Long Innings - Season 1

The game of cricket is measured by the currency of runs and wickets. Matches are won by the team which scores more runs than the opposition. This statement considers only the end result of the match and not intangible factors like entertainment, elegance, sportsmanship etc. There are 3 formats in cricket and each has its own unique appeal and charm. Test cricket is still regarded by pundits and purists as the format that tests a player’s skill the most. Some critics still scoff at the Twenty20 version calling it slam bang cricket and just a way to earn astronomical amounts of money without necessarily testing a player’s variety of skills, temperament and adaptability that Test cricket demands. There is no doubt that the money generated from T20 cricket has developed infrastructure and helped sustain interest in certain countries. In this podcast we analyse the influence of T20 cricket and how it has shaped results and the way Test and ODI cricket are played.

Fast bowling is hard work. Experts have estimated that when a fast bowler delivers a ball, up to nine times his body weight goes through his front foot. Indians are further handicapped by the weather conditions at home where the heat can be oppressive, and their genetic build. That is why in the past, India has struggled to produce quality fast bowlers. In the 1930s, India had 2 genuine fast bowlers in Mohammad Nissar and Amar Singh. Another reason for the lack of genuine fast bowlers in India over the years is that their psyche is based on hero worship. Until Kapil Dev came onto the scene in 1978, the young aspiring fast bowlers in India did not have someone they could idolize and not many people were inspired to take on fast bowling as a profession.

1991 was a momentous year for South African cricket. It marked their re-admission into international cricket since their suspension from the sport by the ICC due to the South African government’s Apartheid policy. South Africa had been cricket’s outcasts for more than 20 years. Listen on..

Cricket allows time for chats between players. It’s a game with one format (some say the toughest format) spread over five days. Lots of time for a friendly banter between players then… and players have always grabbed an opportunity to take a jibe at the opposition team members - to unsettle them, to break their concentration, to get under their skin, all in an effort to get them to commit a mistake or lose their focus. Listen on...

Fast bowling. Gets one excited. Not the dibbly dobly medium pacers, but the genuine fast bowling makes cricket very exciting. There is no better watching in test or ODI cricket than a good old dual between a top batter and top fast bowler. Fast bowling however, takes a lot out of you. The sheer running into to bowl, the hard landing on the crease takes a toll on the knees and ankle and the motion of hurling the ball as quickly as possible can take a toll on the shoulder and back. That’s why good fast bowlers are well revered and followed. They are the bad boys of cricket.

Batting in cricket is about building partnerships. The surest way of getting a big score is by stringing together a few big partnerships. That’s what coaches want from the batters. Some batters seem to play well together and help each other to score big runs. They usually form big partnerships and put their team in a strong position in the process. Let us look at a few batting pairs who formed a great partnership.