Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

You are just 21. How are you handling the sudden pressure of being with the Indian team and all the eyeballs? Reddy: To be honest, it was a good feeling. Nerves are there, pressure is there, everything will be there. You will have to handle the nerves and pressure. You know you need to go and perform there. It feels very good when you go out there in front of Indian fans and perform. It feels like you are making your country and your state proud as well. Thankful to the BCCI for the opportunities. Do you feel you are…

Subhayan Chakraborty at the MCG India’s struggles on the field persisted into Day 2, as they failed to capitalise on a favourable wind and the relatively new ball. Steve Smith and Pat Cummins built a 112-run partnership, followed by Smith’s 44-run stand with Mitchell Starc. Australia, having ended Day 1 at 311/6, amassed 474, showcasing another disappointing performance by India’s bowlers. In response, India ended the day at 159/5, with captain Rohit Sharma’s return to the opening slot proving unproductive as he was dismissed for 3 after a poorly executed pull shot off Cummins. KL Rahul followed, falling for 24…

Subhayan Chakraborty at the Melbourne Cricket Ground It was an evenly fought opening day of the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Sam Konstas, the 19-year-old debutant, made an eye-catching introduction. He played a scintillating knock to take the Indian pacers to the cleaners. All of Australia’s top four also scored fifties, guiding the hosts to 311/6 at stumps. Konstas sprinted to the middle for the start of play, but not before smiling his way through the national anthem. His decision to take a strike for Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball of the day…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Melbourne The Team India think tank is seriously deliberating dropping Shubman Gill, with Rohit Sharma likely to return as an opener for the Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground starting on December 26. If Gill is dropped, KL Rahul could bat at No. 3. Signs of a shake-up were visible during India’s nets session, where head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah had a lengthy chat for around 45 minutes near the centre wicket at the ‘G’. Later, Gambhir, Rohit and Agarkar engaged in another 20-30…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Melbourne The atmosphere around the Melbourne Cricket Ground was electric on Christmas eve as the Indian team had their final training session before the highly-anticipated Boxing Day Test against Australia. It felt like festive season, which it indeed was, with around a thousand fans circling the open practice area at the ‘G. The interaction between the Indian players and fans was a mixture of love and irritation today; some players were annoyed by the unnecessary hooting, while others, including captain Rohit Sharma, took time for selfies and autographs. “Guys, I’m trying to practice. Please don’t make unnecessary…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Melbourne The cult of Jasprit Bumrah continues to grow as India and Australia gear up for the much-awaited Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting December 26. Before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy started, the chatter was mainly about Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma – the two megastars of Indian cricket. When the Indian team landed Down Under, the Aussie newspapers flashed photographs of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, praising them with a variety of adjectives in English, Hindi, and even Punjabi. The message was clear: the Indian team is in the country, and the…

Rohit Sharma was seen resting his left knee with an ice pack after being hit on the flap of his left pad during a throwdown session at the nets in the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. The veteran batsman walked off gingerly and did not continue batting after the incident, spending about 30 minutes seated, resting his knee while conversing with team analyst Hari. Rohit was also observed limping slightly as he made his way to the dressing room as he had a word with bowling coach Morne Morkel and the set of batters at the nets. Sources within the…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Melbourne The Australian media is at it again, and you can call it dark arts, with the series tied at 1-1 and a place in the World Test Championship final is at stake. The Aussie media’s latest target is Ravindra Jadeja and they made a mountain out of a molehill to stir a controversy following the Indian all-rounder’s press conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday. To put things in perspective, the same media outlet had irked Virat Kohli at the Melbourne airport where they were spotted filming the star Indian batsman’s children despite Kohli…

At least half an hour before anyone else arrived at the nets, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was spotted grinding it out with two throwdown specialists in a bid to regain his form ahead of the much-awaited Boxing Day Test against Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting December 26. Not only Rohit but also players like Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, who joined him later, focused on leaving balls that were anywhere outside the fourth stump channel. Leaving as many deliveries as possible was the flavour of the session. Rohit hasn’t been in the best of form with the…

By Subhayan Chakraborty from Brisbane And that was it from Ravichandran Ashwin in international cricket. No build-up, no hype, and no farewell as a teary-eyed Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket after the completion of the Gabba Test on Wednesday. The series is poised at 1-1, but India will not have the services of one of the greatest spinners the cricketing world has seen. For Harbhajan Singh, the mid-series announcement came as a surprise; the legendary Indian spinner wished the 38-year-old the best for his post-retirement life, adding that Ashwin has taken the legacy of Indian spinners to new…