THE CURIOUS CASE OF MOHAMMED SHAMI

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The squad for the New Zealand tour has been announced, and Mohammed Shami has been dropped once again from the Indian side. To be honest, it is quite frustrating as a cricket fan to see that our premium fast bowler is not getting selected only due to the issue of age. Mind you, our current bowling attack is getting slaughtered against every country. Be it Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England or the West Indies, the pacers have gone for runs all across the world. On the other hand, Shami has been constantly performing in the domestic tournaments.

The fitness of Japrit Bumrah has been a matter of concern. Moreover, Siraj too is not a regular in the Indian white-ball setup. With the World Cup just a year away, the bowling department looks vulnerable, and our hopes of winning a World Cup are bleak. It is pertinent to note that the 2027 World Cup would be played in South Africa, which offers pace and bounce to the fast bowlers. In such a condition it is important that we take our premium pace attack for the marquee event. On the other hand, we are taking the weakest bowling line-up we have seen for a while.

Mohammed Shami is one of the finest fast bowlers India has ever produced. Moreover, in the ICC events he gets even more lethal. Who can forget his hatred against Afghanistan in Southampton? The match was nearly gone, but Shami turned it all around with 3 back-to-back wickets in the final over of the game and won it for his side. Mind you, Shami only played 4 games in the 2019 World Cup and was the second-highest wicketkeeper for the Indians with 14 wickets under his belt.

The 2023 edition got even bigger and better, wherein he picked up a staggering 24 wickets in just 7 games. The semi-final at Wankhede was the peak of Shami, wherein he picked up 7 wickets and took India to another World Cup final. Unfortunately, everything went down the line since then. In the finals at Ahmedabad, Shami got a wicket in his very first ball but failed to dismiss any other player post that. The Aussies chased down the target of 241, and the World Cup dream was shattered.

Furthermore, the injury woes kept him out for nearly a year, and when he returned, he was not the one who we saw in the 2023 World Cup. But, still in the 2025 Champions Trophy, he delivered a strong performance wherein he was the second leading wicket taker of the tournament. Unfortunately, since the 2025 Champions Trophy final, Shami has not played for India and has been constantly dropped from the squad for the stupidest of reasons. The man who is bowling constantly well and picking up wickets in the Domestics is getting snubbed on the issue of age.

The recent New Zealand squad announcement has made it clear that Shami is no longer in contention for the 2027 World Cup. But the bigger question is, if not Shami, who is going to be the star of our pace attack? The selectors better find this answer quickly, or else 2027 could become another 2007 disaster. After all batsmen wins you a match, but its the bowlers who will win you the tournament.

 

BATTING VERSUS BATTING

 

Image Credit: CricInfo.

Venue: Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati [September 30, 2026].

The West Indies tour has come to an end, and it is thus time for a serious introspection. The hosts won the ODI Series 2-1, whereas the T20 Series ended in a 2-2 draw, with the final T20 ending in a washout at Bengaluru. The tour did produce some marvellous cricketing moments which would be remembered for long. However, the problematic aspect is that it's only the batting performances which would be cherished as the bowlers looked helpless in every venue. Be it ODIs or T20s, the surface had nothing for the bowlers, and they just tried to protect themselves from the slaughter. The situation became so troublesome that even the Indian Head Coach Gautam Gambhir came out in the defence of the bowlers. Moreover, if the situation doesn't improve, there is a possibility that no Indian youngster would like to pick up a ball in the future. The series was very much a contest between the batting line-ups of two sides, with bowlers having negligible roles in deciding the course of the game.

Out of the 8 games played, the pitch at Guwahati produced the most uneven contest between the bat and the ball. Indian Captain Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to field first on a flat batting friendly surface, as it was difficult to decipher what could be a good score on this pitch. His thinking was not wrong, as the Windies, after batting first, posted a massive total of 405/7 in their 50 overs. John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo scored magnificent hundreds as the bowlers looked helpless. Kuldeep Yadav had the best bowling figures for the men in blue, and that too was 2-65 in his 10 overs. The man for whom the author felt most pity was Auqib Nabi, who made his debut in this match and went for 84 runs in 8.5 overs without any wicket. It was indeed a debut no one would wish to have.

