Boria Majumdar

Sourav Ganguly was the one who decided to bat first at Headingly on an overcast morning in 2002. It was a decision that even the great Ian Botham was hugely surprised by. Ganguly did so because he was playing his spin twins, Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, and wanted them to bowl in the fourth innings.

Michael Clarke is widely acknowledged as one of the best Australian captains of all time, and is one of the most committed cricketers I know. His respect for the baggy green cap stood out from his first Test match itself. So when Clarke says he would have done exactly what Rohit Sharma has, it is a strong statement. In this detailed conversation, Clarke set up the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, explained why Virat Kohli has every reason to be successful, and how Rishabh Pant could be key. Finally, he spoke on what impact the IPL auction might have on the series.

Michael Clarke is widely acknowledged as one of the best Australian captains of all time, and is one of the most committed cricketers I know. His respect for the baggy green cap stood out from his first Test match itself. In the second part of this extensive conversation, Clarke talks of two under-pressure batting units, how Rishabh Pant could be key, and his views on Gautam Gambhir's comments.

There are five days to go for the all-important World Championship clash between Gukesh D and Ding Liren of China, which starts on November 25 in Singapore. While both are busy preparing for the clash, Gukesh took a little time off to answer some questions a few daysago. It gives us an understanding of his preparation and mindset going into the title clash.

He played a stellar role in India's wins Down Under in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Recognised as one of India's best bowling coaches, Bharath Arun is currently in recovery mode in Chennai after a surgery.

From the very start for both Australia and India, cricket has been a vehicle from which to express national achievement and ambition. Even when bilateral relations were at a low ebb (1950-70), cricket was seen as the natural cultural bridge between the two nations. Yet, this was a rather uneasy phase of cricket relations with Australian teams unwillingly to go to the subcontinent and Indian teams barely supported Down Under because of their poor playing ability. Even when personal friendships flourished between players like Bradman and Vijay Hazare, and individual players earned popularity – like Bishan Singh Bedi in Australia and Richie Benaud in India – they did little to promote deeper social and political exchanges.

It was October 2002 and I was a PhD student at Oxford University working on the history of Indian cricket, when I got a call from an auctioneer in London. He had helped me with material and sounded very excited on the phone. “Come and see what I have found,” he said. When I met him the next day, I was in disbelief. I was actually holding in my hand a letter from Douglas Jardine addressed to Duleepsinhji, which said that Jardine had finally figured out a way to stop Donald Bradman and he wanted to discuss it with his premier batsman. On a meagre student stipend, the letter was beyond me. But we do know what Jardine meant. He had worked out his plan of unleashing Harold Larwood against Bradman, a strategy that would bring his average to a mortal 56 in the series later christened Bodyline.

After 150 all out, millions of Indian cricket followers were hoping for a miracle. And the leader delivered. So much so that former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, on his way to Jeddah, messaged and asked how he could watch the game in Dubai on his phone. He did not want to miss the

KL Rahul is the most trolled cricketer. In the last few months, much has been said about him being given a long rope. And the trolls had an absolute feast going after him for days on end. Injuries haven't helped, and in 2023, some even rejoiced saying good riddance when he wasn't available for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. In fact, had it been Rahul instead of KS Bharat, the final could have been a different story. Perth is proof, and how.

The IPL 2025 players auction will see teams spend big money to acquire players. Teams will focus on building strong squads and brands. They will be strategic in their bidding. Experienced coaches and mentors will guide the franchises. The auction will be competitive with ten teams vying for the best players. Ultimately, success will depend on performance on the field.