Author: Gargi Raut

Gargi Raut at The Oval So far, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has given us gripping cricket, historic wins, heartbreaking losses and everything in between. And now, only a couple days before the final Test at The Oval, another fiery twist has been added to the series. For a series that is already simmering with tension, the moral debate sparked at Lord’s and then Old Trafford has found a new chapter in London. The “spirit of cricket” is a phrase that is often used in cricket but rarely understood, and even more rarely agreed upon. While it is a romantic concept, it…

Gargi Raut at The Oval As the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy hangs in the balance, ahead of the final Test match at The Oval in London, a non-cricket issue has taken up the headlines. In the matchday-minus-two practice session, the Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir was captured having a heated discussion with the head groundsman Lee Fortis. An hour into the practice session when players were engaged in an intense net session there was a slight disturbance in the usual proceedings and Gambhir was captured giving an animated reply to the pitch curator. He was seen pointing fingers and was heard…

Gargi Raut at Old Trafford A moral compass is a compass we can’t quite hold yet, everyone has one. It differs from person to person and it leads different people in different directions. For example, for Ben Stokes, his moral compass guides him to mock two batters who have outperformed his bowlers. While, on the other hand, Shubman Gill’s moral compass guides him to allow his batters, the same batters who saved the game from the jaws of defeat, enough time to complete their centuries. When the English captain thought he had enough, he went up to Ravindra Jadeja and…

Gargi Raut at Old Trafford When Washington Sundar was first announced in the team, social media scoffed, many shook their heads and questioned his place in the team. With a proven wicket-taker, Kuldeep Yadav, warming the bench, many asked: Why Washington Sundar? The last time he had played a Test for India was in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney where he scored a cumulative 26 runs. Many thought that Washington didn’t deserve a place in the team in a high-stakes Test series. On the fifth day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Washington walked off the field and answered…

Gargi Raut at Old Trafford On Day 4 of the fourth Test match at the Old Trafford, with the series hanging in balance, India having conceded 669 runs and down two wickets in consecutive deliveries, KL Rahul stood at the non-strikers end, head down, tapping the pitch, knowing he can’t change the game from where he stood even if he wanted to. And just when it seemed like the match was poised for a quick finish Rahul stood tall, calm, composed and unbending, alongside skipper Shubman Gill that evoked memories of another Rahul from a different era. Throughout Rahul’s career,…

Gargi Raut at Old Trafford In the fourth Test at the Old Trafford, to their misfortune, Indian fans have only witnessed one-sided action. England are on the verge of sealing the series with a crushing win. They have a lead of 186 runs and have three wickets in hand. They have dominated in every department, out-batting, out-bowling and out-thinking a weary, listless, low on belief and undercooked Indian side. On a pitch that was offering nothing to the Indian bowlers, Joe Root’s 150 was a technical masterclass against a captain who lacked ideas and intensity. At 544-4, it is safe…

Gargi Raut at the Old Trafford What is bravery? What is courage? Can it be put in a box? Can it be expressed in words? Rishabh Pant taught us that it can certainly be shown on the field – when he showed up to play a cricket match two days after his father’s funeral and played the saviour for his IPL franchise, when he walked out of a burning car, knee dislocated at a 90 degree angle, covered in burns and lacerations; and when he made a comeback to the field 15 months later, after many had said that he…

Gargi Raut The National Sports Bill has been tabled by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, aiming to address ten major issues in India’s sports ecosystem. From grievance redressal and athlete protection to tenure reform, the bill takes a comprehensive approach to sports governance. A key highlight of the bill is the proposed empowerment of the National Sports Board (NSB). If the bill becomes an Act, the NSB will hold overriding authority, including the power to grant recognition to or suspend any National Sports Federation (NSF) in case of election or financial inconsistencies. The strength of the executive committee will be…

Gargi Raut at Old Trafford At the end of Day 3, at the Lord’s cricket stadium, there was a shift in the series. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were walking out to face the new ball but the Indian team was running out of patience. The England openers were trying to run down the clock and the Indian captain wasn’t having any of that. With seven minutes available, Crawley and Duckett employed time-wasting tactics and made sure India could only bowl one over in the final few minutes of play. The Indian team, especially skipper Gill did not hold back…

Gargi Raut at Old Trafford Rishabh Pant, India’s Test vice-captain, has been one of the best batters in the series. Time and again, when India have been in trouble, Pant has shouldered the responsibility of steadying the ship for the team. Similar was the situation when Pant walked in post-lunch, with both Indian openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, and the skipper Shubman Gill losing their wickets in quick succession. Pant was batting with a strike-rate of 77.08, hitting his anxiety inducing audacious shots, attempting sweeps and slogs against the English bowlers and finding the boundary time and time again.…