Indians now needed 406 runs to win the match and the series. Mind you, they were supposed to climb a mountain, as it was meant to be their biggest run-chase in the history of ODI cricket. However, what happened next was something truly unbelievable. The hosts chased down 406 runs in just 43.3 overs with 8 wickets in hand. Captain Gill led from the front as he scored a majestic 223* of just 133 deliveries. The magnum opus comprised of 26 boundaries and 8 sixes as Windies' attack was crushed like anything. Apart from Gill, former Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also scored a quickfire 101 as the Indians marched their way to another series win.

However, the bigger question which remains unanswered is what kind of pitch we want to play cricket on? 811 runs in 93.3 overs implies that bowlers had nothing on the surface. If this is what we are offering to our pacers and spinners, then why not use a bowling machine? Moreover, we can win games at home by producing such surfaces, but as soon as we tour overseas, the cracks will be wide open, as we saw in the Ireland-England tour of 2026. Hence, one would hope that the BCCI will realise its mistake, and in the upcoming bilaterals we will have some competitive surface, or else we will end up being the most unprepared side in the 2027 World Cup at South Africa. 

THE YOUNG GUNS

 Image Credit: CricInfo.

Venue: SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo [August 23-27, 2026].

The India-Sri Lanka Test Series has concluded recently, and we have two new batting talents who are ready to take on the world. Devdutt Padikkal and Sonal Dinusha in this tour have exhibited what it means to be a test cricketer and have played innings which they should be proud of.

Padikkal, who has been out of the Indian squad for so many months, started the Sri Lankan tour with a bang as he scored a solid 142* in the tour game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI. The hundred ensured that he gets a spot in the starting playing eleven in place of injured Sai Sudarshan. And boy! What a magnificent move it turned out to be. The stylish left-hander from Karnataka managed to hit a ton in both the test matches as the Sri Lankan bowlers looked helpless in front of him. In just 3 innings, Padikkal managed to score 328 runs at a staggering average of 109.33. It was due to his contribution that India managed to post a competitive total in every test match. Moreover, the Indian spin attack did the remaining job as they picked up wickets in regular intervals.

The series would have easily ended in a 2-0 victory for the visitors had it not been Sonal Dinusha. Dinusha, who is just starting his career, took on the Indian attack by horn and scored an incredible 420 runs in just 4 innings. Mind you, in the second test at Colombo, Sri Lankans were asked to follow on. But, this is when Sonal stood strong like a wall and scored an unbeaten 133 of 264 deliveries, which ensured that the second test would end in a draw.

It is pertinent to note that Sonal also scored a hundred in the first innings of this as well as the previous test. Moreover, in the previous test he gave his best to ensure that the test match ended in a draw. But his dismissal at 84 paved the way for an Indian win in Galle. However, in Colombo, he batted throughout the final day and saved the test for his country. For his extraordinary performance in the second test, he was awarded the player of the match award, whereas Padikkal was given the player of the series award.

Though Sri Lanka lost the series 0-1, they will be happy with the fact that they have unearthed a talent for the future. In the case of India, a draw at Colombo has dented their hopes of a WTC final, but they too have some positives out of the series. Manav Suthar has turned out to be a good replacement of the legendary Ravi Ashwin. Though it is too early to comment upon this. But his performance on his first overseas tour has been impressive. Moreover, the number three position has haunted the Indian team for long. However, the incredible dream run of Padikkal has given us the hope that we have finally found a batsman who can walk into the shoes of the great Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara.

MAJESTIC DEV

 

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Venue: Galle International Stadium, Galle [August 15-19, 2026].

In August 2026, the Indian Cricket Team toured Sri Lanka to play 2 test matches. The series was crucial for the visitors to keep their hopes alive for the race to the WTC Final. Regretfully, many Indian players failed to recover from their respective injuries before the series; as a result, there will be multiple new additions to the squad. Devdutt Padikkal was one of them. And Boy! What an impact he had in this series.

