We review the fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi – where India sealed a series with a magnificent five-wicket win. 
Support 81allout at Ko-Fi
Talking Points:

 The third-innings bowling that capped another brilliant third-day fightback
 India's forced accelerated transition - with a team full of youngsters
  Dhruv Jurel's expert batting with the tail
  Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep - an undecipherable trio 
  Bazball sucking all the oxygen out of the England media
  Did England miss a trick by not bowling Anderson and Robinson enough?
  How England's statements often ran opposite to their actions
  Could England have done better in India if they shelved Bazball?
  Akash Deep's dream first spell

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Ranchi win epitomises current era of India's Test team with promise for the next one - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo
  India Pull Off Sensational Heist Against Negative England In Ranchi - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
  Fog of post-truth Baz-chat obscures England’s progress under Ben Stokes - Barney Ronay - Guardian
  England lose series in India - Sky Cricket Vodcast - YouTube

 

A win for the ages: India v England, 4th Test review

We review the third Test between India and England in Rajkot – where a terrific all-round performance helped India go 2-1 up. 
Support 81allout at Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

 India's magnificent bowling on Day 3
 How the flat pitches in this series are neutralizing Bazball
 India's spinners - turning the ball more with greater control
 Why England's batting tactics are actually a tribute to India's great bowling
  Why India are actually relentlessly attacking while England are highly defensive
  Why England should have played an extra seamer in all three Tests
  The problem for England's spinners in India - lack of control
  Sarfaraz Khan's old-school method of lofting spinners 
  Shubman Gill's tweak to his technique
  Ashwin's 500th, Jadeja's stupendous Test
  Mohammad Siraj - non-stop relentless 


Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Craft Kuldeep undoes Bazball - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo
  India win by 434 runs - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
  What next for Bazball after India crush England - Sky Cricket Vodcast - YouTube
  R Ashwin: the 5D chess master of modern cricket - Jarrod Kimber - YouTube

India hand England a right royal thumping: India v England, 3rd Test review

We review the second Test between India and England in Visakhapatnam – where Jasprit Bumrah powered India to a 106-run win. 
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi
Talking Points:

 A celebration of Test cricket
 A series with echoes of the 2016-17 home series v Australia 
 Are England really playing Bazball?
 India's decision to play five bowlers even with an inexperienced batting line-up
 Does anyone think of drawing a Test match these days?
 Jasprit Bumrah: an artist operating on a different plane to the rest
  James Anderson's spell and the mystery around how little he bowls in India
  Did England pick one spinner too many?
  Yashasvi Jaiswal's crackling double-hundred
  Shubman Gill making the most of his luck to a fine Test hundred
  Do these pitches give India the best chance v England?

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Jasprit Bumrah press conference after Day 2 - BCCI.tv
  Sky Cricket podcast with Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain - YouTube
  India Beat England By 106 runs- Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
  Jasprit Bumrah's spells in West Indies in 2019 - Antigua, Kingston - YouTube

Awesome Bumrah helps India draw level: India v England, 2nd Test review

We review the first Test between India and England in Hyderabad – where India lost a Test match at home after gaining a first-innings lead of 190.  
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi
Talking Points:

 One of England's greatest wins
 Ollie Pope's freakish 196
  India's approach to facing left-arm spin
  Why England choose to sweep and reverse-sweep India's spinners
  Bazball and the approach to risk-taking
  India's batters getting out to unforced errors after being set
  Jasprit Bumrah's astonishing range 

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Sky Cricket podcast with Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain - Sky Sports
  How England cracked the risk-reward equation in Hyderabad - S Rajesh - ESPNcricinfo
  England begin their series in India with a win... Again - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
  Jasprit Bumrah interview with Ali Martin - Guardian
  Bharat Arun interview - 81allout podcast

 

