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  Test Twenty (PC: Test Twenty) Boria Majumdar It is a month to go for the start of the inaugural season of Test Twenty in Sri Lanka and the choice of venue couldn’t have been better. The Sri Lankan cricket system thrives on its schools cricket programme. A deep dive makes it evident that the schools cricket system, perhaps one of the best in the world, is the breeding ground for all national cricketers. A host of “Schoolboy Cricketers of the Year” have gone on to represent the national team and this is the bedrock of Sri Lanka cricket in every sense. Test Twenty will enrich this further. Planned for the age groups between 13 and 21, it will give more opportunities to these cricketers at a far higher level of competition. With the best players and coaches involved in the new format, all of a sudden the kind of exposure these school cricketers will be exposed to becomes significantly better. Over time that’s what will contribute to the betterment of the eco-system. Also, the ma...

Smriti Mandhana in the nets (PC: BCCI Women) Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy era begins on Friday in Raipur as India take on Zimbabwe in the first of a three-match home WT20I series. It is the first-ever bilateral women’s series between the two sides, making it a historic occasion. For Indian fans, however, the bigger storyline is the start of a new chapter under Mandhana, who has been appointed India’s all-format captain following Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to step down. India will start as favourites, with Zimbabwe facing a tough challenge against the hosts. The visitors, however, have already played 18 T20Is this year. Although they are yet to register a win, matches against higher-ranked teams such as New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies have provided valuable exposure. They will now look to put up a more competitive performance in Raipur. The biggest talking point ahead of the series opener is India’s team combination. While the batting order appears settled up ...

Keemo Paul (L) with Shai Hope (R). (PC: BCCI) West Indies captain Shai Hope was happy with the total his team posted against India, as it proved to be enough on the Hyderabad wicket, which was holding up a bit and was two-paced. India lost the fourth T20I by 24 runs. After winning the toss, India opted to bowl first, and West Indies posted 247, courtesy of a brilliant century by Hope. At a high-scoring venue, when asked about the target that India failed to chase after the match, Hope said: “I honestly felt it was a decent score because the surface was actually holding up a bit more than we thought initially. We felt as though the pitch would probably come on a bit better. But I found that, with the new ball, some balls were kicking up a lot more, while others were staying down as well. So, it was a bit two-paced to start with and then, obviously, with the spinners and the quicker bowlers towards the end, it was a little bit more difficult to hit through the line. So, I felt as thoug...

  Prince Yadav(L), Mayank Yadav(R).Images : X Bharath Ramaraj “Survival of the fittest” is a famous biological term coined by Herbert Spencer. In a rather curious way, this phrase can also serve as a microcosm of our day-to-day lives. Just consider the recently concluded fourth T20I between India and the West Indies in Hyderabad. India, the home side, had two promising pace bowlers: Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav. As it turned out, the pace duo had contrasting experiences. Prince finished up with noteworthy figures of 1 for 36 in 4 overs on what was virtually a motorway. Unfortunately, Mayank went for more than 20 runs in his final over and his eventual figures read: 0 for 52. For a moment, peel the outside half of their respective bowling methods, and the aforesaid biological term can be applied. Mayank, the tall fast bowler, seems to have an ultra-attacking mindset, in the sense that he mostly looks to employ genuine pace, extra bounce and a little bit of nip off ...

Photo credit: The Royal Foundation Former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane recently joined cricketing legends and members of royalty in London for a friendly tennis-ball cricket match celebrating the upcoming Earthshot Prize awards, which are set to be held in Mumbai next month. Invited by HRH Prince William, Rahane participated in the unique event held on The Mall, outside Buckingham Palace, bringing together Indian and international cricket legends, including Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara, Joe Root and Harry Brook. The event highlighted the shared love for cricket between India and the UK while drawing attention to environmental sustainability. Reflecting on the memorable occasion, Rahane said in a press release: “Cricket has taken me to some remarkable venues across the world, but playing tennis-ball cricket right on The Mall in London with Buckingham Palace in the backdrop is an experience that will stay with me for a long time.” “Yesterday was about celebrating the shared love f...

Temba Bavuma in the middle. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma hinted at the possibility of Kagiso Rabada returning for the second Test against Australia, which will be played in Gqeberha from October 18 to 22. Rabada missed the first Test in Durban as he was nursing a hamstring injury, but his non-selection was largely precautionary. The Proteas missed his presence as they went on to lose the match, with Bavuma suffering his first defeat as Test captain. “KG (Rabada) looks good,” Bavuma said after South Africa’s 214-run loss to Australia in the first Test in Durban. The host broadcaster kept following Rabada throughout the Durban Test. Bavuma noted this and said that the pacer was in good spirits. “I think SuperSport (the South African broadcaster) kept showing him on the big screen bowling (during breaks in play),” Bavuma said. “He’s as bubbly as ever in the changing room. His non-selection was more from a precautionary point of view, to ...