

81 All Out - A Cricket Podcast
81 All Out
Talking cricket with Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
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Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 5min
New Zealand v an unstoppable force: India v NZ series preview
We preview the upcoming three Test series between India and New Zealand - and also discuss England's win over Pakistan in the Test in Multan.
Talking Points:
The India-New Zealand rivalry down the years
New Zealand in transition - after the retirements of Boult and Wagner
Rachin Ravindra's terrific 92 at Galle in the recent series v Sri Lanka
New Zealand's reliance on part-timers to fill in some spin overs
Should New Zealand play to their pace strength in Bangalore and Mumbai?
The Pakistan-England Test and what it taught us about bowling in Test cricket
The batting-centric nature of cricketing discourse and why that is problematic
Would a team with a world-class bowling attack and 6 'average' batters win as much as a team with the same bowling attack and 6 great batters?
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
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Related:
Will O'Rourke's Canterbury Tales - Deivarayan Muthu - ESPNcricinfo
A freakish ten-for and good old Indian dominance - 81allout review of the India v New Zealand series in 2021
Two seamers or three? The big Black Caps question ahead of India tests -Andrew Voerman - Stuff.co.nz
Why Pakistan Aren't Winning, And Why Batting Is Irrelevant In Test Cricket - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview Substack

Oct 3, 2024 • 1h 14min
A transcendent win: India v Bangladesh, 2nd Test review
We review India's magnificent win over Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur.
[podcast_subscribe id="1595"]
Talking Points:
India doing both the expected and unexpected at the same time
India's great bowling attack and the art of picking 20 wickets
Jasprit Bumrah - in a rarefied space of fast bowling
Jadeja's speeds v Bangladesh's spinner's speeds
India's batting assault
Kanpur 2021 v Kanpur 2024
Kohli, Shastri and the decision to play five fast bowlers
Jaiswal's remarkable start to his Test career
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
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Related:
The simple genius of Ravindra Jadeja - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
Rohit Sharma and the sixes that woke up a dead game - Alagappan Muthu - ESPNcricinfo
A freakish ten-for and good old Indian dominance - 81allout review of the India v New Zealand series in 2021

Sep 24, 2024 • 1h 9min
Ashwin and Jadeja add to their legend: India v Bangladesh 1st Test review
We review India's 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai.
Talking Points:
Bangladesh complete... then lose by 280 runs
Bangladesh's impressive trio of pacers
The sessions that Bangladesh won - before the ball got older and runs flowed
The sweep v drive ratio: and why Bangladesh chose to sweep much more
India's spinners finding the right pace for the conditions
Mohammad Siraj's relentless second-innings spell
Mehidy and Shakib: too slow with the ball?
Rishabh Pant's grand return to Test cricket
Shubman Gill's purple patch in Tests
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
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Related:
Ashwin, Jadeja, Bumrah, Siraj, Akash Deep Lead India Into The Black - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
Ashwin's double act of hundred and six-for secures 1-0 lead for India - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
Reminiscing special memories from my home test - R Ashwin - YouTube
Why does India need a players' association? Ask a former cricketer - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo

Sep 16, 2024 • 1h 7min
Can Bangladesh extend dream run? - India v Bangladesh preview
We chat with ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam about Bangladesh's historic series win in Pakistan and their chances in the upcoming two-Test series in India.
Talking Points:
Bangladesh's dream-like comeback wins in the two Tests in Rawalpindi
A bowling attack with tremendous variety - world-class spin and promising pace
The arrival of Nahid Rana - and his ferocious spells in Pakistan
The symbolism of Bangladesh's series win amidst the political climate in the country
Mehidy Hasan Miraz - workhorse, counter-puncher, MVP
Can Bangladesh's attack adapt to India's varied conditions?
The challenge of a two-Test series without any warm-up games
India's unsettled top six
How spin-friendly conditions could help Bangladesh narrow the gap
Participants:
Mohammad Isam (@Isam) | ESPNcricinfo
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack| ESPNcricinfo
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:
Bangladesh's small wonders conjure a Rawalpindi miracle - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo
Nahid Rana: a new express finds fame in Rawapindi - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo
The quirks and challenges of covering Bangladesh cricket - 81allout podcast with Mohammad Isam on his book 'On the Tiger's Trail'

Aug 14, 2024 • 1h 5min
'Bumrah so freaky he can walk in and bowl fast' - Paras Mhambrey
In the latest episode we chat with Paras Mhambrey on his recent stint as the bowling coach of the Indian team. We discuss India's varied bowling attack and how he managed the transition from one set of fast bowlers to the next.
Participants:
Paras Mhambrey
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:
‘We have a cluster of fast bowlers who have got exposure in white-ball cricket and are not far away (from Test call-up)’, says Paras Mhambrey - Indian Express
Data driven: How Mhambrey's work is helping Shami & Co - Sanjjeev K Samyal - Hindustan Times
‘What a bowler thinks and what he actually does are different things’ – Bharat Arun interview with 81allout
The value of data analysis and how the Indian team embraced it - 81allout podcast with Himanish Ganjoo
'I cannot tell a bowler what to do or not do. I need to help them understand their own rhythm' - Bharat Arun interview - Karthik Krishnaswamy - The Cricket Monthly