Pope, Hartley, and a remarkable win: India v England, 1st Test review

We rewind to England's tour to India in 2001-02 - when India won the three-Test series 1-0 and England leveled the six-match ODI series 3-3. England arrived in India on the back of terrific series wins in Sri Lanka and Pakistan - and despite a green bowling attack managed to gave India a scare in two Tests. 
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi
Talking Points:

 The uncertainty around the tour because of the events around 9/11
 India's eventful 2001 - epic wins, big defeats, and plenty of controversy 
 The similar (yet contrasting) narratives around the captaincy of Nasser Hussain and Sourav Ganguly 
 How England's raw bowling attack found a way to restrict India's batting line-up
  The legend of Ashley Giles bowling a negative line from over the wicket
  Tendulkar's peak - and the unrealistic high standards everyone set for him
  Craig White and Matthew Hoggard: coming of age on a tough tour
  The Bangalore Test that could have been played in Headingley
  The threat of Sehwag at No.7 
  Marcus Trescothick's dream run in the one-dayers
  When Flintoff took his shirt off

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
DP Prashant (@prashantdptweet)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
Related:

  India v England, Ahmedabad Test highlights, 2001-02 - YouTube
  India v England, Bangalore Test highlights, 2001-02 - YouTube
  England divided by safety worries - Mike Selvey.- Guardian
  Playing with Fire - Nasser Hussain autobiography - Amazon
  Coming Back to Me - Marcus Trescothick autobiography - Amazon

 

When India faced Nas ball: rewind to England's tour of India in 2001

We review the two-Test series between South Africa and India - which ended 1-1 after a bowler-dominated shootout in Cape Town. 
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi
Talking Points:

 India's missed opportunity to finally win a series in SA
 Why the Cape Town pitch backfired on South Africa
 India's lack of fast bowling depth - a sign of more struggles in future away series
 Mohammad Siraj's dream spell on the first morning in Cape Town 
  Dean Elgar's century: a tale of plays-and-misses and cashing in on poor bowling
  Aiden Markram's astonishing attack
  Where Rabada and Bumrah showed their class: figuring out the conditions
  Rohit Sharma's comments about the pitch - and potential double-standards
  Are these short Tests harming the format? Or are they ideal for entertainment? 

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  India prove their golden age has plenty of kick left - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo 
  Mean Reversion - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview - Substack
  Newlands pitch the tip of WP’s iceberg of problems - Telford Vice - Wordpress
  On the ICC pitch evaluation system - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview - Substack
  Crime and punishment: warnings, fines, bans and let-offs - Alok Prasanna Kumar - The Cricket Monthly 

India level series after shootout in Cape Town

We chat with Karthik Krishnaswamy and Kartikeya Date about the role of luck in cricket and how we can better describe the game by separating actions from outcomes. 
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi
Talking Points:

 Luck v skill - and why the two are not opposed to each other
 The traditional method of describing cricket - by ascribing reasons for outcomes
  Why it is hard for fans to accept 'luck' as a major part of a sporting contest
  The luck component in different sports - and the 'optimal' luck cricket needs
  The brief phase in each ball when neither batter or bowler is in total control 
  India's loss to New Zealand in 2020 against an attack best suited for the conditions 
  England's strategy v spin in the 2019 World Cup compared to their strategy in the 2023 World Cup
  The model of the game that views contest without the layer of chauvinism 
  The post-facto analysis that accompanies most discussions around captaincy

Participants:
Karthik Krishnaswamy (@the_kk) | ESPNcricinfo page
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  What's luck got to do with it: a control review of the World Cup - Kartikeya Date - ESPNcricinfo 
  Virat Kohli's battle with himself - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo
  The Virat Kohli century that was a trip back in time - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo
  What we talk about when we talk about pressure - Podcast with Abhinav Mukund - 81allout
  What we talk about when we talk about cricket - Podcast with Daniel Norcross - 81allout
  Are some points in Tennis more important than others? - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
  Luck and skill untangled: the science of success – Michael Mauboussin interview – Wired
  Why it’s so much harder to predict winners in ice hockey than basketball – Vox – YouTube

