SPECIALS – When four Parsis played together for India

The impact of Parsi cricket on the national team was most visible during India’s tour of the West Indies in 1961-62. Nari Contractor was the captain of the squad, and only months earlier he had lead India to a maiden home series win against England. This was his third series as captain and he […]

SPECIALS – The first Parsis to play Test cricket

In a two-part post last year, I had written about how the Parsi community in India took to the game of cricket in the later part of the 19th century and how a squad entirely consisting of Parsis became the first ever team from India to tour England. Their efforts led to a […]

Specials – Netherlands’ best T20 wins

The Associate participation in the 2014 World Twenty20 ended three days ago after the Netherlands played their last game, defeating England by 45 runs in what has to be the Oranje’s most convincing international win over a full member. The only Associate in the Super 10 stage, the Netherlands had a roller-coaster of a […]

Specials – Ireland’s best T20 wins

Even though T20 is a fickle format and much dependent on luck, the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Bangladesh is as important a tournament as any for the six Associates who will have to undergo qualifying in order to reach the main round. For Ireland, this tournament assumes even more importance as they […]

SPECIALS – Asia Cup finals over the years

The final of the twelfth edition of the Asia Cup is slated to be played on 8th March between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Dhaka. Let us look back on the previous finals of the continental ODI tournament. 1983-84 – No final was played. India won the inaugural tournament on account of beating both […]

Specials – Sri Lanka’s finest Test wins

Sri Lanka have gone on to become one of the top Test teams since their debut more than three decades back in 1981-82. They almost immediately made an impression, proving that they belonged to the top tier of international cricket. Though they have been generally ordinary overseas, playing them in their own backyard […]

SPECIALS – Recollecting Anglo-Irish ODI duels

Ireland are all set to play arch-rivals England in the first one-day international at the redeveloped ‘Fortress’ Malahide Cricket Club in Malahide, Dublin on 3rd September in what is touted to be the biggest cricket match on Irish soil. With a capacity of nearly 11,500 and the tickets almost sold out, this game is […]

Famous Test Matches – Zimbabwe v England, Bulawayo, 1996-97

This Test played at the Queens Sports Club from 18th to 22nd December, 1996 was the first ever between England, the oldest cricketing nation and Zimbabwe, the then newest member of the Test fraternity. Zimbabwe had made their Test debut in 1992-93 and in the four years since, the African nation had been […]

Specials – Indian princes and Ashes hundreds

In what is one of the many interesting coincidences in the history of Test cricket, there have been three Indian princes who had the distinction of representing England in Test matches against Australia, and each of them scored a century on their Ashes debut. Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji of Kathiawar, Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji of […]

Specials – The Greatest Ashes Tests, Part 3

In this third and concluding part, we look back at three modern-day cliffhangers that further enhanced the Anglo-Australian rivalry: 4th Test, Melbourne, 1982-83 Following the disappointment of 1981, Australia made amends the next time by winning the 1982-83 home series 2-1. However, it could well have been 3-0 had England not won a […]