Author: Gargi Raut

As the rain clouds receded at Headingley, and the Indian bowling attack stepped out on the field, Jasprit Bumrah was once again instrumental in creating some serious pressure every time he had the ball in his hand. In his first spell, every ball of Bumrah’s was an event, he was creating at least a couple of opportunities for a wicket in every over he bowled. Three wickets, sending high quality batters walking back to the pavilion, all with deliveries that stunned them. But the biggest story of the day was again the fact that he was doing it all alone. …

Gargi Raut in Leeds The all-important five-match Test series between India and England is all set to begin tomorrow at Headingley in Leeds. Both teams have already begun their preparations, and the first practice session suggested different approaches by the two teams. Team India, under its new captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gauatm Gambhir, who returned after a short trip to India owing to a personal emergency, kicked off things with a morning training session that lasted nearly four hours. It wasn’t a light hit-out by any means, the team trained with intensity and focus and the batters were…

Gargi Raut at Headingley India’s first practice session at the Headingley cricket ground began at 9:30 (BST) in the morning. Starting off with a team huddle, warm-up drills and light fielding drills, the practice session took an interesting turn after the nets session began. Two net sessions ran simultaneously, with the Indian bowlers batting against local bowlers in one of the net sessions. But the real action unfolded in what looked like the ‘main’ net session. Yashavi Jaiswal and KL Rahul were the first ones in. With two nets next to each other, the batter would take throw downs, then…

Gargi Raut in Leeds Ahead of the high-octane first match of the five-Test series, one of the biggest debates going around is who will make it to India’s playing XI. According to sources close to the development, there’s no conclusive answer to the Shardul Thakur versus Nitish Kumar Reddy debate yet and the final playing XI till the Indian team assesses exact conditions here at Leeds. They will check the pitch and only then will take a final call. Whether they go with spin in the form of Kuldeep Yadav or Ravindra Jadeja, as a spin all rounder, or go…

Gargi Raut in Leeds For many sports journalists, storytellers or even enthusiasts of the game, covering a Test series in England is the ultimate dream and not just another assignment. Ultimately, it is the country where cricket’s soul lives, where the game’s history lies thick, be it the history of the Lord’s cricket stadium, the echoing applause at The Oval or even the buzz at Headingley or The Old Trafford on a Test morning. To be in England for the all-important five-match Test series is truly a moment filled with meaning. And more so because we are all witnessing one…

Gargi Raut Q: From one chinaman to another. How do you assess Kuldeep’s evolution in the past couple of years, now that he’s making his comeback into the Test team? Look, I think it’s just great. Any young fella out there or young player out there, whether male or female, you’re going to have your ups and downs as you go through your career. And Kuldeep Yadav has had that. You have a taste of international cricket. Then you’ve got to go back and reassess, right? I’ve had this taste. I’ve got these skills. This is where I was really…

Left arm seamer Arshdeep Singh has been impressing with the red cherry which earned him his maiden call up in the Indian Test squad for a gruelling five-match Test series against England. His childhood coach, Jaswant Rai, who still works with him closely, in an exclusive conversation opened up on the left arm seamer’s preparations, what he’s doing differently ahead of the England series and Rahul Dravid’s advice to the young bowler. Q: Can you explain about his preparations ahead of the England tour? He had been preparing with a red ball for the past 1–1.5 years. He also went…

India vs Argentina went down to the wire, although India put on a valiant display they narrowly lost 3-4 to the opponents at the FIH Pro League at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen. India did not have the best start with Argentina scoring early in the 3rd minute. While the team started to find their rhythm, it was the skipper, Harmanpreet Singh who once again scored a clutch goal in the 12th minute with a signature drag flick. Argentina made a comeback in the second quarter, they took the lead through a goal by Lucas Martinez. While India kept pushing,…

Australia and South Africa are all set to fight tooth and nail at the World Test Championship (WTC) final starting today. While the two teams have earned the right to play the final Test match of the 2024-25 cycle, there’s a certain flavour that the Indian fans are missing. This is the first time that India will be missing in action from a WTC final and like Australian captain Pat Cummins said: “You always expect them (Indian team) to be around.” Meanwhile, Indian Test cricket is staring at a rebrand and rebirth in every sense of the word. India’s hopes…

It has now been a week since the tragic stampede and former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi yet again opened up on it and emphasised that at the core of the tournament lies public safety. Speaking to Revsportz, Modi said, “Fans continue to be the life blood of the IPL. When it becomes about big money, they tend to be forgotten. Organisers forget the fans for they don’t seem relevant. But the truth is at every step the fans should be at the core of the story. If the fans are taken care of, the brand can never lose sheen”. He…