Cricket conversations
We review two weeks of the World Cup – and chat about Maxwell, Shami, Siraj, Omarzai, Williamson, Shreyas, and much more. Talking points: Maxwell’s freakish 201* How well did Afghanistan bowl to Maxwell? The curious case of Australia’s batting in this World Cup Are Afghanistan in the same phase that
We review the India v Australia match in Chennai – a tense contest that India won by six wickets. Talking points: India’s threat with their seamers as well as spinners How this World Cup is rewarding Test-quality spinners Australia’s lack of depth in the spin department Pat Cummins’ problem at
 "Australia resist England bowling, Bazball: Ashes 2023 review")
We review the recently concluded five-Test series between England and Australia that ended 2-2 – with Australia retaining the Ashes. It was a series defined by England’s ‘Bazball’ approach to batting – though that undersells how well Australia’s batters resisted English bowling and how well Australia bowled in largely batting-friendly
In episode 152 of the 81allout podcast we review the second Test between India and Australia in Delhi. The match see-sawed for two days until Australia collapsed on the third morning – and India sealed a six-wicket win. Talking Points: Australia’s tactic to sweep against spinners on a pitch keeping
In episode 150 of the 81allout podcast we preview India’s upcoming Test series against Australia – the latest chapter in a storied rivalry. Australia sure have the team to pull off a series win but the panel agrees that they will still need to be at their best to hand
In the latest episode of the podcast, we discuss the idea of greatness in cricket. What do we mean when we say a player is ‘great’, how does one compare across eras, and what are the pitfalls we fall into when discussing greatness. Talking Points: Greatness as a measurement of
In the latest episode of the podcast we chat with cricket journalists Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan about their unforgettable trip – covering Australia’s first tour to Pakistan in 24 years. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee’s classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting on Flipkart and
We speak to the legendary Australian captain Ian Chappell on a book he published in 1992 – Chappelli: The Cutting Edge. Chappell offers his thoughts on captaincy, coaching, cricket administration and the muddled approach of those running the game today. Having followed the game for over seven decades – and
By Siddhartha Vaidyanathan Two years ago, I revisited the Chennai Test between India and Pakistan in 1999. To mark the 20th anniversary of that momentous match, I spoke to some of the players who had taken part, some journalists who covered it, and some fans who were at the stadium
We discuss the final day of the fourth Test in Brisbane, where India did the improbable. Talking Points: Excuse me, what did we just see? India’s greatest series win? Teams getting ambitious with fourth-innings chases The value – and strategic brilliance – of Pujara’s innings Gill and Pant in their
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