Australia v New Zealand, ICC Champions Trophy, final, Centurion
Australia find men for all seasons
The past couple of years haven't been easy for Australia but they have proved again that champion sides are rarely so by coincidence
Sambit Bal
South Africa's strength is their weakness
Why the ability to formulate a plan and stick to it may be at the root of South Africa's failures in multi-team tournaments
Sambit Bal
Australian intimidation blows England away
England felt the full force of Australia's aggression as Ponting and Watson turned executioners on the field
 |
India's jigsaw lacks more than missing pieces
Being knocked out of the Champions Trophy will not be futile if India carry back a few lessons... more
War hero Smith shadows the pain of defeat
South Africa v England, Group B, Centurion
Graeme Smith's hobble back to the dressing room must rank as the most moving moment of this tournament so far... more
And so it begins, again
After a period of overkill in the middle of this decade, cricket's most fraught rivalry has an edge again. Or does it?... more
Why Test cricket must get more elitist
The game is going through perhaps the most volatile phase in its history, but the Future Tours Programme has the potential to make a difference... more
Clinical, professional and un-Pakistani
Pakistan v Sri Lanka, ICC World Twenty20 final, Lord's
The win came through a most uncharacteristic performance... more
No losers in a match that's bigger than the game
Pakistan v Sri Lanka, ICC World Twenty20 final, Lord's
What can a mere sporting win do? A lot... more
Is there a World Cup on?
You wouldn't know from reading the UK papers that cricket's biggest event of the month was in town... more
What's changed on Cricinfo
A quick guide to the renewed, revamped site, which will, we hope, enhance your experience as a user... more
Coming soon: the new Cricinfo
An introduction to the redesigned site, which goes live next week... more
Twenty thoughts on the IPL
Did Deccan Chargers win it, or did Royal Challengers Bangalore lose it? Twenty thoughts on IPL 2009... more
How many captains to change a lightbulb?
John Buchanan's idea of more than one man at the top did not come out of nowhere, but it has the odds stacked against it... more
Another step into the unknown
What does the IPL going offshore hold for cricket? ... more
A triumph of belief
England led in the match over three days and two sessions but what made the difference ultimately was India's belief that they would win... more
It all felt normal again
At the end-of-day press conference, the journalists appeared far more concerned about the significance of the day than the players... more
Why India must tour Pakistan
Cancelling the upcoming series for the easy points that will score will only be counter-productive... more
An overpowering bleakness
Talking about cricket feels out of place in the face of the Mumbai attacks... more
Lowering the bar
Australia¹s failure in India, and their undeniable decline, mark a new level playing field in cricket... more
Australia have lost their presence
Australia's batting is formidable still and Krejza might still spin them to victory but their manner in the field in the series so far has been an admission of ordinariness ... more
Spectator-friendly minus the spectators
India v Australia, 4th Test, Nagpur, 1st day
Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, has built a fabulous stadium in his home town that should serve as a model for the rest of the country. But he is now left to ponder the task of filling it. Empty grounds are no fun. They are soul-breaking... more
Cash for commitment
If Sri Lanka manage to secure a bailout package from India, it could lead to a new world order... more
Who after Ganguly?
It's all very well to talk of succession, but the new selectors have their work cut out to find replacements... more
License to fudge
Ball-tampering is almost as old as cricket. Maybe it's time it was legalised... more
Inevitable, but what next?
