81 All Out

In our latest episode of the podcast we chat with former Bangladesh Test cricket Shahriar Nafees and ESPNcricinfo journalist Mohammad Isam. Talking points: Street cricket in Dhaka Legends of tape-tennis cricket The value of age-group cricket in Bangladesh The period when cricket started to overshadow football in Bangladesh Memories of cricket from the 1990s The Fatullah Test against Australia in 2006 A heady period for Bangladesh between 2005 and 2007 The pressure of having to live up to expectations Participants: Shahriar Nafees Mohammad Isam (@isam84) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Related: Shahriar Nafees' YouTube channel  Unbelievable to have scored a T20 hundred - Shahriar Nafees interview Nafees leads Bangladesh's brilliant charge - ESPNcricinfo report When Mohammad Ashraful took on McGrath and Gillespie - ESPNcricinfo That winning feeling - Rabeed Imam on Bangladesh's win over India in 2004 - ESPNcricinfo

In this special episode of the 81allout podcast, we chat with Michael Sexton on his latest book Border's Battlers, which provides a fascinating account of the iconic tied Test between India and Australia at Chepauk in September 1986. Michael has been a journalist, producer, and sportswriter for over three decades and been a part of ABC, BBC, and Channel Nine. He has written eight books and two of them on cricket - Chappell's Last Stand and Border's Battlers.  Talking points:  Contextualizing the state of Australian cricket and Border's captaincy coming into the Test series against India  Vaudeville reenactment of the last over of the tied Test by Greg Matthews  Dean Jones's magnificent double-century followed by an ambulance ride to the hospital  Getting the geographical specificity of Chennai and Chepauk right  Heroic efforts of Ray Bright and forever-on-the-field 13th man, Mike Veletta  Influence of Bob Simpson and the elephantine memory of Errol Alcott  Kapil Dev's b

We started with Delhi, moved to Karnataka, and now head to West Bengal for our next edition of the street cricket chronicles. Through this series we hope to bring out the cricket culture in different cities at the most amateur levels: whether it is on the streets, in the gullies and driveways and terraces, on beaches, or in the parks. In this episode we chat with two guests who grew up in Kolkata and Asansol in the 1980s and 1990s. Talking points: Rubber, Deuce, Rubber-Deuce and Cambis balls Influence of the long monsoon and early sunset on the street cricket dynamics Seasonal switch between cricket and football Genteel Kolkata and the not-so-genteel Asansol Parents as match referees Why Harbhajan Singh would have struggled in street cricket in West Bengal Pocket money? What is that alien concept? The contentious wide calls and the self-regulating rule Bricks as stumps and real-time Hawkeye problems Cricket as an individual sport and the near-universal chronology of batting and bowling line-ups The popularity

Our special guest this week is Nadeem F Paracha, an historian, author, and cultural critic who writes a regular column for the Dawn newspaper. NFP, as he is fondly known, has been a keen observer of Pakistan cricket for close to half a century. Drawing on his vast knowledge of history and culture, he brings a unique perspective when writing about the game. And he adds vital context with regard to the political and social conditions that have prevailed across the years. Talking Points: Wasim Raja - a man ahead of his time Pakistan's historic win in Sydney in 1977 Mushtaq Mohammad - a largely forgotten captain Zia-ul-Haq's love for television Javed Miandad's immortal six in Sharjah The 1987 World Cup - and Imran's retirement The ugly 1990s and the match-fixing scourge Inzamam and the Zia school of captaincy Misbah's ideology-free pragmatism Participants: Nadeem F Paracha (@nadeemfparacha); Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee); Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Related: Like Nation, Like Cricket:

In our latest episode of the podcast we talk to Abhinav Mukund, who has played seven Tests for India and recently became only the second batsman from Tamil Nadu to cross 10,000 first-class runs. Abhinav has not shied away from expressing his views on matters as important as mental health and colourism. In a wide-ranging chat, he opens up about matters both cricketing and non-cricketing and reveals a maturity that belies his years. Talking points: Formative experiences around cricket The teenage prodigy Abhinav A triple-hundred at the age of 18 The India call-up Tours to West Indies and England The dejection of being dropped Coming out of a funk The brief return to the national side Making peace with oneself The issue of mental health in cricket Why he came out strongly against colourism The dream of winning a Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu And much more... Participants: Abhinav Mukund (@mukundabhinav) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Related: It's ok to tak

