Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

Subhayan Chakraborty in Pune After New Zealand shocked India in Bengaluru to take a 1-0 lead, the hosts are looking to make a comeback in the three-Test series. India haven’t lost a home series since 2012, and to avoid a slip-up, they will have to bounce back in Pune. Against this backdrop, the pitch preparation at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has caught attention. It’s a black soil pitch, but what makes the build-up interesting is how senior curators Tapas Chatterjee and Ashish Bhowmick have been overseeing the preparation of the match strip. On Tuesday morning, two days before…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Pune Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli were among the first to bat at the nets at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The session followed a brief stint by pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, as India prepared for the crucial second Test after trailing 0-1 against New Zealand in Bengaluru. The spotlight was on Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul due to concerns over Pant’s right knee and Rahul’s batting form leading up to the Pune Test. While Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, and Akash Deep bowled at one net, the emphasis of…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Pune There is intense competition for spots in the Team India middle-order following Sarfaraz Khan’s splendid 150-run knock in Bengaluru, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. The former Netherlands international spoke at length about how Shubman Gill returning to fitness and Sarfaraz’s roaring form have caused a headache for the Indian team management ahead of the Pune Test against New Zealand, starting Thursday. Star batsman KL Rahul made only 12 in the first Test against New Zealand, and his place in the playing XI is under the scanner. With Gill set for a comeback and Sarfaraz in…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Bengaluru One of the biggest positives from Bengaluru in the last week has been Mohammed Shami’s road to recovery. Shami, recovering from a knee issue, was seen bowling with vigour on Sunday, a couple of hours after India’s eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In the bowling session, which lasted more than an hour, Shami bowled at Shubman Gill and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. As reported earlier, Shami is in line to make a comeback in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was also seen bowling alone in the stadium after the second day of…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Bengaluru Rishabh Pant is a major doubt for the second Test against New Zealand in Pune, starting October 24, after he sustained a knee injury during the first match in Bengaluru. Despite his belligerent knock of 99 in India’s second innings, in a 177-run partnership with Sarfaraz Khan, Pant did not don the wicketkeeping gloves in the fourth innings, nor did he participate in the morning warm-ups on Day 5. Discussing Pant’s condition, India captain Rohit Sharma expressed reservations about his participation in the next game, while highlighting the major surgeries and trauma that the southpaw underwent…

Following a crushing eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Rohit Sharma said that the Men in Blue suffered in the game due to the two, three hours of bad cricket on Day 2 where the hosts were bundled out for 46, their lowest Test score at home while adding that the team will look to bounce back in the second Test in Pune. “In the second innings, with the bat, to come out and play like that, it felt like we were ahead in the game at one stage. We didn’t feel like we were…

Sarfaraz Khan indicated that New Zealand could struggle to chase the modest 107-run target on the final day of the first Test at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium if India secure early wickets with the pitch breaking down a bit. Scoring his first Test century (150), in what was his fourth appearance at this level, Sarfaraz played a pivotal role in India’s fightback following a first-innings collapse for just 46 runs. “It felt really good to score a century for my country, fulfilling a childhood dream,” Sarfaraz told reporters at the end of the day’s play on Saturday. “It won’t…

Sarfaraz Khan wasn’t initially slated to play in the first Test against New Zealand at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His inclusion came only after Shubman Gill developed a stiff neck just before the match. Sarfaraz, fresh from scoring a double century in the Irani Cup which helped Mumbai clinch the trophy after 27 years, seized his chance brilliantly. He had previously shown his mettle in the Test series against England, scoring three half-centuries. However, his innovation, despite an unorthodox technique, put India back on track in the ongoing Test. Known for his hefty first-class average of 69, Sarfaraz has been…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Bengaluru On Day 3 of the first Test against New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, India found themselves trailing by 125 runs after losing Virat Kohli on the last ball of the day. New Zealand, in response to India’s first innings score of 46, amassed 402 runs, thanks to a stellar century by Rachin Ravindra and a counter-attacking half-century by Tim Southee. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav acknowledged the difficulty in controlling runs on this pitch, particularly with the sun out and minimal assistance for spinners. “It’s tough to control runs here. There wasn’t much turn yesterday, possibly due…

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, dressed in a yellow T-shirt and black shorts, was seen at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium following the conclusion of Day 2’s play between India and New Zealand. He began with a few straightforward warm-up runs, then proceeded to bowl for several minutes, starting with a short run-up that he gradually extended. Although there was no visible limp, Shami wore a strap resembling a crepe bandage on his left knee, which had suffered from swelling. After about a couple of minutes, Shami was bowling at nearly half his usual speed, maintaining a good pace through the 2-3…