Author: Trisha Ghosal

By Trisha Ghosal in Leeds It was bright, it was sunny, and it was supposed to help the bowlers early on. Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl, hoping to make the most of the Headingley surface that showed signs of moisture on the eve of the Test. But as England bowling coach and series consultant Tim Southee admitted at the end of the day, the pitch settled quicker than expected, allowing India’s batters to take control. On the decision after winning the toss “We thought there’d be a bit in it this morning,” Southee said. “But credit…

By Trisha Ghosal in Leeds The English summer is rarely associated with the words “hot” or “dry.” But as the Indian cricket team prepares to kick off their five-match Test series against England at Headingley, Leeds seems to be rewriting its own weather script. Yesterday, at 3 PM, the temperature read 26°C but don’t let the number fool you. On the ground, it felt like 32. This wasn’t the kind of sticky, humid heat that one might expect on subcontinental shores. This was dry heat, sharp and direct, almost desert-like in its intensity. And when you’re playing the longest format…

By Trisha Ghosal in Leeds Just one more sleep remains before India and England renew their Test rivalry in a five-match series. As India landed in Leeds for the opening match on the 17th, the buzz was electric but the mood at the training ground yesterday morning was calm, purposeful. Among the first to step out for the nets was KL Rahul, and from the moment he took guard, there was a clarity in his body language that said more than any press conference ever could. He began with throwdowns, about 15 minutes of them, and looked like a batter…

By Trisha Ghosal Indian squash stalwart Saurav Ghosal has abandoned his comeback bid and is set to step away from professional sports for good, following a serious diagnosis related to his right hip. Months after coming out of retirement and lifting a PSA Challenger title in Sydney, Ghosal has accepted that the extent of degeneration in his hip makes long-term competition, especially a run to the 2028 Olympics, virtually impossible. Medical assessments have revealed that his right hip has suffered significant degeneration, categorised as early-stage arthritis of the bone. Experts have informed him that while the condition can be…

Trisha Ghosal in Leeds Hyde Park, Leeds. It’s not a stadium. There are no dugouts, no flashing scoreboards. Just open space, quiet resilience, and untold beginnings. These are the fields where young girls swing bats too big for their frames and bowl with more heart than form. These are the invisible roots of women’s cricket. Grace Hall didn’t grow up playing here. But the spirit of Hyde Park is where her story belongs. At just 22, Grace has already done more for the future of women’s cricket in Yorkshire than many do in a lifetime. Her journey began outside Leeds,…

By Trisha Ghosal It’s bright and sunny in Leeds; the kind of crisp English summer day that feels like a quiet nod from the weather gods, as if they too are ready for Test cricket. Not a drop of rain, not a breeze too strong. Just stillness, sky, and a sense of something about to begin. The five-Test series between India and England is one of the sport’s grandest stages. For fans back home, it’s already loud. WhatsApp groups are buzzing, debates erupting, predictions flying. But here in Leeds, it’s calm. Almost meditative. It doesn’t feel like a city…

It was a final that defied logic, physics, and every ounce of expectation. In a battle that will live forever in the folklore of Roland-Garros, Carlos Alcaraz produced a herculean comeback to defeat world No.1 Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) after five hours and 29 minutes of jaw-dropping tennis. It was the longest men’s singles final in French Open history. The match had everything. Momentum swings. Set-point drama. Match-point saves. And two of the game’s brightest upcoming talents pushing each other to the brink and beyond. Sinner began with clinical precision, taking the opening set…

They came to celebrate. To cheer. To scream. To see their heroes. They left in ambulances. On stretchers. In silence. What happened at the RCB victory parade wasn’t just a tragedy. It was a reckoning. But we, the fans, the followers, the social media vultures, chose to look away. Or worse, to exploit it. Instead of mourning the loss of human life, we plunged into the very thing that makes our digital age so disturbingly cold: hate, disguised as opinion. “RCB didn’t deserve it anyway.” “Now we can pull Kohli down a peg.” “Why hasn’t he posted?” “Good this happened—karma.”…

The tennis world is abuzz as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the two titans of the sport, prepare to clash in the 2025 French Open ATP final. This highly anticipated showdown marks their 13th encounter, with Alcaraz currently holding a strong 8-4 advantage in their head-to-head, including a 3-1 lead on clay. Fans have long awaited this match-up between the top two players in the world, both of whom have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the field. Alcaraz’s Advantage and Historic Consistency Alcaraz, who boasts an impressive 7–0 record in Grand Slam finals, might even prefer this match-up…

A dramatic final, worthy of a Grand Slam, unfolded at Court Philippe-Chatrier today. It was a topsy-turvy affair, barring the second set, where world No. 2 Coco Gauff completely dominated top seed Aryna Sabalenka. With this victory, Gauff created history, becoming the first American since Serena Williams to win the French Open, and claimed her second career Grand Slam. The first set lasted 78 minutes. Seventy-eight minutes of relentless tennis. Much like in her semi-final against Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka came out firing, catching Gauff off guard and racing to a 4-1 lead. But then came the “winds of change”, quite…