Aug 6, 2024 • 1h 31min
How the Indian team embraced data
In the latest episode we chat with Himanish Ganjoo on how data can assist cricket teams and what he learnt from his own stint as a data analyst with the Indian side.
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Himanish Ganjoo (@hganjoo_153)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview)
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:
Himanish Ganjoo's articles - ESPNricinfo | Substack
Training the Hawkeye on Axar Patel: Angular, Anomalous - Substack
Understanding T20 - 81allout podcast with Hassan Cheema
Hitting v Batting: the choice that dictates the shape of a T20 contest - 81allout podcast
Databall - Kartikeya Date - The Cricket Monthly

Jul 30, 2024 • 47min
The remarkable Nari Contractor
We chat with veteran journalist Clayton Murzello about the oldest living Indian captain: Nari Contractor. Clayton speaks about his interactions with Contractor and why we must remember the man for much more than that one day in Barbados: when he suffered a near fatal injury in a warm-up game.
Talking Points:
A story full of destiny: from his birth till that fateful day in Barbados
The stylish left-handed batter who couldn't make it to the Mumbai Ranji side
How Contractor ended up playing first-class cricket for Gujarat
The captain who first introduced team meetings and broke down barriers
The day when the universe conspired against Contractor
Frank Worrell's advice to Contractor before the Indians faced Charlie Griffith
A remarkable story of recovery - and how cricket saved Contractor
The visionary that roped in Frank Tyson to coach youngsters in Mumbai
Participants:
Clayton Murzello (@claytonmurzello)
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:
Contractor steps into the 90s - Clayton Murzello - Mid-Day
Griffith's delivery hit my face at 90 degrees: Nari Contractor - Clayton Murzello - Mid-Day
The amazing life of Mumbai-based former India captain Nari Contractor - Clayton Murzello - Mid-Day
The bouncer that ended a career - Martin Williamson - ESPNcricinfo

Jul 1, 2024 • 1h 5min
India victorious in a tense Barbados final
We review the final of the T20 World Cup and end of India's wait for an ICC trophy.
Talking Points:
How trophy wins don't define India's legacy.
The unfairness of labelling South Africa chokers.
The peerless Bumrah.
Virat Kohli's change of approach and his great swansong T20 innings in the final.
Rohit, Pant and the fallacy of "shot selections".
How India finally managed to construct a well balanced squad for the conditions.
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Mahesh (@cornerd)
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:
'The Worm Turns for India's Greatest Generation"- Cricketingview.

Jun 26, 2024 • 49min
Afghanistan soar into final four
We review the Super 8 phase of the T20 World Cup and touch upon Afghanistan's glorious triumph, India's sweet win against Australia, and the hopes for the semis and final.
Talking Points:
Afghanistan's historic wins over Australia and Bangladesh
Gurbaz and Zadran - the rocks around Afghanistan's journey
Playing their first official cricket match to 2004 to a semi-final in 2024
The political question around Afghanistan - and absence of public pressure
Rohit Sharma's assault against Australia in St Lucia
India and South Africa thriving with their Test-quality attacks
The mystery of Kuldeep - and his indecipherable fastish spin
Looking ahead to the semis and final
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:
‘Cricket is the only source of happiness back home’ - Ben Morse and Masoud Popalzai - CNN
The World catches up with Australia - Gideon Haigh - Cricket et al. substack
Perfect Imperfection for Imperfect Tournament? - Neil Manthorp - Manners-on-cricket substack
Human rights question hangs over success story of Afghanistan's men - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo

Jun 13, 2024 • 1h 11min
Putting the World in the World Cup
We review the first two weeks of the T20 World Cup and chat about the heartwarming performances of USA and other Associate teams. Plus Pakistan's insistence on opening with Babar and Rizwan; Kohli's attempts to change; Pant's hitting training; and the umpiring decision that Bangladesh are furious about.
Talking Points:
Why a 20-team World Cup seems so much more inclusive
Why USA beating Pakistan is not as shocking as it may have been 10 years ago
Many teams have struggled to score freely but the games have been close
Pakistan's RizBar problem
The importance of a T20 batter having a wide range of strokes
Rishabh Pant's trained hitting - and how he embraces risk at all times
Bangladesh's close defeat to South Africa - and the lbw
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo
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Buy books republished by 81allout:
War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee
Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward
The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related:
BAN lose to SA Despite A DRS Reprieve for Mahmudullah - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview substack
What will be the legacy of Cricket World Cup’s New York adventure? - Andy Bull - Guardian
How India vs Pakistan converted an American sports fan to cricket - Michael Dominski - New York Times
Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh: two Mumbai boys living the American cricket dream - Nagraj Gollapudi and Shashank Kishore - ESPNcricinfo
Cricket stadium opponents relieved with ICC’s decision to nix Van Cortlandt Park proposal, opt for Long Island site - Camille Botello - Bronx Times