In the first test at Galle, Indian Captain Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to bat first. The decision turned out to be a good one, as the visitors posted a big total of 462 runs in their first innings. Padikkal, who was making a return to the test side after the 2024 Perth Test, made an incredible 167. The man who was out of the test side for more than 20 months immediately adapted to the conditions and justified his selection as a number 3 batter.

The number 3 position has been a headache for the Indian side since Pujara's departure. Innumerable experiments have been done with multiple players, but all went in vain. Interestingly, had not Sai Sudarshan been inured, Padikkal would not have got the spot. Sai's injury thus proved to be a blessing in disguise, as we got a technically sound batsman for our number 3 position.

It is pertinent to note that in spin-friendly conditions, Padikkal batted for more than 5.5 hours, in which he faced 230 deliveries. Furthermore, this innings of his comprised 15 boundaries and one massive six as the Sri Lankan bowlers looked helpless in front of him. Apart from Padikkal, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel also scored gritty half-centuries as Indians strengthened their hold over the match.

In response, the hosts were bowled out for just 284 in their first innings as the duo of Jadeja (3) and Suthar (4) ran riot. Had it not been for the partnership between Dinusha (100) and Dickwella (80), the Lankans would have struggled to avoid a follow-on. It was this duo which took Sri Lanka from 90/5 to 284. The partnership of 146 runs saved some honour of the hosts.

Furthermore, the pitch started to deteriorate by the time play reached day 4. Batting became incredibly tough in the latter part as the Indians were bowled out for just 193 in their second innings. The batting was so hard that barring Rishabh Pant, no Indian batsman reached the fifty-run mark. However, Padikkal, who scored a majestic first innings ton, did score a gritty 44 in the second innings, as the hosts now needed 372 runs to win the test and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

It was almost certain that the Lankans wouldn't be winning the test. The question was, will they survive the remaining overs with a rain threat looming all over? However, Manav Suthar bowled an incredible spell (6-55) in the second innings as Indians pulled out a brilliant test win just in the nick of time. Mind you, it started raining heavily just after the final wicket was taken. The hosts did put a fight in the second innings, but it was not enough to stop an Indian win.

Devdutt Padikkal was awarded the man of the match award as the visitors took a vital 1-0 lead in the 2-match series.

To watch the Highlights of the Test, Click Below-

Day 1.

Day 2.

Day 3.

Day 4.

Day 5. 

THE TWEET TO REMEMBER

 

Image Credit: ESPN CricInfo and Pretoria Capitals.

Venue: Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [March 1-5, 2018].

The Australian Cricket Team is touring South Africa to play 3 Test Matches. Interestingly, this is their first test series on the African soil since the famous 2018 series. Who can ever forget the 2018 contest, which took the cricketing world by storm? Even though that particular bilateral is mostly remembered for the ball tampering scandal, one cannot deny the fact that the level of cricket played was of the highest standards.

At the opening test in Durban, we witnessed one of the most destructive performances of Mitchell Starc, who picked up 9 wickets in the match and sealed the game for his side. Even though Aiden Markram did score an impressive hundred in the second innings, that was not sufficient, as the Aussies won the game by 118 runs. Unfortunately, whenever we remember that test match, it is neither the spell of Starc nor the hundred of Markram that comes into mind, but it's the run-out antique of De Villiers and the scuffle that we had on the stairs of Kingsmead.

In the second innings of the game, there was a mix-up between AB and Markram in which AB got run out for a duck. However, in the course of the celebration, Lyon threw the ball upon de Villiers, which was intentional and against the spirit of the game. Moreover, given his aggression and celebration, David Warner did cross the line, which raised the temperature of the series.

And this is when we saw one of the coldest tweets in the history of the game. At the conclusion of the first test, de Villiers tweeted, "This series will be one to remember." And boy! What happened next was something truly unbelievable. Not only did ABD deliver a strong performance, but the Proteas came back harder and won the series 3-1. AB, who scored 71 and 0 in the first test, went on to score 3 fifties and one hundred in the next 6 innings, thereby scoring an aggregate of 427 runs at a staggering average of 71.17.