What we talk about when we talk about luck

We are thrilled to have novelist and cricket writer Rahul Bhattacharya to talk about his experiences from the World Cup.
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi
Talking points: 

 Cricket writing v cricket analysis - and how each is a specialised job
 Does the BCCI care for what is written about them in the press?
  The antipathy towards Indian and foreign fans throughout this World Cup
  The staggering amount of money people were willing to pay for tickets
  The experience of covering a match at Ahmedabad
  India v Pakistan - and how the discourse seems to be war minus the shooting
  Jasprit Bumrah - what can't he do?
  The electricity of India's fast bowling trio
  Maxwell's fantastical night
  Rohit Sharma - the dada batsman
  Virat Kohli's fitness - and his Djokovic-level fitness
  Australia's perfect game in the final
  Travis Head and his Gilchrist-like audacity
  The 'anyone but India' sentiment pervading much of the cricket world

Participants:
Rahul Bhattacharya
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  What the World Cup means - Rahul Bhattacharya - Hindustan Times
  Many shades of the Indian cricket fan - Rahul Bhattacharya - Hindustan Times
  With a skip and a stutter, Bumrah conjures up another miracle - Rahul Bhattacharya - Hindustan Times
   They turn up to watch India bowl - Rahul Bhattacharya - Hindustan Times
  Rahul Bhattacharya's Hindustan Times columns
  Pakistan fans a glaring absence at India Cricket World Cup clash - Rahul Bhattacharya - Al Jazeera
  Indian hype for Cricket World Cup will grow but fans come off second best - Rahul Bhattacharya - Guardian


  Shiv on the Shore - Rahul Bhattacharya profiles Shivnarine Chanderpaul - The Cricket Monthly 
  Pundits from Pakistan - Rahul Bhattacharya - Amazon
  Sly Company of People who care - Rahul Bhattacharya - Amazon 
  Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee - Amazon
  Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward - Amazon

A World Cup that had so much (and could have had so much more) - Rahul Bhattacharya interview

We review the World Cup final where Travis Head and Pat Cummins inspired a triumph for the ages. 
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi.
Talking points: 

 Australia's remarkable achievement - and this triumph in comparison to their previous World Cup wins
 Rohit Sharma's approach at the start of the innings
  Virat Kohli and the ability to strike at six an over on any pitch
  The slowdown in the middle overs against fine Australian bowling
  Cummins, Hazlewood and their brilliant variations
  Shami opening the bowling instead of Siraj
  Bumrah's beauty to dismiss Steve Smith
  Travis Head's unforgettable assault

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Great final caps Australia's greatest year - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview
  Watch out for Shami when he's running in like a horse - Bharat Arun - ESPNcricinfo
  Advance Australia, inevitably - Osman Samiuddin - ESPNcricinfo
  Krishnamachari Srikkanth's analysis of the final - YouTube
  Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee - Amazon
  War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast
  Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward - Amazon

Extraordinary Australia silence India: World Cup final review

We review two weeks of the World Cup - and chat about Maxwell, Shami, Siraj, Omarzai, Williamson, Shreyas, and much more. 
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi
Talking points: 

 Maxwell's freakish 201*
 How well did Afghanistan bowl to Maxwell?
 The curious case of Australia's batting in this World Cup
 Are Afghanistan in the same phase that India were in the 1990s?
 India's bowling attack - the finest quintet for these conditions?
 Rohit and Kohli - taking chances v taking no chances
  Are India due a bad day? Or will they finish the World Cup unbeaten?
  New Zealand's NRR and the connection with how efficiently they are built
  South Africa's conundrum - Rabada or Shamsi? 
  Angelo Mathews and the moment the Nagin rivalry peaked

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee - Amazon
  War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast
  Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward - Amazon

 

Maxwell madness, India's juggernaut, and a World Cup for Test bowlers

We review the India v England match in Lucknow - and chat about the other themes emerging in the World Cup. 
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking points: 

