their Director of Cricket, who will be heading all cricket for the JSW group. The second release came an hour later from the Delhi Capitals official handle, and announced Venugopal Rao and Hemang Badani as Director of Cricket and Head Coach respectively. The two pieces of paper tell us a story. That Ganguly continues to have the backing of Parth Jindal and JSW. Also that he doesn’t enjoy the backing of GMR, and hence has been pushed back for…

Franchise teams aren’t easy to run, and they tend to throw up something out of the ordinary from time to time. The Delhi Capitals story is one such. That there were issues between the two corporates who run the franchise was known. And yet, nothing really surfaced. To their credit, things were kept under wraps for a long time. Having said that, it was always an issue as to how the team would be run going forward. Now, it has been decided that JSW, led by Parth Jindal, and GMR will take turns to run the team for two years…

The T20 World Cup experience has left Indian women’s cricket with more questions than answers. But of all the questions that we need answers for, the most important is whether we need Harmanpreet Kaur the batter or is she more important as a leader going forward? From the cup experience, it was evident that Harmanpreet is still the best batter in the team in pressure situations. She was the only one to stand up in the game against Australia, and there are few who come close. For India, it will be essential to have Harmanpreet the batter in her best…

Over the last two days, I have seen a lot of posts on social media which say that India ran Australia close. That India played well, and it was just nine runs that separated the two teams. Some have said that it was luck that India did not have on their side. We were gallant losers. The truth is there is seldom anything gallant in defeat. India did not make the semi-finals, and that’s the harsh reality. Competing isn’t enough. Against New Zealand, India did not even compete. Individual runs in a losing cause don’t matter, for it is the…

As I sit down to write this piece, India’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign is over. Inconsistency and the inability to chase down totals has impacted the team hard, and the pressure, needless to say, will mount on the captain and the coach. Interestingly, it has always come down to that one crucial game for India in key tournaments. In the 2022 Commonwealth Games final, it was the very same Australia. The script was the same in the T20 World Cup semi-final in 2023. India lost to Australia and were out. That 2024 has been no different is what leads…

As the dust settles on India’s defeat and we come to terms with yet another World Cup exit, unless Pakistan script a miracle tonight, it is important to keep calm and exercise restraint. No one is hurting more than the players, and it is important we empathise while still asking the tough questions. While no over-the-top reaction is required, it is important to take stock and introspect. Analyse what went wrong, and why it happens time and again with the women’s team. The one difference between Australia’s approach and India’s lies in the fear of failure. Australia played without fear,…