Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

-Subhayan Chakraborty at The Oval in London In the last pre-match training session for the Indian team in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the entire squad turned up to fine-tune their game ahead of the series decider at The Oval on Wednesday. While the pacers, including Jasprit Bumrah, did not bowl and only participated in fielding drills, the batters, including captain Shubman Gill, had an intense session on the eve of the game. With Bumrah likely to miss the fifth and final Test against England, the ace Indian pacer did not bowl a single ball. However, he was on the field,…

Subhayan Chakraborty at the Oval The Oval in London, on Tuesday, became the stage for a heated confrontation between India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and the venue’s head groundsman, Lee Fortis, during Team India’s first training session ahead of the fifth Test against England. The altercation, captured on video, underscored ongoing tensions between Fortis and visiting teams, marking one more chapter in the groundsman’s controversial tenure at Surrey’s historic ground. The incident began when Fortis, known for his over-possessiveness of the Oval’s pitches, instructed the Indian team to maintain a distance of two and a half meters from the wicket…

Subhayan Chakraborty in London India stepped onto The Oval for their first training session ahead of the fifth and final Test against England on an overcast day in London. The entire coaching staff, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, started the day by taking a close look at the greenish Oval pitch. They were soon joined by England head coach Brendon McCullum, who was wearing a casual sweatshirt and jeans. As the players completed their warm-up, the focus quickly shifted to a heated altercation between Gambhir and The Oval’s head groundsman, Lee Fortis. Fingers were pointed, and words were exchanged as…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Manchester Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar orchestrated one of the most memorable match-saving efforts in Test cricket at Old Trafford, keeping India’s hopes alive in the series against England. With England posting the highest-ever Test total at the venue and reducing India to 0/2 in the first over of their second innings, the visitors appeared destined for defeat. England’s position, bolstered by a long Indian tail prone to collapses and their ability to chase any target swiftly, had them poised for a victory lap at The Oval. The defiance from Jadeja and Washington ensured the series scoreline…

Subhayan Chakraborty at Old Trafford Stadium As England trudged off for lunch on Day 4 at Old Trafford, they might have felt the game was theirs. India had suffered a torrid morning, battered by Ben Stokes’ blistering century, his first in two years; a 141 off 198 balls that propelled England to a commanding 669 all out. Tasked with facing 15 minutes before the break, India’s top order crumbled under Chris Woakes’ new-ball brilliance, losing two wickets in two balls to slump to 0/2, staring at a daunting 311-run deficit. It was the kind of start that could…

Subhayan Chakraborty at Old Trafford Stadium England finished Day 2 with 225/2 with Joe Root (11 off 27) and Ollie Pope (20 off 42) relatively new at the crease. India would have hoped for a better start on Day 3, however, it was the same story for the Indian bowlers as they sprayed it around to allow Root and Pope to stitch a mammoth 144-run stand. After a poor Day 2, with the ball 42 overs old, one would have hoped for higher intensity and better plans from the visitors on Day 3, but it was not meant to be…

Subhayan Chakraborty at Old Trafford England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach was in full flow on Day 2 at Emirates Old Trafford, as openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley tore into a wayward Indian bowling attack to take the hosts to a commanding position in the Test match. The pair’s scintillating 166-run partnership in just 32 overs set the tone for England’s dominance, leaving India scrambling for answers on a pitch offering variable bounce. The bowling day began with promise for India, as Jasprit Bumrah beat Crawley’s outside edge in a probing first over. Debutant Anshul Kamboj, handed the new ball, also…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Manchester In a significant development, paving the way for the Asia Cup to be held in the UAE in September, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to participate virtually in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Thursday. Rajiv Shukla, BCCI vice-president and the board’s representative in the ACC, will join the meeting virtually, alongside representatives from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Previously, tensions arose between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding the AGM’s location, with the BCCI pushing to…

Subhayan Chakraborty As the India-England fourth Test comes closer, tension between the two sides are at an all-time high. It follows the controversy during the third Test at Lord’s. India captain Shubman Gill felt England were guilty of breaching the “spirit of cricket” through time-wasting tactics that sparked heated exchanges and set the stage for a fiery end to the five-match series. The flashpoint came late on Day 3 when England’s openers had to bat out the final seven minutes. India, having matched England’s first-innings total of 387, expected to bowl two overs. However, England’s Zak Crawley ensured only one…

Subhayan Chakraborty It was a typical Manchester Tuesday, with rains gripping the city, hampering the practice sessions of the England and India teams on the eve of the fourth Test at Old Trafford Cricket Ground. Both sides opted for indoor nets. After a fiery press conference, Shubman Gill, along with KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Arshdeep Singh attended the optional session. Rahul was the first to bat, but it was a brief stint for the senior opener at the nets, while Gill, as he generally does, had an extended session. Sai, continuing his routine,…