All method, no madness (Sports Illustrated India)

Original draft of article published in Sports Illustrated India, January 2010 issue A disarming, open, friendly and you could even say innocent expression has accompanied some of the most incredulous and succinct responses from the man. “I just tried to hit the bad balls” he said to the interviewer, in that polite and charming manner [...]

Windies of Change? (Sports Illustrated India)

Original draft of article published in Sports Illustrated India, December 2009 issue One of the earliest stories about cricket that I remember lapping up wide-eyed is one who’s telling I can recall vividly to this day. New Year’s Day, Calcutta, 1967 and the second Test of the series against the West Indies was underway. Eden [...]

Symphony of Destruction (Sports Illustrated India)

Published in Sports Illustrated India, Nov 2009 issue That over is indelible from the memories of Indian and Pakistani cricket fans. Indelibly exhilarating to the Indians and horrifyingly so to the Pakistanis. A doppelganger of the fateful last over in Sharjah, 1986. In the breathless span of those three deliveries, aggression, intent and artistry were [...]