Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens The second ball of the match, Jasprit Bumrah running in from the Club House end, rolled along the surface and went for four byes. Rishabh Pant didn’t expect the grubber but he shouldn’t be blamed. The next delivery reared off a length and Aiden Markram handled the extra bounce well. The pitch for the first Test between India and South Africa here at Eden Gardens is going to be interesting as the match progresses. India pulled a rabbit out of the hat at the toss, when team sheets were exchanged. Washington Sundar at No.…

Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens From a distance, the Eden Gardens pitch doesn’t look like one that will unleash a ferret down the 22 yards. “Today (Thursday), it looked a bit different from yesterday (Wednesday),” mused Shubman Gill, the India captain. India’s bragging rights over their home dominance was sullied by Tom Latham’s New Zealand last year. Temba Bavuma’s South Africa have come here as the reigning world Test champions. Test cricket is returning to Eden after a gap of six years. In 2019, it was a pink-ball game, resplendent in Virat Kohli’s batting mastery. Much water has flown under…

By Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens Ten players are all but locked in. The question remains over the remaining spot. Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, or Axar Patel, it’s a three-pronged puzzle facing the Indian team ahead of the first Test against South Africa starting here at Eden Gardens on Friday. At the pre-match press conference, Shubman Gill, the India captain, was asked whether, given the nature of the pitch, it would be difficult to decide between going with three spinners or three fast bowlers. “This time of the year, there’s always that conflict, whether to play an all-rounder or an…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai India won in the penultimate over of the final day, but Hashim Amla was resplendent in his twin tons. That India-South Africa Test, in February 2010, was one of the memorable games that Eden Gardens has hosted. Back then, Eden, one of the most storied venues in the world, used to be a regular Test centre. Fifteen years down the line, things have changed. Kolkata is hosting a Test after a gap of six years. It’s strange, but it’s true. Imagine Lord’s or the ‘G’ going into a six-year Test hiatus. Unthinkable. Back to that game a…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai On October 4, RevSportz reported that going ahead, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will have to play domestic cricket to be considered for India selection. Now, Rohit has reportedly made himself available for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, commencing on December 24. There’s no information as yet regarding Kohli’s future plans. Last month, at the team selection press conference for the white-ball series in Australia, chief selector Ajit Agarkar made it clear, without taking names, that turning up for domestic cricket would be mandatory for every player. “I think we have made it clear a couple of…

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai The Indian team management is seriously considering playing Dhruv Jurel in the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens starting on Friday, it is learnt. If Jurel features in the playing XI, he will play as a specialist batsman, while a fit-again Rishabh Pant will take over wicketkeeping duties. It’s unlikely that India will sacrifice Sai Sudharsan to accommodate Jurel. The southpaw is viewed as a long-term investment at No. 3 and will retain his place. Jurel, if selected, is expected to replace Nitish Kumar Reddy. The latter featured in the two Tests against…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai Just before tea on the third day, Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai captain, brought Ayush Mhatre into the attack. The 18-year-old, the team’s opening batsman, had previously bowled only one over at this level. But Himachal Pradesh were building a partnership through Pukhraj Mann (65) and Nikhil Gangta (23) after following on, and Shardul made the surprise move. It turned out to be a partnership-breaking masterstroke, Mhatre dismissing a well-set Mann. The floodgates opened. From 112/4 at one stage, Himachal folded for 139 in their second innings to lose the Ranji Trophy match here at the MCA…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai In 2008, Shane Warne, who else, saw raw talent in a young spin-bowling all-rounder at Rajasthan Royals and coined the moniker, ‘Rockstar’. To casual observers, Ravindra Jadeja’s bouffant was more attractive than his cricket back then, but Warne was a gem-cutter. Jadeja would go on to become an all-time great in Indian cricket and if Warne deserves the credit for unearthing him, MS Dhoni was the man to mother-hen the southpaw after he joined Chennai Super Kings in 2012. Circa 2025, and if the Jadeja-Sanju Samson swap eventually happens between CSK and Royals, Jadeja’s IPL…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai At the end of the second day’s play, Siddhesh Lad, the OG in terms of being the ‘crisis man’ in the Mumbai team, passed on the moniker to Shams Mulani. Lad scored 127 off 260 balls in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh, as the hosts posted 446 in their first innings. But Mulani’s performance provided another opportunity to double down on a pertinent question — what more does he need to do to at least get into the India A side? The spin-bowling all-rounder from Mumbai was overlooked for the ‘A’ team series against…

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai Sanju Samson moving to Chennai Super Kings, with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran heading to Rajasthan Royals in a close-season swap deal, appears a possibility, RevSportz understands. Negotiations between the two IPL franchises have intensified, although this website wishes to make it clear that nothing has been finalised yet. As things stand, the deadlock remains over the financial aspects before a deal can be inked. Also, the deal needs to be agreeable to the players. “Nothing is confirmed,” a CSK official told RevSportz. The five-time IPL champions then posted a video on their X (formerly…