81 All Out

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