Can a bowler find a way to exploit a batter's anatomy and his movements? England did it to Bradman and Co. in the Bodyline series in 1932-33 but modern bowlers have tried a variation of this strategy too and turned in unforgettable spells.

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Talking Points:

• The essence of Bodyline
• Wahab Riaz v Watson in Adelaide, 2015
• The left-armer's unusual advantage when cramping the right-handers
• Mitchell Johnson's spell from hell at the Gabba in 2013
• Why it is relatively easy for a batter to leave some short balls compared to others
• Tendulkar v red hot Australian pace in Ahmedabad in 2011
• Allan Donald v Mike Atherton, Trent Bridge, 1998
• The disadvantage of the back-and-across movement for right-hand batters
• Wasim Akram v Rahul Dravid, Chennai, 1999
• Fearless: Mohinder Amarnath memoir - Amazon

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Prashant DP (@prashantdptweet) | Medium 

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War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

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Related

• Wahab Riaz spell v Watson - YouTube
• Mohammad Amir to Watson - YouTube
• Mitchell Johnson at the Gabba, 2013 - YouTube
• How the summer of Johnson changed cricket - ESPNcricinfo
• Allan Donald v Mike Atherton, Trent Bridge, 1998 - YouTube 
• Allan Donald fast bowling masterclass - YouTube
• Wasim Akram v Dravid, Chennai, 1999 - YouTube
• India. Pakistan. Chennai. 1999 - Siddhartha Vaidyanathan - ESPNcricinfo

We review the fifth Test between Australia and India in Sydney where Australia regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a thrilling three-day win.

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Talking Points:

• Australia's superior bowling depth wins the day
• The remarkable Mr Boland 
• India's muddled approach to this series: neither batting heavy nor bowling heavy
• Why didn't India trust their fast bowlers enough to play 4 each Test?
• The futility of picking two spinners in these conditions 
• Jasprit Bumrah's steep workload; Siraj's tireless spells
• Are Rohit and Kohli both in decline or is there a way back for them? 
• A series full of electric bowling
• Rishabh Pant's mad max half-century
• Prasidh Krishna's promise of steepling bounce
• The end of an era of magnificent India-Australia series

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh (@cornerd) 

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

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Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related

• Australia Regain The Border-Gavaskar Trophy After A Decade - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
• India’s BGT report card - Sriram Veera - Indian Express
• Australia’s bowlers batter India to keep home fires burning for World Championship tilt - Geoff Lemon - Guardian
• India dismantle England in lop-sided finale: India v England, 5th Test review - 81allout podcast archive

We review the fourth Test between Australia and India at Melbourne. Australia went 2-1 ahead after a special win.

⁠Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• A series where the first 40 overs is vastly different to the second 40
• Why are India hesitant to play a fourth fast bowler?
• India's issue with four tailenders - and Australia's advantage in the lower order
• The Sam Konstas decision - and the hat tip to Bumrah
• Nathan Lyon's first-innings v second-innings effectiveness in Australia
• Jasprit Bumrah's mastery over the new and old ball
• Siraj and Akash Deep: impressive yet unlucky
• Rohit Sharma's struggles over his last 6 Tests

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

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Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related

• Australia 2-1 Up As India's Hedge Fails - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
• Sam Konstas makes debut to remember - Geoff Lemon - Guardian
• Rohit on Bumrah's bowling workloads: 'We've been very careful' - Alagappan Muthu - ESPNcricinfo

• Nitish Kumar Reddy’s father: ‘No one used to know my name outside my town, but now in Australia people are asking selfies’ - Sriram Veera - Indian Express

We review the the third Test between Australia and India at Brisbane. Australia piled on 445 but rain helped India keep the series at 1-1. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• India's decision to persist with four bowlers an an allrounder
• The need for insurance in the lower order against Australia's attack
• Akash Deep's incisive spells with little reward
• India's multipronged. issues with their transition
• Rohit and Kohli: poor form or slowing reflexes. Or mostly bad luck?
• Pat Cummins: the master of seam and length
• Jasprit Bumrah's ability to create jeopardy at will
• R Ashwin's decision to retire midway through the series 
• Ashwin's astonishing strike rate and the legacy he leaves behind

