Freedom Trophy, First test, Mohali: Time to put your best foot forward

This is what the purists have been waiting for. Tomorrow marks the start of the last leg of South Africa’s longest tour of India – the test series is here!

South Africa’s Tour of India: Third ODI, Rajkot

The SA tour so far has had it all.

Rohit Sharma tons. Check.

[Click to watch H/Ls of 106 (66) and 150 (134)]

REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Last over loss. Check.

[1st T20, 1st ODI]

Virat Kohli being an angry young man after being run out. Check (twice).

Pathetic behaviour by an Indian crowd. Check.

Gully Cricket : Is it dying a slow and painful death?

Been back in India for about a week. Came upon this scene while walking around my house in Gurgaon.

A dusty patch of land surrounded by overgrown weeds.

Within minutes, a cricket match (the Thums Up Trophy?) commenced.

Naturally, I could not resist and asked to join in. The players were happy to oblige. I swung my bat every ball with no other thought but to hit it as far as possible. I scrambled in the dust to field the red tennis ball. I bowled loopy leggies since anything quick-ish was outlawed. Several of the classic gully cricket rules were on display.

Cheteshwar Pujara: Take a bow!

A lively pitch assisting both seam and spin. Your skipper loses the toss and you’re out there opening the batting. Your opening partner goes second ball shouldering arms to one that jags back in.

Not the best circumstances to try and make your comeback into the test team?

Unless you are Cheteshwar Pujara.

You respond the only way you know how. With runs. Tough runs while your team-mates crumble under pressure. You grit your teeth and grind it out.

Solid forward defence against pace. Fleet-footed against spin. Old fashioned test cricket.

So what if you had to carry drinks for your more ‘talented’ team-mates in the last few games?

Technique. Temperament. Test match hundred.

Cheteshwar Pujara, how we’ve missed you. Take a bow!

India in Sri Lanka : 2nd test, P Sara Oval : The 399 day wait

399 days.

That’s how long it had been since India’s last victory in a test match.

Today started with the Indian fans wondering how we were going to muck this one up. After all, we had been here before but had failed to take winning positions to their logical conclusion.

Would the match peter out into a draw? Would Sri Lanka achieve the impossible twice in a row and win it for Sanga?

India’s tour of Sri Lanka, 1st test, Galle : Why is the DRS not good enough for India?

What a test match this has been!

India held the upper hand on Days 1 and 2. Ashwin and Co. bowled Sri Lanka out for 183, then the Shikhar-Kohli show gave India a 192 run lead. The Indian spinners then returned to the scene of the crime to take both openers back with them to the pavilion at the end of Day 2.

Day 3 began similarly with the first ball bringing the night watchman’s wicket and Sri Lanka slipped quickly to 98-5. Then came the passage of play before lunch that may yet hold the key to this game.

Vote for India’s opening batsman: Rahul or Dhawan?

With the Sri Lanka test series lurking around the corner, Indian skipper Virat Kohli will need to deal with an interesting issue.

Vijay has made one of the opening spots his own with consistent, gutsy performances. The other opening spot remains up for grabs.

Should K.L. Rahul return to the side after missing the Bangladesh test with illness or should India continue with Shikhar Dhawan?

Featuring (amongst others) Venky, Javagal, Tendulkar and the Ghost of Eden

A few things have happened in the world of cricket since we last posted.

• India lost 1-2 to Mustafizur in Bangladesh. Erstwhile bowling coach and leg-cutting champion Venkatesh Prasad whose “deceptive slower ball proved to be a useful weapon” was last seen having a hearty laugh while he tucked into his ghee roast.

The Orange Cap : Time for a re-think?

It’s quite clear most of you think ABdV is the main man at the IPL. With a massive 40% of the votes, followed by Baz at 15% and Chris Gayle at 12.5%, the South African skipper is streets ahead of the competition.

But if you are following the IPL 2015, you will know that Ajinkya Rahane (who was not even a part of the poll!) leads the run scoring charts and wears the Orange Cap.

Then again, it makes complete sense.

Opinion poll : Destructive Batsman in the #PepsiIPL2015

Two weeks in and the IPL is well and truly underway.

We thought it might be interesting to run a series of polls on the IPL to get your thoughts on the best batting, bowling and fielding in the IPL. Here is the first of these.

10 reasons why we love the IPL!

Hellloooooooooooooooo IPL!

With the distraction of the World Cup out of the way, it’s time to get down to business!

Here’s 10 reasons why we love the IPL.