81 All Out

We rewind to the 2011 World Cup that was jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh - and talk about ODI cricket back then, the bowler-friendly nature of many games, the big upsets, the nail-biting finishes, and a cathartic moment for India - and a generation that had never knew what it meant to win a World Cup.  Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: The roundabout connection between the hosts of the 2011 World Cup and India taking part in the 2007 World T20 How India had turned into a feisty ODI side leading up to the World Cup The close ODI series in South Africa before the World Cup Sehwag and Kohli trouncing Bangladesh in the opening game The pulsating tie against England in Bangalore Australia's first loss in a World Cup since 1999 - against Pakistan Steyn leading South Africa to a thrilling win in Nagpur Sri Lanka thriving in their home conditions - throttling the opponents Sri Lanka's thumping of England in the quarter-final - and echoes of 1996 India's bowling

One of the themes in our episode on team selection was how the change in playing conditions of ODIs had made selection hard. We dialed in on how the change in Powerplay rules, along with the two new balls at both ends, has reshaped in the cricketing contest in ODIs and thereby reshaped the way teams are being selected. Support 81allout via Ko-Fi Talking Points: How profound has the impact of the ODI Powerplay rules been since 2015? Is there clear evidence that introduction of two new balls at both ends has skewed the contest more in batters' favour? Has the elimination of the middle overs stalemate resulted in a diminishing role for part-time bowlers? How relevant are the middle-order accumulators since the new Powerplay rules came into being? Are teams fielding deeper bowling attacks than they did in the past? Is there scope for touch players under the new order? How have different teams responded to the change in Powerplay rules over the years? Given the competitive nature of teams in t

The crew chats about the idea of selecting a cricket team, and debates how one can have a meaningful conversation about an inherently unfair process. Should selectors be more transparent about the reasoning behind their choices? Is there a process by which we can judge a good selection? And how can anyone justify the selection of the Indian team when anything less than a victory in a global tournament (or marquee Test series) is deemed a failure?  Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: How does one have a meaningful debate about selection?  Does the selection (or non-selection) of one player have a big impact on results?  Will it help us understand the process better if selectors explain the rationale for their choices? What was the cricketing logic behind Vijay Shankar's selection for the 2019 World Cup?  What are selectors looking for when they earmark a player as an India prospect? Is there anything that can be termed an 'outrageous selection' ? Does Sarfaraz Khan know why he is

We review the recently concluded five-Test series between England and Australia that ended 2-2 - with Australia retaining the Ashes. It was a series defined by England's 'Bazball' approach to batting - though that undersells how well Australia's batters resisted English bowling and how well Australia bowled in largely batting-friendly conditions. https://ko-fi.com/81allout Talking Points: A neutral view of the Ashes - and how it is hard to pick a team to support The limits of Bazball - and why England's recent success stems from their bowling depth  Australia's bowlers adjusting to the flat pitches and England's risk-taking Why did England not want to prepare seamer-friendly pitches at home and capitalise on their big strength? Stokes v Starc on the final morning at Lord's The cult of Bazball - and how it fits in well with the English cricket establishment's exceptionalism Mark Wood's pace and Nathan Lyon's absence The effect of Bazball on England

We review the second Test between West Indies and India at Port-of-Spain, which was rained off when India needed 8 wickets to wrap up the win. It meant India won their sixth series in West Indies and continued their dominance when touring the Caribbean.  Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: The problem with gauging the quality of a Test based on crowds and pitches Does Test cricket have to conform to a template? Mohammad Siraj's terrific spells West Indies' curious decision to field first on a benign pitch Virat Kohli's near-flawless hundred Ashwin and Jadeja tightening the screws on Day 3 Mukesh Kumar's debut - and India's transition over the next few years West Indies' improved batting performance  The challenge for India's bowlers in tougher conditions Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page Ashoka (@ABVan) ----------------------------------------------------

