Author: Debasis Sen

You played for Brian Clough at four clubs, winning big titles with him at Derby County and Nottingham Forest. Why do you think he took you everywhere? And more importantly, what made you follow him everywhere? John McGovern: I think it was Peter Taylor who first noticed me in a trial match at Hartlepool United in English League Division 4. In the local papers, there was a quote from Peter who told Brian Clough to lock the gates of the ground and don’t open them, because we have signed that skinny kid playing outside-right in the trial match. I signed…

Debasis Sen in Birmingham A year ago, on this day, the Indian cricket team, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma etched a glorious chapter in history by winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados. In a nerve-wracking final against South Africa, India emerged victorious by 7 runs, completing a perfect redemption arc for three stalwarts of Indian cricket—Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Head Coach Rahul Dravid. Their triumph was especially poignant, coming just months after the heartbreak of losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia in Ahmedabad. The build-up to…

Debasis Sen in Nottingham On most cricket tours, it’s rare for a reporter to find time for non-cricket stories. But on Friday, I had the opportunity to travel to Nottingham from Birmingham and explore a piece of football history — a visit to Premier League club Nottingham Forest. The trip wasn’t just about visiting a club once made famous by the legendary Brian Clough; it was about experiencing a place where English football history was made. The main purpose of the day was to cover the Indian women’s cricket team’s practice session at the iconic Trent Bridge ground,…

Debasis Sen in Nottingham The much-anticipated five-match WIT20 series between India and England women will kick-start with the first match being played at the historic Trent Bridge cricket ground in Nottingham on Saturday, June 28. It will be the first time ever that Nottingham will host a women’s IT20. The five-match series is seen as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 women’s World Cup, which will start on 12 June in London, with India playing their first game on 14th June in Birmingham. Having covered the Indian men’s cricket team for the last two decades, it will be my only…

Debasis Sen in Leeds England pulled off a stunning victory at Headingley, chasing down 371 runs to defeat India by five wickets in the first Test and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. This marked England’s second-highest successful run chase in Test cricket and the second-highest ever against India, only behind their own 378-run pursuit at Edgbaston in 2022. Shubman Gill-led India became the first team in Test history to lose a match despite having five individual centurions. Despite posting a massive 835 runs across both innings, India couldn’t withstand England’s relentless aggression with the bat. The hosts,…

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…