Australia versus the West Indies – it’s Boxing Day 1981. Without doubt it’s the most exciting, spine-tingling, sweaty palm-inducing day of Test cricket in my cricketing lifetime. It’s the best day ever. As a 13-year-old boy I am simmering with excitement because my brothers and I got a table tennis table for Christmas. And now it’s a bright, blue and golden day – both in Sydney and at the MCG – and the gladiatorial contest I had been long awaiting is about to begin. Does it get any better than this? But soon my spirits are crushed. Stumpy Laird plays a loose stroke down the leg side and is caught by David Murray. Australia are 1-4. Greg Chappell strides onto the field, plays a loose defensive stroke outside the off stump, turns to see David Murray pouch the outside edge and strides off the field again, provoking Michael Holding to raise his arms above his head and execute an improvised Calypso foxtrot. 2-4. Then Graeme Wood is gone, also caught … [Read more...] about The spirit of cricket – gladiatorial contests
North zone cricket team
Deodhar Trophy 2018: Jammu and Kashmir pacer Umer Nazir picked to represent India C
Exclusive 45 // 18 Oct 2018, 18:21 IST SHARE Jammu and Kashmir's pace bowling spearhead, Umar Nazir on Thursday made it to the India 'C' team for the upcoming Deodhar Trophy. The 24-year-old owned the call-up on the back of some swashbuckling performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Hailing from South Kashmir's Pulwama, Umar has always been among the most looked-after cricketers of the state. He has previously appeared for the North Zone team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well.The 6'2" tall pacer bowled exceptionally well in Vijay Hazare Trophy, scalping 10 wickets in five matches under the economy of 5. J&K had a terrible start to the tournament as they lost six matches in a row, however, finished the tourney on high note by winning the last three matches. Pertinently, Umar was the hero of the match for J&K in their historical win over star-studded Tamil Nadu. He bowled a fiery spell of 4/26 in the match. Umar now is among the … [Read more...] about Deodhar Trophy 2018: Jammu and Kashmir pacer Umer Nazir picked to represent India C
Arunachal change guest players’ list to accommodate little-known Delhi batsman Khsitiz Sharma
News 33 // 04 Sep 2018, 15:31 IST SHARE By Kushan SarkarNew Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) A little-known Delhi player's inclusion in Ranji debutant Arunachal Pradesh's list of guest players has come under the scanner with the team struggling to explain why he was picked over more accomplished domestic cricketers.The Arunachal Cricket Association has included Khsitiz Sharma in their list replacing one of the original three players for their debut domestic season.In fact, Khsitiz was also picked by Chennai Super Kings at the lowest base price of Rs 20 lakh despite failing miserably in the couple of Vijay Hazare Trophy (National One Dayers) matches. Khsitiz didn't get any game for CSK in the IPL.His record in senior representative cricket stands at six runs from two List A games and 111 runs from 11 T20 games at an average of 13.87 and a strike-rate of less than 100.Originally, the Arunachal Cricket Association (ACA) had registered the names of Samarth Seth, … [Read more...] about Arunachal change guest players’ list to accommodate little-known Delhi batsman Khsitiz Sharma
The lesser known story of Rohit Sharma
Feature 137 // 22 Aug 2018, 00:50 IST SHARE He was once not fortunate enough to be raised by his parents- partly because of his family’s poverty and partly because of his passion for sports. He didn’t have enough money to pay his school fees but Rohit Sharma was a dreamer from his childhood.Rohit was born on 30th April 1987 and while his father, Gurunath Sharma was a care taker at a firm at that point of time, his mother, Purnima Sharma was a housewife. When Rohit was just one and a half years old, his family shifted to Dombivali and since his parents couldn't really manage the expenses of two children, Rohit spent most of his time with his grandparents and uncles.Obviously, the love for the game was always there. As a child, he would play cricket for hours at a stretch and discuss cricket with his family, which was full of sport lovers. In fact, all his uncles had played cricket for their schools and colleges. Seeing his inclination … [Read more...] about The lesser known story of Rohit Sharma
Ajit Wadekar had the vital Midas touch: Bishan Singh Bedi
NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi paid glowing tributes to Ajit Wadekar, who led the country to their first series triumphs in England and the West Indies, following his death at the age of 77. READ ALSO: Ajit Wadekar will always be my captain: Sunil Gavaskar In his column for the Times of India, Bedi wrote, "All of us cricketers from Delhi and North Zone are grateful to the late Ajit Laxman Wadekar for inadvertently passing on Bombay's (as it was called then) fighting qualities to us. Not terribly deliberately, of course, but when we were contemporaries - playing for and against each other - I would like to think that my personal belief in Delhi and North Zone went up manifold by rubbing shoulders with India's finest left-handed batsman of our times." Wadekar was a trailblazer in Indian cricket despite a mere 37 Test appearances, leading India to triumphs in England and the West Indies in 1971. Wadekar scored 2,113 runs in his Test career, including one hundred, and … [Read more...] about Ajit Wadekar had the vital Midas touch: Bishan Singh Bedi