Our special guest this week is Prof Surya Prakash Chaturvedi, a veteran cricket writer from Indore. Prof Chaturvedi, a retired professor of English, chose to write about his passion in Hindi and went on to author 15 books on the game. The 83-year-old Chaturvedi has had a chance to witness the great breadth of Indian cricket - starting with CK Nayudu and Mushtaq Ali all the way to the current generation. Talking Points: The challenges of writing on cricket in Hindi The great Holkar team of the '40s and '50s The frightening presence of CK Nayudu Vijay Hazare - a study in courage Mushtaq Ali - a cricketer nonpareil Meeting a young Sunil Gavaskar The genius of Salim Durrani The decision to write in Hindi Coining new cricketing terms in Hindi Memories of a young Narendra Hirwani And much more... Books by Prof Surya Prakash Chaturvedi: Prof Chaturvedi's Wikipedia page -  all available in National Book Trust Prof Chaturvedi's Amazon page Related: Bengal v Holkar - Ranji Trophy final 1952-5

Our special guest this week is Mudar Patherya, a cricket writer for Sportsworld magazine through the 1980s - before he moved on to other interests. Across five trips to Pakistan, visits to Sharjah, a tour to West Indies, and several assignments within India - Mudar made a name for himself as one of the finest writers on the game. The more we listened, the more we were convinced that he was the 'Forrest Gump of cricket' in the '80s. Talking Points: Covering India's tour to Pakistan in 1982-83 The fascination with Abdul Qadir Getting to know Imran Khan Javed Miandad's famous six in Sharjah The shock and disbelief in Lahore on that evening in 1987 The World Cup final at Eden Gardens The fiery passion for cricket in a small corner of Calcutta Meeting (and shocking) a president of the MCC The genius of Mushtaq Ali The magnificent Mr Pataudi The craze for football in the Calcuta of the '70s and '80s When Sanjay Manjrekar was the Wall Sachin Tendulkar's first day in Test cricket Collecting

Our special guest for our latest episode is Clayton Murzello, group sports editor of Mid-Day in Mumbai. A few months ago, we had chatted with Clayton about his journey in cricket journalism and of the stories surrounding club cricket in Mumbai. This time we chose to ask him about the stories behind the stories – and the challenges that a journalist often has to overcome in the process of doing a story. Talking Points: The pros and cons of working for a tabloid The preparation and approach to a cricket tour The importance of reading Meeting a paralyzed Winston Davis in England His first big story for Mid-Day - about Mohsin Khan Interviewing Michael Holding in the Dhaka airport Tracking down the family of a cricketer who mysteriously disappeared Knocking on an Indian captain's hotel room door late at night The economics of the media today and much more... Participants: Clayton Murzello (@claytonmurzello) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Ashoka (@ABVan) Related: Cricket in Mumbai: stories, l

In this episode, we chat with former India Test cricketer, columnist, author and commentator Aakash Chopra. Aakash tells us about his initiation into the game – in the mid-1980s – and of learning the fundamentals from his legendary coach Tarak Sinha. He goes on to review his international stint and admits he hadn't fully understood his game until mid-way through his career. Talking Points: Memories of Sonnet Cricket Club Thinking about the game from an early age The pressure he was under on his Ranji Trophy debut Cricket as a team game v cricket as an individual game Playing for the team v playing to one's strengths The gift (and curse) of Sachin Tendulkar Writing his first book Beyond the Blues The problem with being fully honest Writing for happiness Enjoying the game through the tough times Finding empathy during the course of criticism ... and much more Participants: Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Ashoka (@ABVan) Books by Aakash Chopra: Beyond the

