Author: WebDesk

There was a time when the prospect of making a debut in front of the baying hordes at Sabina Park would have reduced a visiting batter’s knees to jelly. But by June 2011, those days were long gone, with memories of West Indies’ dominance and a fearsome four-pronged pace attack both fading. India journeyed there just a couple of months after winning the World Cup, and as the No.1-ranked Test side in the world. Gary Kirsten had left the coaching job – Duncan Fletcher would take over – and a clutch of first-teamers, starting with Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and…

Vaibhav Tripathi Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has revealed that Shubman Gill will assume the responsibility of batting at number 3 in the upcoming Test series against West Indies. Additionally, Rohit has confirmed that Yashasvi Jaiswal will be making his Test debut as an opener. Jaiswal’s performance in first-class cricket has been nothing short of exceptional, as he has amassed nine centuries in a mere 15 matches, and at an average of 80.21. He will join forces with Rohit at the top. Noteworthy is the absence of Cheteshwar Pujara, a longstanding occupant of the pivotal No. 3 position in the…

Vaibhav Tripathi New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have reappointed Gary Stead as head coach, and he will remain in his role until mid-2025. Initially, Stead’s contract was set to end after the ICC Men’s World Cup in November 2023. However, the extension means that the 51-year-old will now coach the New Zealand set-up in all three formats, including significant events like the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the entire 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle. “We started talking to Gary around firstly whether he wanted to continue in the role and keep going,” NZC’s GM High Performance…

I have had the privilege of speaking to Sunil Gavaskar all through my career. And I can say he has always been generous with his time. But on his birthday, it is fitting to celebrate him through his finest hour – his debut in the West Indies in 1971. With India touring the Caribbean at the moment, it is the perfect tribute to Sunny bhai on his birthday. This interview was used in our book 1971 (with Gautam Bhattacharyya). Q: Can you walk us through the magical winning moment in Trinidad where you effected the winning stroke? A: Oh, it…

India play West Indies in the first Test from 12 July in Dominica but even before the match has started there is discontent within the Indian camp about the arrangements. Sources confirm that the Indian team is not happy with the arrangements by WICB ahead of first test. They are made to travel almost one hour to reach the team hotel (Intercontinental Hotel) every day and it will continue during the test match. It means the players will hardly have time to recover after the days play and it could also impact performance in the Test match. Whether it is…

Vaibhav Tripathi Virat Kohli, the Indian batting legend, reflected on his memorable first Test double century he achieved during India’s 2016 tour of the West Indies. On July 22, as the captain of the Indian team, Kohli registered the double-century against West Indies in his 42nd Test match in Antigua. This remarkable feat made him the first Indian captain to compile a double-century overseas. Kohli’s maiden double ton earned high praise from Sir Viv Richards, who witnessed the historic moment at the ground. Notably, India emerged victorious in the match by an innings and a commanding margin of 92 runs.…

Vaibhav Tripathi Sunil Narine, the veteran West Indies all-rounder, has been appointed as the captain of Los Angeles Knight Riders, owned by the Knight Riders Group, for the first edition of the 2023 Major League Cricket (MLC). Joining Narine in the LA Knight Riders team will be his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate and hard-hitting all-rounder, Andre Russell. The Knight Riders squad also features other renowned players such as Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, and Adam Zampa, Jason Roy, Rilee Rossouw. “I’ve always spoken about wanting to represent the Knight Riders wherever they play. We’ve long talked about coming to the…

Vaibhav Tripathi After England’s triumphant three-wicket victory over Australia at Headingley in Leeds, all-rounder Chris Woakes acknowledged the invaluable knowledge he has gained from the experienced pace-bowling pair of Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Woakes played a crucial role with both bat and ball in the match. Expressing his admiration for Broad and Anderson, Woakes stated that he harbors no resentment towards their continued presence in the squad, as he has learned a great deal from their expertise. In the thrilling chase of a 251-run target on the fourth day at Headingley, Woakes remained unbeaten on 32, contributing significantly to…

Vaibhav Tripathi Sunil Gavaskar, a former Indian captain, has expressed his disappointment regarding Rohit Sharma’s performance as the captain of the Indian cricket team, stating that he had higher hopes for the talented opening batsman. After Virat Kohli stepped down as captain, Rohit assumed the full-time leadership role in February of the previous year. While India has fared well in bilateral home series under Rohit’s captaincy, they have faced difficulties in achieving triumphs in ICC tournaments. “I expected more from him (Rohit). In India it is different, but when you do well overseas that is really the test. That is…

A few years ago, a journalist contacted Rohan Gavaskar for his father’s number. After he got it, he sent Gavaskar Senior a text with the appropriate pleasantries, requesting a chat when he was free. Within minutes, he got a reply. “Wrong number,” it said. The journalist was flummoxed. A while later, just as he was messaging Rohan to check whether he had got the digits wrong, another message popped up from Sunny. “Ha! Got you, didn’t I? I should have been a leg-spinner!” That little anecdote tells you a little about Gavaskar’s penchant for leg-pulling and humour. Anyone who has…