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related

• Ashwin :the great problem-solver who played cricket for cricket's sake - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
• Ashwin retires - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
• The Encyclopedist - Gideon Haigh - Cricket et al. (subscription)
• How Ashwin remained a committed cricketer and a team man till his sudden and surprising exit - Sriram Veera - Indian Express

We review the the second Test between Australia and India at Adelaide. Australia drew level with a handsome 10-wicket win. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• Mitchell Starc: the pink ball master
• Australia's bowling depth to the fore in day-night Test
• India's selection hedges come back to bite them
• Is it time to go back to picking five specialist bowlers? 
• Travis Head: a right royal headache for India
• Australia thrive on a pitch with true bounce
• Has the Harshit Rana experiment run its course? 
• The Nitish Reddy puzzle: he is offering lower-order runs with the bat but little with the ball
• Ashwin's fine spell on a pitch that offered nothing for him
• Pat Cummins' deadly bouncers

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Australia square the series - Kartikeya Date - Cricketing View substack
• Sanjay Manjrekar: Kohli has 'serious technical issue' that he can't find solution to - ESPNcricinfo
• Travis Head brings the South Australia feelgood factor to make India suffer - Geoff Lemon - Guardian
• Give it up for 2024: Test cricket has had few better years - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
• 81allout podcast archives from the 2020-21 series: Preview | Adelaide | Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Interview with journalist Bharat Sundaresan

We review the the first Test between Australia and India at Perth - a remarkable game where the ball dominated the bat... until it did not. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• The significance (and surprise) of India's 295-run victory at Perth
• The toss advantage, and how India made the most of it
• Watching a game live at Perth - and how different it was
• Is a Test match in Australia now like a destination wedding for Indians?
• Jasprit Bumrah's latest greatest spell
• The lengths from hell: what makes Bumrah so good
• Jaiswal's range of strokeplay
• Rishabh Pant's keeping and the wide area he opens up for the slips
• The Kohli industrial complex
• Nitish's Reddy's impressive debut
• KL Rahul's technique against the moving ball
• Australia's top order problems 

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• India beat Australia by 295 runs - Kartikeya Date - Cricketing View Substack
• Bumrah post-match press conference - YouTube
• Bumrah dominates Australia in the first test match, a breakdown - Jomboy Media - YouTube
• Australia's mission improbable: crack Jasprit Bumrah's genius in 10 days - Barney Ronay - Guardian
• To watch cricket at the ground or on TV? It’s complicated - 81allout podcast

• 81allout podcast archives from the 2020-21 series: Preview | Adelaide | Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Interview with journalist Bharat Sundaresan

We preview the upcoming five-Test series between Australia and India. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• The marketing of the India v Australia rivalry: and its evolution over the years
• The profusion of India-Australia cricket in the last 25 years - and the relative dearth in the 15 years prior
• The influence of Kerry Packer on modern cricket commentary
• The legends around the Australian teams from the past: rugged, macho, sleek, hyper-efficient
• The IPL effect: and how it is much harder to hype this current Australian team
• The importance of Jasprit Bumrah through the five Tests
• The potential XI for both sides for Perth: will India go with Reddy or Prasidh?
• Australia's own ageing problem - and how it could soon catch up with them
• A great chance for many young Indians to leave a mark on the series

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• The day Kerry Packer tore apart Nine anchor Mark Nicholas - Fox Sports 

• Why Australia vs India is Test cricket's premier rivalry - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo

• 81allout podcast archives from the 2020-21 series: Preview | Adelaide | Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Interview with journalist Bharat Sundaresan

We review the third Test between India and New Zealand in Mumbai where Ajaz Patel bowled New Zealand to an incredible win.