We review the first Test between West Indies and India at Dominica - which saw a dominant Indian side complete a big win. The conditions were perfectly suited to India's spinners – and gave Ashwin the chance to show his range.  Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: A 'perfect storm' for West Indies on a pitch favouring spinners The media obsession with the 'death of Test cricket'  Ashwin's 12-wicket haul on his return to the side Ashwin and Jadeja's deadliness: control + variations + drift + turn Cornwall's economical action with few moving parts The challenge when facing Ashwin when he is bowling round the wicket The power of Jadeja's action - repeatability  Jaiswal's debut hundred - and why the India A system is so valuable Alick Athanaze's assurance against spin India's transition - and the case for Ishant and Saha Multi-format players and the future of Tests Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd

Where is cricket best enjoyed? Live at the stadium or on a screen many miles away? What do these experiences teach us and what really are we watching when we take in a game? The 81allout crew discuss.  Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: The challenges (and privilege required) to access a cricket ground The ordeal of watching a game in an Indian stadium The improved quality of television coverage that takes you close to the action The complications of a televised game that is carefully directed and packaged The distractions during a broadcast: advertisements, crowd shots, sponsor logos Experiencing the conditions at the ground and understanding flight and length The appreciation to be gained from watching the entire field of play The democratic nature of TV - and how it introduces the game to new fans The influence of commentary on one's interpretation of the game Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Ashoka (

We speak to British playwright Maatin about his play Duck, which looks at the cricketing events of 2005 through the prism of a 15-year-old boy in a public school in London. You can buy tickets to the play here. What the play is about: It’s the summer of 2005, and Ismail – ‘Smiley’ to his friends – is about to become the youngest-ever player in his elite public school’s First XI cricket team. He sets his sights on immortality – breaking the school batting record and getting his name into Wisden. But at the start of the season, new coach Mr. Eagles takes a particular dislike to him, threatening to derail Ismail’s historic moment. Worse still, no one seems to get what he’s going through. Set during England’s famous Ashes victory and the events of 7/7, Ismail discovers that cricket might not be able to take care of everything as it once did. Talking Points: The impetus to write the play and how closely it resembles Maatin's childhood The challenges of being an outsider in the British public school system

We review the World Test Championship final between Australia and India at The Oval - which ended with a 209-run win and the Test mace for Australia. It was India's second consecutive loss in the WTC final - and offered hints that a terrific side is likely past its peak.  Talking Points: Australia's greater depth in bowling Yet another missed opportunity for this Indian side to win a world title The height advantage - how the 'release points' could have made a difference The magnificent Mr Smith Did India misread the conditions on Day 1? Gill and Pujara leaving balls that hit the stumps Ashwin v Jadeja; Ashwin v Shardul; Ashwin v Umesh - the selection riddle Lyon's craft to get Jadeja and Rohit out Rahane's joyous return to Tests What next for this Indian bowling attack? The Rahul Dravid question Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Prashant DP (@prashantdptweet) | Prashant's cricket posts on Medium Kartikeya Date (@cricketi

We chat with ESPNcricinfo assistant editor Karthik Krishnaswamy and freelance writer Saurabh Somani on making sense of cricket in these times of excess. With leagues mushrooming around the world, and multiple formats to track, can journalists be expected to have a holistic view of the game? Talking Points: The evolution of cricket - and pressures on journalists - over the last decade The near-impossible task of watching cricket across formats and geographies The difficulty of 'connecting the dots' from age-group to international cricket The need to change one's writing to suit the rhythm of the format Making peace with not watching most of the cricket that is being televised The lack of bandwidth to take in the big picture The future of one-dayers and how its extinction could have far-reaching effects A future where journalists will need to pick formats to cover Balancing the demands of the market with the demands of journalism The future of cricket coverage with advances in video