In this episode, we chat with journalist and author Samanth Subramanian. Samanth, an accomplished author and internationally renowned journalist, is a long-time cricket fan who began his career as a sub-editor at Cricinfo. He rewinds to the time he fell in love with the game – in the mid-1990s – and gives us a terrific overview of his relationship with cricket over the years. As a fan, a full-time cricket journalist, an observer from a distance, as well as someone who dips into the game to take in its pleasures. Participants: Samanth Subramanian (@samanth_s, http://samanth.in) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Related: The Confidence Man; India's Lavish Farewell to Sachin Tendulkar; Unknown Cricketers; 'You little beauty' (81allout podcast); Fly Lara Fly;  The Star We Don't Know; 'Every generation needs its writers to tell its stories' - Sharda Ugra; From Bedi to Kohli: a cricket writer's journey - Vijay Lokapally podcast; The things we remember, the things we forget - 81allout podcast Books discussed: F

A big moment for us at 81allout as we have an international cricketer on our podcast for the first time. Vijay Bharadwaj played 3 Tests and 10 ODIs for India in the turn of the millennium. His high-point was during the LG Cup in Nairobi in 1999-2000 where he was named the Man of the Series for his all-round performances. He was a giant for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and played a vital role in their three Ranji Trophy triumphs in the 1990s. In this episode, Vijay chats about his formative experiences of playing cricket on the street and in the parks, and remembers a number of characters who lit up the Bangalore cricket scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Talking points: The competitive nature of street cricket in the Bangalore of the 1980s Graduating to the park The deadly variations that spinners employed A bowler who was a combination of Shoaib Akhtar and Muralitharan The intensity of each net session Pitch-catch out, beaten out, full-toss out Copying Mohinder Amarnath Dodda Ganesh, David Johnson and other stre

In this special episode, we chat with veteran sports writer Sharda Ugra. From interviewing star cricketers as a college student... to blazing a trail as a sports journalist in the early '90s... to writing on a variety of sports for The Hindu... to being the chief sports writer at India Today... to presently working as a senior editor at ESPNcricinfo... Sharda has been an inspiration for a number of sports writers around the world. We chat with Sharda about her illustrious career – and are riveted by her range of experiences as well as her inexhaustible bank of anecdotes. Talking Points: The magazines that hooked her on to sports The interviews she and her college buddies did with the stars of the 1980s Memories of Imran Khan Landing her first job Finding Sachin Tendulkar's number Covering sailing  Watching Kenya's biggest cricketing moment The match-fixing shock The fall of Hansie Cronje The Azharuddin she interviewed Authoring a book with John Wright The Ganguly era Player acces

We are happy to kickstart a new series: street cricket chronicles. Here we hope to bring out the cricket culture in different cities at the most amateur levels: whether it is on the streets, in the gullies and driveways and terraces, on beaches, or in the parks. In this episode we chat with two guests who grew up in Delhi in the 1990s. Talking points: Tip-top and connections Breaking windows, damaging cars Spinning the Cosco cricket ball Off-side only rules Mimicking Mark Waugh, Lara, Aravinda et al. Bet-matches for pizzas at Nirula's Playing (and watching) cricket in the Delhi chill Visiting the Kotla Watching Sachin's 35th hundred Participants: Aftab Khanna (@aftabkhanna) Prothit Sen Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

In this special episode, we chat with veteran cricket journalist and author Makarand Waingankar. Over the last five decades, Makarand has been witness to the changing tides in Indian cricket. He has written extensively about the game – from the  maidans as well as the giant stadiums – and carries with him stories and anecdotes to last several lifetimes.  Apart from his work as a journalist, Makarand played a key role at the BCA-Mafatlal Academy in the early 1990s - which produced cricketers like Abey Kuruvilla, Salil Ankola, Paras Mhambrey and Sairaj Bahutule. A decade later, he would play a vital part in the setting up of the BCCI's Talent Resource Development Wing, which would go on to unearth talents like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla. We chat with Makarand about the various hats he has worn over the years, and he provides us with a wonderful portrait of how cricket was when he started his journey and how vastly different things are now. Talking Points: Sunil