Postponing the Champions Trophy was an inevitable compromise for the ICC, but what of the thorny questions about Pakistan's place in international cricket? ... more
Rope for reviews
The system may have thrown up more questions than foreseen but it deserves a fair go... more
Another look at reviews
The review system needed to be tried, but there are plenty of questions still unanswered and kinks to be worked out... more
Time for tough calls
Cricket must think seriously of how it needs to realign itself in a world changed by the IPL... more
Do the right thing
The ICC can undo years of indifference by suspending Zimbabwe from Full Member status... more
Twenty-four from the Twenty20
Just under a month into cricket's revolution, a couple dozen thoughts... more
The icon's burden
The money, the freedom to build their own teams, and the challenge of testing themselves in Twenty20 have brought several problems for the big stars... more
The Kolkata factor
If the city-based loyalties that the IPL is banking on ever do take hold, they will do so in one city first... more
Threat and opportunity
The IPL, if it is a success, will change cricket irrevocably. Whether for better or worse remains to be seen... more
Crass discrimination
The IPL's severe restrictions on Cricinfo will not prevent the website from covering the tournament to the best of its ability... more
Sehwag's theory of relativity
Where others see risk, he sees opportunity. And he has the numbers to prove it... more
International Committee of Compromise
The ICC has always been about expediency and the latest meeting of its executive in Dubai did nothing to prove otherwise... more
Who will rule the rulers?
Why should cricket's administrators get away scot-free for the travesties of Antigua and Karachi?... more
India's morning after
The euphoria of the Twenty20 win now truly behind them, Dhoni's young side have to face the challenge of learning on the job against the toughest opposition there is... more
The thin line between hard and fair
You don't need to give lip to play tough. After the ructions of Sydney, Australia got it just right in Perth... more
Heavy on youth, light on experience
The selectors have put their faith in youth and must now see that vision through, regardless of immediate results... more
Questions from Sydney
The SCG saga has thrown up all sorts of thorny questions - to do with the removal of umpires and the way hearings are conducted, among other things - with no easy answers in sight... more
Night isn't right
Day-night Test cricket won't work - and not just for romantic reasons either... more
Flat pitches, flatter series
Dead pitches, toothless attacks, diffident tactics - is it any wonder this India-Pakistan series ranked alongside the last one for dullness... more
Ganguly's fairytale
Sourav Ganguly is living out a dream at the moment, and nothing he achieves will be a surprise anymore... more
The strange case of Rahul Dravid
Dravid being dropped is another incoherent decision from a selection panel known for them... more
Australia won the big moments and small
The big difference between the sides was skill. Australia had better batsmen, greater depth, better fast bowlers, better fielders, and, would you believe it, the better spinner. And as ever, they were focussed, driven, and relentless... more
What to do with the Big Three?
Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid still have plenty to offer, but they need to be phased out gradually for the sake of the team's future... more
Toast the success, beware of excess
The first world Twenty20 was an unqualified success but there is a danger of it being milked too much by too many... more
The script's changed, the drama hasn't
India's upset win changed the nature of the World Twenty20 semi-finals but it doesn't take away from the competition that will be on offer... more
Tenth-day thoughts
A week and a half into the World Twenty20, an attempt to sum up the tournament till now... more
Start too early and form counts for nothing
Australia have found the form of champions but even they would acknowledge that winning the toss and bowling first gave them maximum benefit... more
Whose game is it anyway?
To the purists Twenty20 is a series of glittering moments minus context, but maybe that's what the regular fans want... more
A viable new layer
Cricket's greatest flaw has been the weakness of the levels of the game below the international. With the Champions Twenty20 League, that may be set to change... more
Oh well, bring it on
Twenty20 meddles with the fundamentals of cricket, but maybe enough people want that for it to not matter... more
He's given 'im
How umpires are more likely to give lbws these days... more
A crucial relationship
Why cricket needs both India and England, and what they represent... more
Awesome Australia but awful organising
It was entirely appropriate that a sorry tournament should have a sorry end... more
A two-paced pitch
The BCCI's laudable decisions on the team leadership and domestic cricket are undermined by sly opportunism on endorsement contracts... more
Indian cricket needs a revolution
India's World Cup debacle has thrown up many pressing questions but don't expect too many honest answers... more
It's only a game
Bob Woolmer's death, whatever the cause, is an alarm to put the brakes on a game skidding out of control... more
Let the games begin
With a trimmed format and no clear favourites, World Cup 2007 has all the makings of a classic... more
A question of faith
For the good of cricket, the Samuels case must be settled fast or the game will be hostage to cynicism... more
The wrong signals
The dispute over cricket broadcast rights is avoidable and a betrayal of the fans' interests... more
More than a replacement
Now that the selectors have found a place for him, Laxman must be given the space and confidence to find his way back... more
All's well that ends well?
