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Top Moments of World Cricket from 2024 (PC: ICC) In 2024, the cricketing landscape had its share of evocative moments and believe-it-or-not performances. So, what were some of the memorable moments from the year gone by? Who were the best performers of the year? What about the politics behind the scenes? On New Year’s Day, here’s a recap of all the events: Men’s Cricketer of the Year: This is perhaps one of the easier questions to answer as Jasprit Bumrah is the clear winner here. The Indian fast bowler took 74 Test wickets at an astounding average of 14.92. In the ongoing Test series in Australia, Bumrah has done some heavy lifting, plucking 30 wickets at a splendid average of less than 13. In a nutshell, he has taken almost half of the wickets plucked by the Indian bowlers in the series so far. Earlier in the year, Bumrah outfoxed England, in the Vizag Test, with his variations. He had virtually turned into a spinner in that game. It was also Bumrah’s magical spell which helpe...

Virat Kohl, Rohit Sharma and others at the MCG (PC: Debasis Sen) The gallows humour led to a bit of mischief. As Rohit Sharma failed yet again and India lost seven wickets in the final session to slump to a defeat in the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne, this correspondent flipped through some old stats. Somehow, India’s forgettable tour of Pakistan in 1982-83 came to mind and batting averages were checked. Even amid the ruins, there were only three single-digit averages. Kris Srikkanth, 9.33, but he only played two Tests. In fact, his failure, and Arun Lal’s, had prompted Sunil Gavaskar to promote Ravi Shastri to open the innings in the final Test. Shastri responded with a century. The other two single-digit averages belonged to Maninder Singh (4.80) and Dilip Doshi (3.50), the two rank tailenders. Cut to the present, and Rohit’s average from three Tests and five innings in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy is 6.20. A phone call to Maninder ensued. He wasn’t available...

India at the Gabba (PC: Debasis Sen) India have plucked 66 wickets in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Among those, 30 have been taken by one bowler, and that is Jasprit Bumrah. The colossus of the current Indian team has bagged those scalps at an astonishing average of 12.83. None of the other Indian bowlers have averaged less than 30. Mohammed Siraj has fired in fits and starts and is currently the second-best Indian bowler in the series, with 16 wickets at an average of 31.43. Akash Deep, India’s third-highest wicket-taker, has bagged only five wickets so far. Those numbers basically tell you that India either don’t have the resources or there have been a few tactical errors in relation to selections. In retrospect, it is perhaps a combination of both.  India went into the much-awaited Test series with three inexperienced pace bowlers in Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. Before the Perth Test, Prasidh had played two Tests, Harshit was yet to make his Test debut, wh...

Virat Kohli after getting out in the second innings at the MCG (PC: Debasis Sen) RevSportz Comment With Australia having battled back into the ascendancy in the tussle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, some of those who once wore the baggy green have wasted no time in putting the boot in. The 295-run thrashing in Perth seems many moons ago now, and the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are squarely in the crosshairs after three dismal outings in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. Michael Slater, cavalier opener in the team that took over West Indies’ mantle as the world’s greatest side, suggested after Australia’s 184-run win at the MCG that Kohli had become something of a protected species. While pointing out that the much-trolled Rohit Sharma had scored more runs and centuries in the past five years, Slater said: “Kohli is genuinely the safest guy ever.” He isn’t factually wrong. Over the past half-decade, Rohit has more runs (2,160 to 2,005), a better average (36 to 31.32) a...

Team India after getting defeated at the MCG (PC: Debasis Sen) As the dust settles on the Indian defeat in Melbourne, it is time to leave it behind and look ahead at the fifth and final Test of the BGT Series starting in Sydney on January 3, 2025. The turnaround time is short and with the team traveling today, all they will get is two days to recalibrate. First and foremost, the team needs to believe that they can get the job done. They have enough gas left from what we have seen in Melbourne. It does give the team and hordes of fans a lot of hope. Jasprit Bumrah continues to be the player of the series and he will surely deliver one more time at the SCG. Importantly, Mohd Siraj bowled much better in the Australian second innings at the MCG. This will be a big relief for the Indian team management. Akash Deep wasn’t really suited for Melbourne and it will be interesting to see if India goes back to Harshit Rana. The Sydney deck has changed in the last few years and Harshit or Pras...

Australia after defeating India at the MCG (PC: Debasis Sen) Subhayan Chakraborty at the MCG At the end of the Boxing Day Test, TV umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat’s decision to overturn the on-field umpire’s call and rule Yashasvi Jaiswal out became a topic of discussion in the cricket world. The dismissal derailed India’s remaining hopes of securing a draw on Day 5 of the nail-biting fourth Test. But the judgement wasn’t the reason India lost. It was due to poor application, bad shot selection and lack of patience. Soon after Jaiswal’s dismissal, Akash Deep was also given out, after a catch by Travis Head at forward short leg, despite a visible gap between bat and ball from the front-on angle shown on the large screen during the DRS review. There was a spike on the snicko, and side-on, slow-motion replays showed a small red mark on the side of Akash’s bat. However, this wasn’t displayed on the big screen during the review, leading to massive confusion among the crowd, wit...

Australia bagged seven wickets in the final session to clinch the victory. In front of a record attendance at the MCG, the Australian bowlers triggered a collapse, taking seven wickets for just 34 runs in the final session, which helped the hosts wrap up a famous win over India by 184 runs as they head to Sydney with a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. After losing three wickets in the final session, India’s approach clearly shifted toward securing a draw. With just 38 overs to bat, seven wickets in hand, and set batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant at the crease, the game appeared to be heading for a stalemate. Both batters adopted a cautious approach, but it was India’s nemesis- Travis Head who once again turned the tide by dismissing Pant. In a moment of poor shot selection, Pant fell to a long hop, hitting it straight to the fielder instead of dispatching it to safety. It was a gamble by Australia that paid off well. Earlier in the day, India looked in trouble heading i...

India lost the grip in the final session of the day 4. What could have been an excellent day for India was marred by no-balls, missed fielding opportunities, and valuable lower-order contributions from Australia. The hosts ended the day at 228/9 in their second innings, extending their lead to a commanding 333 runs. India worked tirelessly to claim the final two wickets, but Australia’s tailenders stood resolute. The unbeaten last-wicket stand between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland, worth 55 runs off 110 deliveries, was particularly frustrating for the visitors. Australia might have been effectively bowled out if not for Jasprit Bumrah overstepping in the final over, which saw Lyon edge a delivery to the slips. That moment encapsulated the day’s frustrations for India. As has been the case throughout the series, Jasprit Bumrah had swung the momentum in India’s favour with a fiery spell in the first session. He was unplayable at times, extracting movement and bounce from the pitch. ...

Nitish Kumar Reddy after his century at the MCG (PC: Debasis Sen) A fairytale narrative is something that acts as the crux of any sporting achievement. At the iconic MCG, we witnessed one such moment when Nitesh Reddy crossed the three-figure mark in front of his family. As soon as Nitish cracked a loft down the ground off Mitchell Starc, and started celebrating the milestone, the cameras zoomed in on Mutalya Reddy, his father. His father couldn’t control his tears as he looked heavenwards, offering his prayers to someone up there.  Even the commentators were in tears. The raw emotions on view were a manifestation of the struggles and the toil put in by Nitish’s parents and the cricketer himself. Parents’ sacrifices act as the foundation stone for the success of their children. Occasionally, they might come into limelight, but they are akin to the background picture, who are ready to do everything for their sons or daughters. Nitish’s father is no different. Earlier in the ye...