Some cricketers we love at first sight; some, we take time to appreciate; others, we do not understand the fuss; and still others are quick to get under our skins. Often, we review our views over time - and often surprise ourselves by changing our opinions about cricketers.  Kapil Dev, Ishant Sharma, Ravi Shastri, Ian Chappell, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Steve Waugh - all formidable cricketers. All of whom we have changed our minds over at various stages. And all of whom we focus on in this episode - to understand the evolution of our fandom. Talking Points: What Kapil Dev chasing Hadlee's record meant for many young fans The staggering image of Kapil being a combination of Bumrah and Pant Ishant Sharma's arrival in Test cricket - and the 'trolling' years that followed Post-2016 Ishant - the most improved Indian cricketer this decade? The Ravi Shastri stereotypes - and how it is easy to be trapped by all of them The legendary forthrightness of Ian Chap

We talk to the veteran journalist and author - Pradeep Magazine. We discuss the major themes of his books - Not Quite Cricket and Not Just Cricket – and talk about the lessons from the match-fixing epidemic in the late 1990s and how the player-journalist relationship has altered over time. Journalists of the 1990s had enough access to the inner circle to get an inkling of the shadiness, says Magazine, but journalists of today are sadly in the dark. ⁠Support 81allout on KoFi⁠ Talking Points: A chance-meeting with a bookie in 1997 that opened up the world of fixing Writing about match-fixing before the big story broke Interviewing Sachin Tendulkar about match-fixing in 1997 Kapil Dev accusing his players of being distracted by money in 1983 Magazine's relationship with Kapil Dev over time - from fan to critique The two sides of Mohammad Azharuddin and how it was hard to separate both The problem for investigative journalists today cut off from the inner circle A new book that casts light on the

We talk to the former Zimbabwe fast bowler - and the first black cricketer to represent his country - Henry Olonga. We focus on the book that Olonga published in 2010 - Blood, Sweat, and Treason - and revisit the highs and lows of his career. We also look back on Olonga's and Andy Flower's iconic black armband protest at the 2003 World Cup, and how it would change his life forever. Talking Points: Growing up in Zimbabwe in the 1980s - and recognizing his cricketing potential A bittersweet Test debut against Pakistan- when he was called for chucking The purple patch - beating India and Pakistan in Test series, and shining in the 1999 World Cup The tumultuous early 2000s - within the team and for the country as a whole The racial tension  in the backdrop of unrest over Zimbabwe's land reforms The push for 'targets' to have more black players and administrators The political build-up to the 2003 World Cup - and the decision to speak out How Olonga's life turned upside down i

We talk to ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam on his decade-long career covering cricket and his recent anthology On the Tigers Trail. Isam touches on the culture of cricket media in Bangladesh and offers a number of personal nuggets  - bowling to Kevin Pietersen in the nets, talking to Javed Omar about a 'Hate to Love' piece, prompting a Mohammad Ashraful breakdown, following Mashrafe Mortaza on his election trail... and much more.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (recently republished by 81allout) India (hardback) | India (paperback) | India (e-copy) Australia (paperback, e-copy) USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy) UK (hardback, paperback, e-copy) Canada (hardback, paperback, e-copy) [podcast_subscribe id="1595"] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talking Points: The culture of cricket coverage in Bangladesh The

We talk to journalist and historian Gideon Haigh about The Summer Game - his classic book recently republished by 81allout Publishing. Gideon talks about the largely forgotten 1950s and '60s, and fascinating stories he heard from many who nourished the game – at a time when the financial rewards were minimal and when the game itself saw some fallow times. India (hardback) | India (paperback) | India (e-copy) Australia (paperback, e-copy) USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy) UK (hardback, paperback, e-copy) Canada (hardback, paperback, e-copy) Talking Points: The idea for The Summer Game - an outgrowing from The Cricket War How post-war period opened up Australian cricket to the rest of the world The tragic end to Ian Meckiff's career - and what he recalled of it many years on Robert Menzies' role in Australian cricket through his primership The discontent of the '50s and '60s setting the stage for World Series Cricket The poignant story of Pat Crawford - who disappeared from the fac