A look at the ramifications of Ranjan Mudagalle's findings... more
Smoke without fire
Absence of live cricket for India hasn't brought a drought in cricket coverage in the Indian media; it has merely meant the focus has shifted from cricket to controversies... more
One man doesn't make a team
India in the West Indies - Series Review
India might have won a historic victory in the West Indies, but success shouldn't be allowed to obscure some of the problems plaguing the side, especially the unhealthy dependence on Rahul Dravid... more
Leave Americans to baseball
By now, we should be inured to the priorities of our cricket boards and the reality of one-day cricket... more
Joining the ranks of the mortals
For years Tendulkar has carried burden of irrational expectations of a cricket-mad nation but his recent struggles with the bat have been too palpable and too prolonged... more
Three comebacks, umpteen questions
That the selectors picked a squad of 16, and could still only find place for six bowlers, and shows the collective bankruptcy of integrity of a selection committee of whom so much more was expected... more
A poignant end
Ganguly was immense, and he didn't go without a fight
Sambit Bal on why Indian cricket must move on... more
The wholesome master
Nineteen of Tendulkar's 35 hundreds have come abroad. Most batsmen would settle for scoring 19 in all.... more
Battle for No.2
Another series involving England has just ended, and Pakistan have stolen the headlines by winning their first Test series in two years... more
Beyond the cosmetic
But the real question for Indian cricket is whether the new regime will be, or can be, any different... more
An affront to cricket
Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, Faisalabad, 2nd day
Inzamam-ul-Haq's dismissal at Faisalabad should be put down to plain ignorance with of lack of knowledge of cricket's laws from the men appointed to implement it... more
Is this the end of the road for Ganguly?
Ganguly helped build a team that can be counted among the most competitive in India's cricket history, but a cycle has been completed and India need to build again ... more
Cricket without faith
Nothing confers wisdom like hindsight, so we must careful while handing out the judgment on the first leg of the Super Series... more
The revival of the beautiful game
Sambit Bal on the lessons learned during this summer's Ashes... more
Tendulkar, Wisden and a furore of ignorance
In the beginning it was amusing, but now it has become nauseating... more
Question time for Ganguly
The Indian captain's batting slump
From now on, Sourav Ganguly will find himself facing the dreaded question again and again, not only from newspapers, TV channels and Bishan Bedi, but perhaps even from himself... more
Cutting through the hysteria over Harbhajan
By painting the matter as black and white when it is predominantly grey, not only do they do disservice to the cricket followers, who might not know better, but also to Harbhajan, who at this moment needs sensible counsel and not macho posturing... more
The legspinners' graveyard
What is it with Indian batsmen and legspinners... more
Beware the unknown
If cricket matches were won by the weight of past performance and reputation, the India-Pakistan series would be a no contest... more
Can India match Pakistan's grace and hospitality?
