Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

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…

Jasprit Bumrah, India’s pace spearhead, has come out in strong support of Mohammed Siraj, despite the latter’s fluctuating form during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Siraj has been under the scanner for not being able to replicate his heroics from the 2020-21 series, where he played a pivotal role in securing India’s memorable series win Down Under. He has been blowing hot and cold which has put extra pressure on Bumrah to pick regular wickets. During the Perth and Adelaide Test followed by the first innings of the Brisbane Test, Siraj faced challenges in finding the correct length to…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Brisbane Indian bowlers appeared clueless on the field on Day 2 of the ongoing GaBrisbane, as Travis Head, yet again, smashed a century, continuing his marauding run of form against his ‘favourite’ side. Head and Steve Smith tired out the Indian bowlers, stitching together a magnificent 241-run partnership to put Australia on top in the third of the five-Test series. After a rain-affected Day 1 at the Gabba, India started the second day on a bright note by putting Australia under pressure, with the hosts at 75/3. However, with the sun out and the ball 33.3 overs…

With rain playing spoilsport at the Gabba, only 13.2 overs could be bowled. Heavy downpour halted play, leading fans to leave the stadium early, even before the match was officially called off. As thousands of fans were exiting the stadium, among them was Australian pacer Spencer Johnson. Johnson was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹2.80 crore at the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah after a bidding war with Punjab Kings. KKR have consistently sought Australian pacers for their squad. From Pat Cummins, John Hastings, Nathan Coulter-Nile, to Mitchell Johnson, and now Spencer, the association between KKR…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Brisbane Shubman Gill stood still at the crease, eyeing the spot where the ball pitched and zipped past his bat, taking a slender edge during India’s net session at the Gabba on Friday, the eve of the third Test against Australia. It was the last 15 minutes of his net session, and the 25yearold had looked solid until that moment. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel and several local net bowlers, all pacers, were bowling to Gill. Among them, one stood out. Nathan Barnwell, Surrey pacer with 8 List-A appearances and one first-class game to his name,…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Brisbane The Gabba isn’t the Gabbatoir anymore. Australia have lost two out of the last four matches they’ve played at this iconic venue. The last time they played here, they were blown away by West Indies’ Shamar Joseph with the pink ball. Now, with the ball back to red and the match scheduled in the pre-Christmas phase, where Australia has traditionally dominated on fresher pitches, the series against India stands at 1-1. The Gabba Test could decide the final result. Both India and Australia have their strengths and weaknesses, but by no means are either perfect sides.…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Brisbane Where’s the aggression? Where’s the intensity? Where’s the unity? Why is the players’ body language so low? These were among the questions Indian fans asked after India’s crushing 10-wicket defeat in Adelaide, which allowed Australia to level the series at 1-1. On Thursday, after completing the warm-up drills, the Indian players and the coaching staff gathered for a team huddle. Notably, the huddle was not addressed by either Gautam Gambhir or Rohit Sharma, but by Virat Kohli. The former Indian captain, known for his passionate antics on the field, looked animated as he addressed the side…