The cricketing memory is a strange beast. Sometimes you recall exactly where you were and what you were doing when you watched a cricket match 33 years ago. Words from the next day's match report are stuck in your head. The photographs are etched in your memory. They transport you to a time and place far, far away. Then you try and recall a game that took place ten days back. You watched every ball of it. You had a lot to say on Twitter when it was happening. You saw the highlights too. But seem to remember very little now. The scorecard is a blur. The match report... did you even bother to read it? In our latest episode, we chat with two guests who fell in love with the game in the 1980s. They are cricket tragics who have lived in various parts of the world – and they tell us about their experiences of following the game in the pre-internet, pre-cable TV years and their passion for tracking  scores and devouring match reports.  Each explores their own relationship with cricket over time and they tr

We review New Zealand's 2-0 series win against India in the recently concluded series. Talking Points: How NZ winning Tests within three or four days is bad financial news for their board. Were the pitches too green or green enough? When extra pace perhaps worked against India's fast bowlers. The swing masters - Boult and Southee The dangers of Pujara's natural game in specific conditions Pant's indecision Jamieson, the all-round star NZ open up the World Test Championship Participants: Michael Wagener (@mykuhl) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Related: New Zealand's home advantage - Michael Wagener How the Blackcaps became a powerhouse in their conditions - Michael Wagener Shami needs a defensive trick up his sleeve - Karthik Krishnaswamy A bowler for each batsman: how New Zealand plotted India's downfall - Karthik Krishnaswamy New Zealand's finest brace for their biggest season - 81allout podcast with Michael Wagener

In this special episode, we chat with the deputy editor at The Hindu, Vijay Lokapally. In his career spanning close to four decades, Vijay has had a ringside view of Indian cricket and written about the team and its performances from around the world. Long-time readers of The Hindu and Sportstar would have many fond memories from Vijay's reports and tour diaries, which he infuses with keen insights as well as his signature brand of humour. We chat with Vijay about his illustrious career – from covering his first Test for a children's magazine, tracking Delhi's Ranji team in the '80s, and spotting a young Waqar Younis in the same game as Imran Khan did… to being present at so many historic moments in Indian cricket and establishing himself as one of the leading lights in the field. Talking Points: His piece on Bishan Singh Bedi that got him his first break The characters in Delhi cricket in the 1980s His memories of Raman Lamba The world of cricket journalism in the 1980s Telegrams and trunk calls T

We preview the upcoming 2-Test series between New Zealand – who have been formidable at home of late – and India – the No.1 team in Tests. Talking Points Is India v New Zealand a rivalry that needs more hype? New Zealand's horror tour to Australia Wagner the warrior The trend of fielding first in Tests in New Zealand India's happy headaches with regard to selection of openers Should we read anything into Bumrah's ODI performance? Participants: Suhas Cadambi (@suhascadambi) Ashoka Rao (@abvan) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Related: New Zealand's finest brace for biggest season - 81allout podcast with Michael Wagener Wagner pounds his beat to good effect - George Dobell Rewind to India's tour to New Zealand in 1998-99 - 81allout podcast

In this podcast, we look back at India's tour of New Zealand in 1998-99. India had pulled off a thrilling Test series win at home against Australia earlier in the year, followed by some memorable wins in ODI tournaments, before the disheartening loss in the one-off Test in Zimbabwe in the lead up to the NZ series. Talking Points: Simon Doull's spell from hell. Azhar's brilliant back to the walls century. The Nash-Vettori partnership that took the game away. Tendulkar's peak that produced a dazzling century. A Boxing day Test without a tradition. McMillan's short balls. Srinath's fifer, Prasad's batting, and Dravid's twin hundreds.

Being a Tamil Nadu fan in the Ranji Trophy is not a journey for the faint-hearted. We talk to two ardent followers of Tamil Nadu's fortunes and chart their journey through the losses, moments of ecstacy, and eternal hope. We talk about the classic TN heartbreaks over the years, favourite games, the vibrant league cricket in Chennai, the struggles of early TN cricketers, the recent success stories, rise of CSK and N Srinivasan, and we cap off the chat by picking an all time TN XI. Participants: K Balakumar (@kbalakumar) Dipak Ragav (@dipakragav) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)