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• Is this the finest Test series win of all time?
• New Zealand overcome great odds in dream sequence
• The categories of outrage accompanying an Indian defeat
• The potency of left-arm spin in India
• Ajaz Patel's dream Test 
• New Zealand's bowlers strike gold on tricky pitch
• To attack or to defend: India's batting dilemma 
• Rohit Sharma's aggressive approach
• India's choice to not play four spinners in the final two Tests
• Ashwin v the sweeps: and what his length seems to suggest
• The intriguing possibilities ahead of the WTC final

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Black Caps' unseen challenges on the way to whitewash of India - Andrew Voerman - Stuff.co.nz
• Why rank turners actually reduce India's home advantage - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
• India swept away by Ajaz Patel - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
• A bad equilibrium - Harigovind S - Kohli and Kipling Substack

We review the second Test between India and New Zealand in Pune where Mitchell Santner bowled New Zealand to their greatest series victory. 

Support 81allout on Ko-fi

Talking Points:

• New Zealand's finest hour: breaking India's 13 year home streak
• When India were dominated in typical Indian conditions 
• Mitchell Santner's golden Test
• India's batters caught between defense and attack
• India's spinners undone by a barrage of sweeps and reverse-sweeps
• Washington Sundar's terrific spells 
• Were India's spinners too quick for this pitch?
• The question of length: and the problem in front of Ashwin and Jadeja 
• Rohit Sharma's urge to attack - and how it could be getting him in trouble
• Jaiswal's blistering knock
• India's problem of a core group aging together

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Santner Collects Thirteen, New Zealand Make History - Kartikeya Date - Cricketing View Substack
• Black Caps' greatest achievement fuelled by unlikely spin-bowling hero Mitchell Santner - Andrew Voerman - Stuff.co.nz

• Bittersweet moment for India, as one of cricket's great winning streaks ends - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo

We review the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bangalore - a magnificent match that will be remembered for a long, long time.

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• Pitch-perfect conditions for New Zealand's bowlers
• The sub-air effect: how Bangalore's drainage system played its part
• India misreading the pitch and choosing three spinners
• The decision to bat first under cloudy skies
• Henry, O'Rourke and Southee: unplayable in the gloom
• Rachin Ravindra: a superstar in the making
• The astonishing Sarfaraz-Pant partnership
• Sarfaraz' unique handiwork
• Bumrah's spell on the final morning
• India's potential reaction to this defeat - and thoughts on the surface in Pune

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Marvelous New Zealand win in Bangalore - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
• Batting magic in Bengaluru as India threaten something special - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
• How Rachin Ravindra defanged the Indian spinners - Sandip G - Indian Express

We preview the upcoming three Test series between India and New Zealand - and also discuss England's win over Pakistan in the Test in Multan. 

Talking Points:

• The India-New Zealand rivalry down the years
• New Zealand in transition - after the retirements of Boult and Wagner
• Rachin Ravindra's terrific 92 at Galle in the recent series v Sri Lanka
• New Zealand's reliance on part-timers to fill in some spin overs
• Should New Zealand play to their pace strength in Bangalore and Mumbai?
• The Pakistan-England Test and what it taught us about bowling in Test cricket
• The batting-centric nature of cricketing discourse and why that is problematic
• Would a team with a world-class bowling attack and 6 'average' batters win as much as a team with the same bowling attack and 6 great batters? 

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

*

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Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Will O'Rourke's Canterbury Tales - Deivarayan Muthu - ESPNcricinfo
• A freakish ten-for and good old Indian dominance - 81allout review of the India v New Zealand series in 2021
• Two seamers or three? The big Black Caps question ahead of India tests -Andrew Voerman - Stuff.co.nz
• Why Pakistan Aren't Winning, And Why Batting Is Irrelevant In Test Cricket - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack

We review India's magnificent win over Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur.

