T20 started in the early 2000s but what if the format was invented 15 years earlier. Who were the players who would have excelled in the shorter format? We decided to pick a T20 side from the era before the IPL and debated how Aravinda de Silva and Brian Lara might have changed their game for T20s. And if players like Ricardo Powell and Adrian Kuiper would have had more illustrious careers than they did. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: The evolution of ODIs and T20s - and how both took about 20 years ago mature Would players like Sunil Narine have been as big a star if not for T20s? The West Indian legacy in terms of accelerating the T20 evolution Which players from the past would have thrived in this format? Would you have heard much more of Alistair Brown and Michael Di Venuto had T20s been around earlier? Would Aravinda de Silva have continued his Mad Max avatar in T20s? Ricardo Powell, Atul Bedade, Robin Singh - the superstars who could have been Players like Lance Klusener who rigorously practiced range-hitting The value of a good googly bowler in T20s Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Ashoka (@ABVan) Deepauk Murugesan (@complicateur) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Ijaz Ahmed's 84-ball 139 v India in Lahore in 1997 - YouTube When Surrey smashed the 50-over World Record thanks to Alistair Brown's 268 - YouTube When Kapil Dev hit four sixes in a row to avoid the follow-on at Lord's - YouTube Atul Bedade's big day in Sharjah - YouTube

We review the fifth Test between India and England in Dharamshala – where India stamped their authority with a win by an innings and 64 runs. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: A one-sided – and thoroughly expected – end to a Test series in India The Bazball delusion England's inadequate bowling resources thoroughly exposed Kuldeep the genius - a wristspinner with both variety and control R Ashwin caps off his 100th Test with signature spells The first morning - when Bumrah and Siraj made the ball talk The challenge against spin for Duckett, Pope, Stokes, and Bairstow Did England Bazball enough or too much? And why it doesn't matter When Shubman Gill was at his fluent best The problem with England playing Anderson and hardly bowling him England not replacing the injured Leach and Rehan - and over-bowling Bashir 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: IND Win By An Innings In Dharamsala, Finish Series 4-1 - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview On Ravichandran Ashwin - India's greatest matchwinner - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Just sit back and get ready to marvel at R Ashwin, for the 100th time - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo Joe Root on facing Ashwin and Lyon - Sky Cricket podcast - YouTube How India Bazballed England - Himanish Ganjoo - X (formerly Twitter)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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