Will Pakistan get a similar reception that Indians got in February last year year?... more
Enough rope, it's time for the stick
A decisive move to end the chucking controversy
The ICC's change of the chucking law, arrived at after a few years of groping, fumbling and soul searching, is potentially seminal... more
A conditional reprieve
The telecast-rights controversy
The highest court in the land has ruled and it must bring a smile to those in high offices in the Board of Control for Cricket in India... more
Why Twenty20 isn't the answer
It is not merely an elitist concern that cricket needs to retain its identity and character... more
Twelve-man XIs and quartering the game
The noble, the wise and the adventurous have spoken... more
Mahendra's chance to be his own man
The only way for the BCCI's new president, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, to show that he is his own man is by acting like one... more
Last-minute specialists
The BCCI believes scheduling is a job best left till the last hour... more
Catching out the throwers
That India hasn't worked itself into a state of paroxysm over Harbhajan Singh's doosra being reported as suspect is perhaps indicative of two things... more
Let's see Sachin with a new eye
We continue to expect the fizz and abandon of a 19-year old from a 31-year old man with a wife and two children... more
Back to school for Bangladesh
What Test cricket's minnows really need
A Test is about to begin, and once more watching cricket will seem like work... more
The over-rate conundrum
Laws have been made, and they need to be enforced... more
Virender Sehwag's Brave New World
The batsman who confounds orthodoxy
You look at Virender Sehwag's Test record and stagger at the sheer impudence of it... more
Decision time for Anil Kumble
Needs to consider his future in ODIs
Anil Kumble has become a better Test bowler but is clearly a lesser bowler in one-day cricket than before... more
A costly infatuation
Sambit Bal points out the flaws in Parthiv Patel's wicketkeeping... more
Bare-headed wonders
The charm of cricket from the past
So seductive is the aroma of the past that it can easily obscure perspective. Watching footage of old cricket matches invariably brings a terrible longing for the good old days... more
Question of motives
Indian cricket is facing a leadership crisis... more
A contest more equal
How different pitches add flavour
The first thing you feel upon landing in Bangalore from Mumbai on an early October morning is the crispness of the air... more
Variety is the spice of life
What would cricket be if pitches were the same everywhere?
Cricket's greatest asset is its rich and varied temper... more
The sick season
Indian cricket's autumn of discontent
Jagmohan Dalmiya may have dragged Indian cricket into the professional era, but he has done nothing to promote the same sort of culture within his organisation... more
The Maximiser
John Wright's contribution to Indian cricket
Whenever I heard former Indian players talk on television about Wright's lack of fire, I have had a quiet chuckle... more
Hail the new master
Dravid - India's best batsman?
It's time to stop fudging the obvious with phraseology... more
The capricious world of Test cricket
Of all the reasons why we love Test cricket, the most compelling one is the way it reveals itself and yet holds back so much... more
Save the doosra
The throwing controversy rumbles on
As might have been expected, an entire nation has been roused to indignation over Chris Broad's decision to report Muthiah Muralitharan's doosra as suspect... more
The beauty of toil
A tape of his batting wouldn't enliven a rainy evening, but if your team had to save its skin on a dodgy pitch, Gary Kirsten's name would among the first on the sheet... more
Two for the ages
For those of us bemused by the orchestrated hype around Steve Waugh's retirement, the coverage of India's tour to Pakistan has been benumbing, but fears that the good game will be buried in the cacophonic lust of marketing czars have been happily... more
Don't burden cricket with significances it cannot carry
Given the bitter history that India and Pakistan share, every little thing that promotes goodwill is worth clutching at, but there is a danger here of overestimating the power of cricket... more
Remembering KP Bhaskar
I never saw KP Bhaskar play... more
The power of nostalgia
Nostalgia can be the enemy of reason, for it imbues the past with such marvelous colours and scents that reason cannot cut through fortifications... more
To go or not to go
Safety is a matter of personal concern and players should be allowed to make the choice without the fear of recrimination... more
Bring on the fliers
The essence of sport lies in contest and cricket is in danger of limiting itself to the contest of bat against bat... more
Yes to passion, no to hysteria
Watching Ravi Shastri and Wasim Akram do their stuff in Australia is a demonstration of what India-Pakistan cricket relations really are... more
Dude, where's my country?
How far is nationalism taken in journalism?... more
Spare the umpire
If Steve Bucknor is looking for some R & R, he should strike India off his list of possible destinations... more
Tackle the disease, not the symptom
The Kale case, irrespective of the truth, is only a manifestation of a serious and deep-rooted malaise... more
An unhappy compromise
Sambit Bal speaks out against the two-Test series in this week's Thursday column... more
The case for Ramesh
Sambit Bal builds a case for S Ramesh in this week's Tuesday column... more
Access your Indian Rupee earnings from anywhere in the world.
Who is the best footballer in Europe?
Debate now on the new ESPN Soccernet Castrol Rankings Blog
FREE Cricket DVD offer at Cricshop
Cricshop.com - leading online cricket store
Rugby Union Autumn Internationals coverage
on www.scrum.com
