Bangladesh’s nightmarish 335-run defeat to Zimbabwe under four days at Harare might just be their worst ever during their 13-year struggle in Test cricket. I was among the many who expected the Tigers to win the series in Zimbabwe, following recent improved performances. However after just four days, I am forced to eat my […]
Read More REVIEW – Listless Bangladesh, ruthless ZimbabweThe 2013 season begins with a short series between the perennial bottom two of Test cricket, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Zimbabwe will be hosting a two-Test series after nearly eight years, and Bangladesh will travel there for the first time since 2003-04. The Matches Both the Tests (17-21 April and 25-29 April) in the series will […]
Read More IN FOCUS – Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test series 2013 : PreviewRewind to five months back, the venue being the Adelaide Oval. Newly crowned Test champions South Africa are in the midst of a much-awaited series in Australia, and a loss there would mean their dream of retaining the mace would be seriously short-lived. The visitors’ much-vaunted bowling attack did not do themselves a favour by hemorrhaging almost […]
Read More VIEWPOINT – Versatility, thy name is A.BA few days back, yet another Test series became a doubtful starter as the West Indian and Pakistani cricket boards failed to reach a decision on the scheduling of Pakistan’s two-Test tour to the Caribbean in July. Lamentably, this will be the second Test series in the Caribbean to be cancelled this year, with […]
Read More VIEWPOINT – A few thoughts on how to protect the gameWith the Border-Gavaskar Trophy safely regained after their victory in the third Test, India rubbed further salt into the Australian wounds by completing a 6-wicket win at the Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi a few hours ago, in the process achieving a historic 4-0 whitewash for the first time ever. This Australian team might have been the […]
Read More REVIEW – India rediscover their winning ways in styleZimbabwe’s upcoming two-Test series in the West Indies will be their first consisting of at least two Tests since 2005-06, after which they returned to the Test fold only in the 2011-12 season, playing four one-off Tests. Moreover, this will be Zimbabwe’s only second visit to the Caribbean, the first being in 1999-00. The […]
Read More IN FOCUS – Zimbabwe in West Indies Test series 2012-13 : PreviewBangladesh will be playing an overseas Test series of at least two matches for the first time since the 2010 tour of England when they take on Sri Lanka in a two-Test series starting March 8. The Sri Lankan player contract dispute has mercifully settled at least for now, and the hosts will field […]
Read More IN FOCUS – Bangladesh in Sri Lanka Test series 2012-13 : PreviewEngland are set to tour New Zealand after 5 years for a 3-Test series. This will be New Zealand’s first series of more than two Tests since they hosted South Africa last season. After that, each of New Zealand’s four overseas Test series have lamentably been two-Test affairs. This will be England’s 18th tour […]
Read More IN FOCUS – England in New Zealand Test series 2012-13 : PreviewIn Part 1 of this Specials post we looked at how one-sided the Parsis’ first tour of England was, and understandably so. The world’s first great cricketing icon W.G Grace, who played against them while representing the MCC at Lord’s, later said in his autobiography – ‘During this season, a team of Parsi cricketers paid us […]
Read More SPECIALS – Parsis, pioneers of cricket in India, Part 2World champions South Africa completed yet another big win at Centurion – this time by an innings and 18 runs – to complete a 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan, and in the process finishing a superb home Test summer, a season where they won all five Tests to further widen the gap between themselves and […]
Read More VIEWPOINT – South Africa continue to raise the bar
The Cricket Cauldron 