[podcast_subscribe id="1595"]

Talking Points:

• India doing both the expected and unexpected at the same time
• India's great bowling attack and the art of picking 20 wickets
• Jasprit Bumrah - in a rarefied space of fast bowling
• Jadeja's speeds v Bangladesh's spinner's speeds
• India's batting assault
• Kanpur 2021 v Kanpur 2024
• Kohli, Shastri and the decision to play five fast bowlers
• Jaiswal's remarkable start to his Test career

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• The simple genius of Ravindra Jadeja - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
• Rohit Sharma and the sixes that woke up a dead game - Alagappan Muthu - ESPNcricinfo
• A freakish ten-for and good old Indian dominance - 81allout review of the India v New Zealand series in 2021

We review India's 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai. 

Talking Points:

• Bangladesh complete... then lose by 280 runs
• Bangladesh's impressive trio of pacers 
• The sessions that Bangladesh won - before the ball got older and runs flowed
• The sweep v drive ratio: and why Bangladesh chose to sweep much more
• India's spinners finding the right pace for the conditions 
• Mohammad Siraj's relentless second-innings spell 
• Mehidy and Shakib: too slow with the ball?
• Rishabh Pant's grand return to Test cricket
• Shubman Gill's purple patch in Tests

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Ashwin, Jadeja, Bumrah, Siraj, Akash Deep Lead India Into The Black - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
• Ashwin's double act of hundred and six-for secures 1-0 lead for India - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
• Reminiscing special memories from my home test - R Ashwin - YouTube
• Why does India need a players' association? Ask a former cricketer - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo

We chat with ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam about Bangladesh's historic series win in Pakistan and their chances in the upcoming two-Test series in India.

Talking Points:

• Bangladesh's dream-like comeback wins in the two Tests in Rawalpindi
• A bowling attack with tremendous variety - world-class spin and promising pace
• The arrival of Nahid Rana - and his ferocious spells in Pakistan
• The symbolism of Bangladesh's series win amidst the political climate in the country
• Mehidy Hasan Miraz - workhorse, counter-puncher, MVP
• Can Bangladesh's attack adapt to India's varied conditions?
• The challenge of a two-Test series without any warm-up games
• India's unsettled top six 
• How spin-friendly conditions could help Bangladesh narrow the gap 

Participants:

Mohammad Isam (@Isam) | ESPNcricinfo

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Bangladesh's small wonders conjure a Rawalpindi miracle - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo
• Nahid Rana: a new express finds fame in Rawapindi - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo
• The quirks and challenges of covering Bangladesh cricket - 81allout podcast with Mohammad Isam on his book 'On the Tiger's Trail'

In the latest episode we chat with Paras Mhambrey on his recent stint as the bowling coach of the Indian team. We discuss India's varied bowling attack and how he managed the transition from one set of fast bowlers to the next.

Participants:

Paras Mhambrey

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

*

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Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

‘We have a cluster of fast bowlers who have got exposure in white-ball cricket and are not far away (from Test call-up)’, says Paras Mhambrey - Indian Express

Data driven: How Mhambrey's work is helping Shami & Co - Sanjjeev K Samyal - Hindustan Times

‘What a bowler thinks and what he actually does are different things’ – Bharat Arun interview with 81allout

The value of data analysis and how the Indian team embraced it - 81allout podcast with Himanish Ganjoo 

'I cannot tell a bowler what to do or not do. I need to help them understand their own rhythm' - Bharat Arun interview - Karthik Krishnaswamy - The Cricket Monthly

In the latest episode we chat with Himanish Ganjoo on how data can assist cricket teams and what he learnt from his own stint as a data analyst with the Indian side.

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Himanish Ganjoo (@hganjoo_153)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview)

*

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Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

Himanish Ganjoo's articles - ESPNricinfo | Substack

Training the Hawkeye on Axar Patel: Angular, Anomalous - Substack

Understanding T20 - 81allout podcast with Hassan Cheema

Hitting v Batting: the choice that dictates the shape of a T20 contest - 81allout podcast

Databall - Kartikeya Date - The Cricket Monthly

We chat with veteran journalist Clayton Murzello about the oldest living Indian captain: Nari Contractor. Clayton speaks about his interactions with Contractor and why we must remember the man for much more than that one day in Barbados: when he suffered a near fatal injury in a warm-up game. 