Apart from ABD and Markram (480 runs), the bowling trio of Rabada, Morkel, and Phillander too joined the party as they dismantled the Aussies in the next 3 games. Moreover, it was not just a defeat that the hosts inflicted upon the visitors, but was rather a total demolition of the Australian side. The margins kept getting better for the Proteas as the Kangaroos looked clueless.

Unfortunately, AB de Villiers announced his retirement after the series, but the performance he delivered would be remembered for ages.

To watch the Documentary of that Series, Click Here. 

THE BEST OF BRIAN CHARLES LARA

 

Image Credit: Windies Cricket.

Venue: Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia [June 20-24, 2003].

In the summer of 2003, the Sri Lankan Cricket Team toured the West Indies to play 3 ODIs and 2 tests. The visitors won the One-Day Series 2-1, and the action now shifted to red ball cricket. The contest has now become a matter of prestige for the Caribbeans, as losing at home was unacceptable. Hence, everyone was expecting a fight from the hosts when the teams reached Saint Lucia for the first test. And Boy! They did make a comeback.

Sri Lankan captain Hashan Tillakaratne won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a batting paradise. Opener Marvan Atapattu played a brillant knock at the top as the visitors posted an above-par total of 354 in their first innings. Atapattu, who batted for around 7 hours, scored a gritty 118 of 275 balls as other Sri Lankan batsmen failed to capitalise upon their starts. For Hosts, Corey Colleymore was the leading wicket-taker who picked up 5 crucial wickets as other bowlers toiled hard.

In response, Captain Lara, who was facing scrutiny after the ODI defeat, led from the front as the Windies posted at a massive total of 477/9 in their first innings. The Prince was in sublime touch as he scored a magnificent 209 of 360 deliveries. The innings, which lasted for more than 450 minutes, had everything – timing, class, perfection and power. It was a classic Brian Lara knock wherein every shot played was of the highest order [Twenty-Four Boundaries and One Six in this instance]. Mind you, this Sri Lankan bowling had greats like Vaas and Muralidaran, but everyone went for runs on that particular day. Apart from Lara, Hinds too scored a gritty 114 as the Caribbeans took a vital first-innings lead.

Unfortunately, due to incessant rain on day 4, the match eventually ended in a draw as both teams moved forward for the final test at Jamaica. However, the match did raise the morale of the Windies, who went out to win the second test and seal the series 1-0.

To watch the innings of Brian Lara, Click Here. 

THE FORTRESS

 

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Venue: Headingley, Leeds [August 19-21, 2026].

Headingley is one of the toughest venues for any visiting side, so much so that the English have not lost a test match here since 2017. Mind you, in 2021, when the Three Lions were at their lowest, they still managed to pull out a win against Mighty Indians on this very ground. So calling Headingley a fortress will not be wrong. The seam conditions, along with bounce and pace, make this a hunting zone for the fast bowlers, and if clouds come in, batting becomes even more challenging. As a result, when Pakistanis came to Leeds for the first test, no one gave them any chance. To make the matters worse, their captain got injured before the test and was subsequently ruled out. Hence, an English win was almost certain.

However, no one knew that the visitors would get blown out like a school team. The Pakistanis (Both Innings Combined) were able to bat for just 85.4 overs as the English pace attack rattled them like anything. The duo of Tongue and Robinson picked up 8 wickets each as the hosts won the first test by an innings and 103 runs. It is pertinent to note that the English did score 409 runs in their first innings, meaning that there were no demons on the pitch. It was indeed a contest between boys and men.

The test match ended in just 3 days as Joe Root managed to secure his first test win as a captain in his second captaincy stint. Headingley thus continues to be a fortress for England, and it is therefore very unfortunate that it will not be hosting an Ashes test next year. It is literally an added advantage to the Australians that they will not be playing in a venue which is literally a graveyard for any visiting side.

To watch the Highlights of this test, click on the URLs below.

Day 1.

Day 2.

Day 3.