Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

Dhruv Jurel has carved out a notable presence for himself. The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter turned heads with his stellar performances in the unofficial second Test for India A against Australia A, making a compelling case for his inclusion in the Indian playing XI in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the second unofficial Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Jurel found himself walking in at dire moments for India A. Facing a top-order collapse in both innings, he displayed an uncanny ability to stabilise the ship. His 80 off 186 balls was nothing short of heroic, coming after a time when the…

It was a proud moment for Angkrish Raghuvanshi as he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai, against Tripura, after being handed the coveted cap by team captain and iconic Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane. Though the 20-year-old scored 28 and 6 in Agartala, he would be looking to take bigger strides when he takes the field for the future games in the first-class circuit. Coming from the stable of Abhishek Nayar, the current India assistant coach, and Omkar Salvi, Raghuvanshi has already made his mark in the Indian Premier League, playing an impactful role for Kolkata Knight Riders’ title-winning side…

As India prepares for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Virat Kohli can reclaim his form on some of the challenging pitches in Australia. Kohli, who has an illustrious record against the Aussies, faces scrutiny as the 2024 season has not been his best, averaging a mere 22 across 12 innings. Kohli’s cricketing journey has been marked by several defining moments against Australia. With 1352 runs in 25 innings at an average of 54, his performance Down Under is nothing short of legendary. His maiden Test century in Adelaide in 2012, his captaincy debut series in…

A dejected Rohit Sharma trudged back to the pavilion after attempting to pull Matt Henry over the cow corner, only to sky the ball, with Glenn Phillips comfortably reverse cupping the catch, sending the Indian captain back. Was this 11-run knock at the Wankhede Stadium, which fell into pin-drop silence post his dismissal, the last for Rohit Sharma, at home? Are we witnessing the decline of ‘Hitman,’ and could this have been his final home Test? Rohit, known for his elegant and effortless batting has appeared a shadow of his former self in 2024. In the last 21 innings,…

Rohit Sharma, India captain, took full responsibility for the 0-3 clean-sweep against New Zealand while accepting that it was a ‘very low’ point in his career. India suffered their first-ever clean-sweep in a home Test series, in a three-Test rubber, as the Black Caps sealed a comprehensive 25-run win to hit the final nail in the coffin against the Men in Blue. “It is quite tough and it tells you nothing is easy in life,” Rohit said in the post-match press conference. “One day you’re on a high, one day you’re not. And that is something that I’ve learnt…

With New Zealand ending Day 2 of the third and final Test against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai with a lead of 143 runs and one wicket in hand, the pressure will be on India on Day 3 to avoid a clean sweep, while also staying alive in the race to the ICC World Test Championship final. Shubman Gill said that the third day of the Mumbai Test, possibly the last of the three-match rubber, would see the team come out with full intensity in a bid to win the game. “Definitely very critical,” Gill told reporters at…

Ravindra Jadeja, at the end of Day 1 of the Mumbai Test against New Zealand, backed his Indian teammates after the hosts lost a flurry of wickets to end the day on 86/4 while trailing behind by 149 runs. Jadeja, who bagged a fifer to help India restrict the visitors to 235 runs, couldn’t comprehend the proceedings as the Men in Blue lost Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Virat Kohli 15 minutes before the stumps as India ended the day on the backfoot. “I didn’t even get the time to comprehend. Everything happened in 10 minutes,” Jadeja told reporters…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai For New Zealand’s men’s cricket team, their topsy-turvy tour of the sub-continent will come to an end with the third Test against India at Wankhede Stadium. It started with a 0-2 series defeat in Sri Lanka, followed by a headline-making washout against Afghanistan in Noida, and is set to conclude with a historic, first-ever Test series win against India. The Mumbai Test presents New Zealand with the opportunity of a clean sweep on Indian soil, something not achieved by any team since 2000. Daryl Mitchell, who kicked off the sub-continent tour with a punchy 57 against…

The white lines marking the off and leg stumps were back in the India nets as the Men in Blue sweated it out at the Wankhede Stadium on the eve of the third and final Test against New Zealand. The focus was firmly on the two senior-most batters in the team, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, following their inconsistent run of form in the longest format of the game. Kohli was the first to walk out to bat in the nets. The primary focus was on the farthest net, where all the main spinners — Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai Despite the poor showing of India’s batters, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, refused to pin the blame on certain individuals while accepting that the entire squad was hurt after losing their first Test series at home since 2012. India head into the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai bidding to avoid a clean sweep, while also aiming for a crucial win in the context of the World Test Championship (WTC). “I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” Gambhir told reporters in Mumbai on the eve of the third Test. “Obviously, it’s hurting.…