Talking Points:

• A story full of destiny: from his birth till that fateful day in Barbados
• The stylish left-handed batter who couldn't make it to the Mumbai Ranji side
• How Contractor ended up playing first-class cricket for Gujarat
• The captain who first introduced team meetings and broke down barriers
• The day when the universe conspired against Contractor
• Frank Worrell's advice to Contractor before the Indians faced Charlie Griffith
• A remarkable story of recovery - and how cricket saved Contractor
• The visionary that roped in Frank Tyson to coach youngsters in Mumbai

Participants:

Clayton Murzello (@claytonmurzello)

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• Contractor steps into the 90s - Clayton Murzello - Mid-Day
• Griffith's delivery hit my face at 90 degrees: Nari Contractor - Clayton Murzello - Mid-Day
• The amazing life of Mumbai-based former India captain Nari Contractor - Clayton Murzello - Mid-Day
• The bouncer that ended a career - Martin Williamson - ESPNcricinfo

We review the final of the T20 World Cup and end of India's wait for an ICC trophy.

Talking Points:

• How trophy wins don't define India's legacy.
• The unfairness of labelling South Africa chokers.
• The peerless Bumrah.
• Virat Kohli's change of approach and his great swansong T20 innings in the final.
• Rohit, Pant and the fallacy of "shot selections".
• How India finally managed to construct a well balanced squad for the conditions.

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@⁠sidvee⁠)

Ashoka (⁠@ABVan⁠)

Mahesh (@cornerd)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

⁠War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee⁠

⁠Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward⁠

⁠The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh ⁠

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• 'The Worm Turns for India's Greatest Generation"- Cricketingview.

We review the Super 8 phase of the T20 World Cup and touch upon Afghanistan's glorious triumph, India's sweet win against Australia, and the hopes for the semis and final.

Talking Points:

• Afghanistan's historic wins over Australia and Bangladesh
• Gurbaz and Zadran - the rocks around Afghanistan's journey
• Playing their first official cricket match to 2004 to a semi-final in 2024
• The political question around Afghanistan - and absence of public pressure
• Rohit Sharma's assault against Australia in St Lucia
• India and South Africa thriving with their Test-quality attacks
• The mystery of Kuldeep - and his indecipherable fastish spin
• Looking ahead to the semis and final

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka (@ABVan)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• ‘Cricket is the only source of happiness back home’ - Ben Morse and Masoud Popalzai - CNN
• The World catches up with Australia - Gideon Haigh - Cricket et al. substack
• Perfect Imperfection for Imperfect Tournament? - Neil Manthorp - Manners-on-cricket substack
• Human rights question hangs over success story of Afghanistan's men - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo

We review the first two weeks of the T20 World Cup and chat about the heartwarming performances of USA and other Associate teams. Plus Pakistan's insistence on opening with Babar and Rizwan; Kohli's attempts to change; Pant's hitting training; and the umpiring decision that Bangladesh are furious about.

Talking Points:

• Why a 20-team World Cup seems so much more inclusive  
• Why USA beating Pakistan is not as shocking as it may have been 10 years ago
• Many teams have struggled to score freely but the games have been close
• Pakistan's RizBar problem 
• The importance of a T20 batter having a wide range of strokes
• Rishabh Pant's trained hitting - and how he embraces risk at all times
• Bangladesh's close defeat to South Africa - and the lbw 

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka (@ABVan)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee

Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward

The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related:

• BAN lose to SA Despite A DRS Reprieve for Mahmudullah - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
• What will be the legacy of Cricket World Cup’s New York adventure? - Andy Bull - Guardian
• How India vs Pakistan converted an American sports fan to cricket - Michael Dominski - New York Times
• Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh: two Mumbai boys living the American cricket dream - Nagraj Gollapudi and Shashank Kishore - ESPNcricinfo
• Cricket stadium opponents relieved with ICC’s decision to nix Van Cortlandt Park proposal, opt for Long Island site - Camille Botello - Bronx Times