Rainman talks Cricket

Irrespective of his age and circumstances, Yuvraj being Yuvraj, will try to make a comeback again  On his comeback, Yuvraj had done everything to try to convince selectors and fans that he is still the Yuvraj of old. But something wasn’t right. Bowler X, bowling from over the wicket, pitches the ball on middle stump. The ball turns away upon pitching and deposits itself into the gloves of the wicketkeeper as Yuvraj Singh plays inside the line of the ball and misses it completely. Bowler X, bowling from round wicket, angles the ball into Yuvraj as he awkwardly manages to keep it out somehow after judging it late. Bowling from the same angle, bowler X now bowls the one that turns ever so slightly, leaving the bat. The result is the same again as a tentative Yuvraj just manages to push forward defensively but makes contact with nothing but thin air. Anyone who has followed the southpaw on his comeback trail would concur that from Sachitra Senanayake to Sunil Nari...

Root's England made an amazing comeback after losing the second Test. Michael Vaughan's comeback was less glorious, though Cricket, despite all the glitz, is in poor health. And so is something that has made cricket what it is for its fans. Here is my piece on the art of writing cricket that seems to be falling apart in the face of the rapid changes that the game is witnessing. Cricket as a sport has been revolutionised in the last few years. The change has flooded the game from all sides. From the length of the game, the colour of the ball, the sizes of the bat to headgear and cricketers’ hairstyles, everything has undergone change with the game's transmogrification. Another much discussed and debated aspect of this change has been the increase in the volume of cricket played. The number of internationals packed in a year now is insane. The workload of cricketers has raised anxious concerns about player burnout. The emergence of multiple leagues has fed into this ...