 The brutal simplicity of Mohammad Shami
 Jasprit Bumrah: the bowler with the joystick
  Rohit Sharma: the ultimate problem-solver
  England's awful batting slump
  Joe Root lbw Bumrah 0
  Ben Stokes - reckless or calculated?
  Pakistan's problem with no big hitting and no quality spin
  New Zealand losing with respectability 
  The furore over umpire's call
  Bangladesh's forgettable World Cup campaign



Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) 
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  World Cup weekly review - Kartikeya Date - Cricktingview Substack
  This is Mohammad Shami's World Cup - Andrew Fidel Fernando - ESPNcricinfo
  Sky Sports Cricket podcast - Nasser Hussain and Eoin Morgan dissect England's loss - Spotify
  Wasay & Iffi - YouTube
  Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee - Amazon
  War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast
  Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward - Amazon

If Bumrah doesn't get you, then Shami must

We review the India v New Zealand match in Dharamshala - and chat about the other themes as the World Cup nears its halfway stage. We also pay our heartfelt tribute to one of India's greatest cricketers: Bishan Bedi. 
⁠Support 81allout on Ko-fi
Talking points: 

 The poetry of Bishan Bedi - and what he meant to a generation of fans
 New Zealand running India close in Dharamshala 
  Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra trying to hit Kuleep out of the attack
  Jadeja's discomforting pace - and his ability to calibrate it so finely
  Rohit and Gill taking their chances against a quality opening spell
  Kohli's quest for a century - and the needless uproar around it
  Afghanistan and Netherlands showing their class
  Why aren't teams looking to limit the damage with NRR?
  Will Australia sneak into the semi-finals?
  Will England's batters finally fire?
  Who will go after India's bowlers? New Zealand try but fall short? 

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  The Art of Bedi: Our conversation with Suresh Menon - ⁠81allout podcast
  Previous 81allout episodes on World Cups - 2011, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003


  Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee - Amazon
  War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast
  Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward - Amazon

Who will go after India's bowlers? New Zealand try but fall short

We review the India v Pakistan match in Ahmedabad - and chat about the other themes developing in this World Cup.
Support 81allout on Ko-fi
Talking points: 

 India's enviable bowling attack for the conditions
 Jasprit Bumrah - the magician
 Kuldeep and Jadeja keeping Pakistan quiet
 Siraj and the cross-seam attack
 Rohit Sharma's evolution as an ODI batter
 Shreyas Iyer's approach to playing spin
 The joy of the Australian collapse
 New Zealand's deceptive dominance in the early stages of the World Cup

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)

Related:

  India demonstrate their all round strength, hammer Pakistan - Cricketingview substack
  India's bowling unit: Gods of small things - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
  81allout preview of the 2023 World Cup
  Previous 81allout episodes on World Cups - 2011, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003
  Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee - Amazon
  War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast
  Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward - Amazon

 

A bowling attack for all seasons: India v Pakistan review

We review the India v Australia match in Chennai - a tense contest that India won by six wickets.
Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking points: 

 India's threat with their seamers as well as spinners
 How this World Cup is rewarding Test-quality spinners
  Australia's lack of depth in the spin department
  Pat Cummins' problem at first-change
  The Kohli-Rahul partnership
  Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, and India - the early favorites
  How is 2 for 3 different from 80 for 3 when chasing 200?

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
Related:

  KL Rahul's cut de grace - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo
  81allout preview of the 2023 World Cup
  Previous 81allout episodes on World Cups - 2011, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003
  Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee - Amazon
  War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast
  Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward - Amazon

India spin to victory in Chennai challenge

We preview the 2023 World Cup - the muted build-up, BCCI apathy, and how the conditions could play such a big role in how some teams progress. Could South Africa or New Zealand finally win the big prize? Can Pakistan overcome their spin-bowling drawbacks. Can Bangladesh make the semi-final? Or will India be too strong when playing at home?  
[podcast_subscribe id="1595"]
[kofi]
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
Related:

