Author: Debasis Sen

Debasis Sen in Leeds Anyone who follows the game of cricket will remember legendary umpire Harold “Dickie” Bird. Along with compatriot David Shepherd, the two English umpires earned the respect of the entire cricket fraternity. The 92-year-old Bird was one of the best-loved and most highly respected umpires. There’s no doubt that in the game of cricket, he was—and remains—a legend because of both his attention to detail and the unflinchingly fair way he oversaw the games. On Monday, a lean-looking Bird, who officiated in 66 Test matches (a world record at the time) and 69 ODIs ((including three World…

-Debasis Sen in Leeds It is not very often that you get to see an Indian batting line-up dominate the opposition attack on Day 1 of a Test match in England. Shubman Gill’s India team did just that after being put into bat by his counterpart, Ben Stokes. India’s total of 359/3 at Headingley on Friday surpassed their previous best of 338/7 on the first day of the Edgbaston Test in 2022. Jaiswal overcomes cramp to reach his sixth Test hundred Yashasvi Jaiswal has now scored hundreds in his first Test matches in Australia (161 in Perth), England (191 in…

Debasis Sen in Leeds The giant screen at the Headingley cricket ground was continuously playing the highlights of the 2019 Ashes Test as the Indian team arrived for their final training session ahead of the opening Test of the five-match series, beginning from Friday (June 20). Stokes played an incredible knock of 135 not out to take his side home, at this same venue, six years ago. England have won 23 and lost 12 Tests under Stokes since he succeeded Joe Root as the captain. The all-rounder from Durham will be back at the helm for England in what is…

Debasis Sen in Leeds The stage is set for the first Test match between India and England, which begins on Friday at the Headingley Cricket Ground. Both the teams had an optional practice session on Thursday. While England have announced their playing XI, India’s team management is still undecided on the batting order. The focus of the practice session was both the Indian openers. It will be a huge challenge for Yashasvi Jaiswal to give India a solid start along with KL Rahul. While it is Rahul’s third Test tour of England, it will be the first time Jaiswal marks…

Debasis Sen in Leeds The much anticipated five-match Test series between India and England will get underway at the Headingley cricket ground, starting from Friday, June 20. The hosts have already announced their playing XI with three frontline pacers in the side alongside captain Ben Stokes, who is all set to roll his arm as the fourth seamer. As far as the Indian team is concerned, two places are debatable. The team management, according to the vice-captain Rishabh Pant, is undecided about the No 3 batting position, and whether to go in with an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. Given…

Debasis Sen in Leeds As you enter the Headingley ground, you will invariably meet a woman groundstaff working under chief curator Richard Robinson. She is the 20-year-old Jasmine Nicholls, who is the first woman involved in the preparation of pitches at the iconic Headingley ground, setting a powerful example for others to follow. Jasmine is not the only female groundstaff in cricket venues across the United Kingdom. She was also a part of an all-female groundstaff team which prepared the pitch for a women’s Ashes match at Edgbaston, marking a significant milestone for the profession and showcasing the growing presence…

Debasis Sen in London South Africa created history on Saturday by winning the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s. Temba Bavuma and his boys brushed aside the ‘chokers’ tag as they defeated favourites Australia by five wickets on day four of the final. It was a first major ICC title for the Proteas in 27 years after they lifted the ICC Knockout, precursor to the Champions Trophy, in 1998. The majority of the crowd that turned out at Lord’s on Saturday were cheering for every run South Africa scored. Former India spinner Dilip Doshi, who was among the crowd,…

Debasis Sen at Lord’s South Africa are 69 runs away from scripting a historic feat by winning their first global cricket trophy this century. When Wiaan Mulder was dismissed by Mitchell Starc, caught in the covers by Marnus Labuschagne, the mostly South African crowd was clearly disappointed. With the Proteas 70-2 in pursuit of a daunting 282, the Aussies were already celebrating in the stands. But Temba Bavuma, the Proteas’ captain, who was batting with an injured hamstring, and Aiden Markram had other ideas. When stumps were drawn on Day 3, the South African fans were already having a beer…

Debasis Sen in Kolkata In a surprising turn of events, Srinjoy Bose and Debasish Dutta have set aside their long-standing differences and joined forces ahead of the much-anticipated Mohun Bagan club elections. After months of public mudslinging and personal attacks during their respective election campaigns, both Debasish and Srinjoy have come together for a unified cause — to steer the historic club towards a stronger future. According to insiders, the reconciliation was facilitated by Kunal Ghosh, the club’s vice-president and a prominent member of the ruling Trinamool Congress party. Many believe both Debasish and Srinjoy decided to reconcile after instruction…

The upcoming Mohun Bagan elections have sparked significant excitement among the members and fans of the century-old club. Internal rivalries within the ruling Trinamool Congress party (TMC) have surfaced through active involvement in the election campaigns for current club secretary Debasish Dutta and former general secretary Srinjoy Bose—both backed by separate factions within the state’s ruling party. Mayor of Kolkata, Firhad Hakim (Bobby) has thrown his weight behind Bose, while Debasish Dutta has the support of Deputy Mayor, Atin Ghosh. Shreya Pandey, daughter of the late minister Sadhan Pandey, was seen in one of the election campaigns of Srinjoy and…