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 […]

VIEWPOINT – A brief suggestion on how to enhance Test cricket

Eleven things that could be done in the near future to enhance Test cricket, in my opinion:- 1) First and foremost, some kind of parity in the number of Tests each team plays, and each team should play every other with reasonable frequency (like the 90’s). Easier said than done though – yet another […]

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 […]

IN FOCUS – A mouth-watering showdown in store at Newlands

Considering the discouraging last few months of corruption charges in the sub-continent, bullying of the have-nots at the ICC and myriad hotch-potch two-Test series, the denouement of the Test season could not have been more refreshing. The three-Test series between South Africa and Australia is locked at 1-1 after two duels, and the finale […]

VIEWPOINT – A rearguard to remember

Over the years, the glorious game of Test cricket has churned out moments that are forever destined to be part of a nation’s psyche. To name a few, for England, the Ashes victories of 1953, 1981 and 2005 stand out. For Australia, the three Ashes whitewashes and a golden run in the 2000’s are […]

IN FOCUS – Australia in South Africa Test series 2013-14 : Preview

Fittingly, the last Test series of the 2013-14 season is also the most eagerly awaited. And for a change, it is not a two-Test rubber. Australia v South Africa has probably produced the most hard-fought cricket ever since the latter’s readmission into the international fold, and expect it to be no different this time. […]

IN FOCUS – India in New Zealand Test series 2013-14 : Preview

Having outplayed India in the limited-overs leg, hosts New Zealand will be buoyed going into the two-Test series. Originally scheduled to be a proper three-Test rubber before a tight calendar meant scrapping one Test at India’s behest, the series provides the visitors with yet another chance to score an elusive away Test win, while […]

IN FOCUS – Sri Lanka in Bangladesh Test series 2013-14 : Preview

This series comes at a time when Bangladesh’s future as a Test team is under question, after the distasteful draft proposal was revealed last week. Under the terms of the proposal, the Tigers could be relegated to the Intercontinental Cup from 2015 instead of being a Test nation, a move that reeks of selfishness […]

VIEWPOINT – An outrageous plan that could choke the life out of cricket

Although it has been two days since someone (many thanks to that whistle-blower, and also thanks to Sharda Ugra and Jarrod Kimber for highlighting this on Cricinfo) leaked a shocking draft proposal to revamp the structure of the ICC, it is still difficult to believe that it actually happened and that it was not […]

REVIEW – 2013 year-end recap (Test cricket)

Test cricket continued to hold its own in the year 2013 in spite of another onslaught of irrelevant limited-overs games and the disappointment of at least three Test series cancelled for various reasons. A total of 43 completed Tests were played in the year, of which 33 ended in a result. Teams Overview […]