 Previous 81allout episodes on World Cups - 2011, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003
 War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast

It's time for the big one: 2023 World Cup preview

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 attack - dealing in cutters, slower ones and knuckle-balls
  An unforgettable night at the Motera - when India overcame Australia
  The hype before Mohali - and the eventual anti-climax of India v Pakistan
  Mahela's silken grace in the final - an innings for the gods
  The riveting partnership between Gambhir and Kohli  
  Dhoni... finishes off in style

Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
DP Prashant (@prashantdptweet)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)

Related:

  Previous 81allout episodes on World Cups - 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003
  On Board Test, Trial, and Triumph: My Years in BCCI - Ratnakar Shetty - Amazon
  The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back - Yuvraj Singh - Amazon
  'I wanted to hug him and hit him at the same time till he confirmed we'd won the World Cup' - India's players look back on their triumph - The Cricket Monthly 
  BJP's Control of Cricket in India - Sharda Ugra - Caravan
  Kevin O'Brien's record century against England - ICC - YouTube
  War Minus the Shooting - Revisiting the 1996 World Cup through a classic book - 81allout podcast

A generational triumph: revisiting the 2011 World Cup

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 this format, can there be an overwhelming favourite at this World Cup?
  Has the elimination of stalemate resulted in bowlers attacking more in the middle overs or are batters scoring more runs at a faster clip? Can both be true?
  Has the Powerplay rule change enhanced the parity between bat and ball. Or has it diminished it?

Participants:
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
Related:
Rule  changes in ODI cricket over the years - Lalith Kalidas and VS Aravind - Sportstar
How to watch ODI cricket - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview
How the ODI rule changes have affected run-scoring - S Rajesh - ESPNcricinfo
What we talk about when we talk about selection - 81allout podcast

Impact of Powerplay rules on the cricketing contest in ODIs

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 not being picked for India? Does it matter?
  Are selection debates essentially about 'who are the 11 players I like the most'?
  Pre 2011, should Yuvraj and Raina played more Tests than Badrinath and Rohit?
  The difference between Karn Sharma over Ashwin, Shardul over Ashwin, and Jadeja over Ashwin
  Is Shardul Thakur an extraordinary Test selection - or merely a lucky one?


Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
Ashoka (@ABVan)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Why selection in India is not illogical or capricious, contrary to popular opinion - Kartikeya Date - ESPNcricinfo
  What more can Sarfaraz Khan do to get selected for India? - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
  R Ashwin opens up on WTC drop and on being ‘traumatised’ in the past - Venkata Krishna B - Indian Express 
  ‘Batting is now less artistic, more power-based’ – 81allout podcast with Amol Muzumdar
  Watching, studying, writing, talent-spotting: a life in cricket - 81allout podcast with Makarand Waingankar

What we talk about when we talk about selection

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's bowling attack
  Stuart Broad's cinematic goodbye
   England's chances in the five-Test series in India next year


Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
Ashoka (@ABVan)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Why did Bazball fail to regain the Ashes - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack
  Stokes and McCullum want to save Test cricket but we must look beyond Big Three - Jonathan Liew - Guardian
  England 'wanted to pick Wood' but settle for Tongue in all-seam attack - Matt Roller - ESPNcricinfo
   Bazball: a cult of bruised masculinity where you win even if you lose - Barney Ronay - Guardian
  Mark Wood and the primal theatre of pure pace - Ben Gardner - Wisden

Australia resist England's bowling and Bazball: Ashes 2023 review

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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:

  Mohammad Siraj takes 5 for 60 - Windies Cricket - YouTube
  Fazeer Mohammed reviews the second Test - SportsMax TV - YouTube
  Let West Indian cricketers play in first-class cricket in India - Deep Dasgupta - ESPNcricinfo
  When India collapsed for 81 all out - Windies Cricket - YouTube
  How West Indies became a fast bowling paradise again - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo

Get Started

Download the App