In episode 156 of the 81allout podcast we are joined by former India Test cricketer and Ranji Trophy colossus Abhinav Mukund - who has now turned into an astute analyst on TV. Abhinav is piqued by Kartikeya Date's latest article in ESPNcricinfo (Do India choke in high-profile ODIs) and shares his perspective on how a player approaches (and talks about pressure), and weighs in on the question: is pressure a good parameter to explain the result of a match?  Talking Points: The times when a player feels he is in the 'middle of a volcano' How players talk about the game and their part in it What players mean when they talk about 'pressure' Does pressure affect performance in a sustained manner? Talking about skill v talking about mental faculties Is it fair for strangers to make assumptions about players' mental abilities? The problem with attributing the result to mental strength/weaknesses What happened to South Africa in the 2015 World Cup semi-final? The value of find

In episode 155 of the 81allout podcast we review the fourth and final Test between India and Australia in Ahmedabad. The two teams played out a high-scoring draw, which ensured India won their fourth consecutive series against Australia and set up a Test between the same two teams in the World Test Championship final in June. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: The value of Axar Patel as a bowler and batter in this series Has any Indian team had as much batting and bowling depth as this one? The pitch laid out for the final Test - flat and slow Australia's batters finishing off on a high note Ashwin's masterful spell in the first innings What Ashwin and Lyon do really really well Virat Kohli's defensive flourishes Will Kuhnemann play another Test? The political event on day 1 - and the questions cricket fans need to ask Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Ashoka (ABVan) * Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee | B

In episode 154 of the 81allout podcast we review the third Test between India and Australia in Indore. On a challenging wicket in Indore - which was subsequently classed as 'poor' by the ICC match referee - Australia pulled off a terrific nine-wicket win. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Did Australia do anything differently in this Test than in the previous two? Jadeja's rare off-Test in recent times India's collapse on the first morning - and all the pitch talk Did the pitch rage enough? Was the match referee justified in rating it 'poor'? The problem with variable bounce (as opposed to lateral movement) Khawaja v Labuschagne: a contrast against spin Nathan Lyon's masterful spell - from around the wicket, cramping the batters Lyon's evolution as a spinner for Indian conditions - and his battle with Pujara Pujara's half-century in the second innings - and the partnership with Shreyas Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@crick

In episode 153 of the 81allout podcast we interview the award-winning author and historian - and one of modern India's most renowned biographers - Ramachandra Guha. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: In search of the memories of India's first great cricketer - Palwankar Baloo Does the Bombay school of batting begin with the remarkable P Vithal? How the city of Bombay is a main character in Corner of a Foreign Field The Parsee influence in the history of Indian cricket CK Naydu's epochal 153 against the MCC team in 1926-27 The evolution of the game in post-independence India Race, caste, religion, and nation - the fissures around Indian cricket The India v Pakistan match in Manchester in 1999 - with their soldiers at war Participants: Ramachandra Guha (@ramguha) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) * Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee | Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward Books Discussed: Corner of a Foreign Field - Ramachandra Guha - Amazon; Spin and Other Turns - Rama

In episode 152 of the podcast we review the second Test between India and Australia in Delhi. The match see-sawed for two days until Australia collapsed on the third morning - and India sealed a six-wicket win. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Australia's tactic to sweep against spinners on a pitch keeping low Batting in India in the third innings - a most perilous task The Smith sweep to Ashwin, and Labuschagne playing the ball off the pitch Ashwin and Jadeja - and the subtle variation in lengths across innings Could Australia have used their feet and lofted more in the second innings? Ashwin's mesmeric spell on the first morning Nathan Lyon's drift and turn from around the wicket How the Axar-Ashwin partnership tilted the scales Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Ashoka (ABVan) * Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee | Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward * Related: Jadeja's seven-wicket haul