81 All Out - A Cricket Podcast

A big moment for us at 81allout as we have an international cricketer on our podcast for the first time. Vijay Bharadwaj played 3 Tests and 10 ODIs for India in the turn of the millennium. His high-point was during the LG Cup in Nairobi in 1999-2000 where he was named the Man of the Series for his all-round performances. He was a giant for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and played a vital role in their three Ranji Trophy triumphs in the 1990s. In this episode, Vijay chats about his formative experiences of playing cricket on the street and in the parks, and remembers a number of characters who lit up the Bangalore cricket scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Talking points: The competitive nature of street cricket in the Bangalore of the 1980s Graduating to the park The deadly variations that spinners employed A bowler who was a combination of Shoaib Akhtar and Muralitharan The intensity of each net session Pitch-catch out, beaten out, full-toss out Copying Mohinder Amarnath Dodda Ganesh, David Johnson and other street-fighters The pressure of playing for Karnataka Spinning to Ranji glory Participants: Vijay Bharadwaj Karthik Shashidhar (@karthiks) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) * Related: A Vijay Bharadwaj interview from 1999 - Rediff.com A feature-interview with Vijay Bharadwaj - Outlook India Arch-rivalry between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy - via Star Sports Kannada The TN-Karnataka rivalry through the ages - ESPNcricinfo.com Vijay Bharadwaj's spell of 6-24 in the Ranji final in 1999 - YouTube Vijay Bharadwaj 3-34 in the LG Cup final v Zimbabwe - YouTube Street Cricket Chronicles from Delhi - 81allout archive

In this special episode, we chat with veteran sports writer Sharda Ugra. From interviewing star cricketers as a college student... to blazing a trail as a sports journalist in the early '90s... to writing on a variety of sports for The Hindu... to being the chief sports writer at India Today... to presently working as a senior editor at ESPNcricinfo... Sharda has been an inspiration for a number of sports writers around the world. We chat with Sharda about her illustrious career – and are riveted by her range of experiences as well as her inexhaustible bank of anecdotes. Talking Points: The magazines that hooked her on to sports The interviews she and her college buddies did with the stars of the 1980s Memories of Imran Khan Landing her first job Finding Sachin Tendulkar's number Covering sailing  Watching Kenya's biggest cricketing moment The match-fixing shock The fall of Hansie Cronje The Azharuddin she interviewed Authoring a book with John Wright The Ganguly era Player access and the importance of stories Women's cricket - past, present and future And much, much more Participants: Sharda Ugra Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Ashoka (@ABVan) Related: The stolid buccaneer - Sharda Ugra on Mark Taylor Hansie-gate - Sharda Ugra's piece on the King Commission hearings What makes sportsmen go corrupt Manoj Prabhakar? Love? - on a cricketer Sharda Ugra hated to love All Indian cricketers should write books like this - Sharda Ugra reviews Sanjay Manjrekar's book Girls aloud - Sharda Ugra on how TV is redefining TV commentary Couchtalk with Sharda Ugra - interview with Subash Jayaraman This is personal - Sharda Ugra's letter to Mumbai post 26/11

We are happy to kickstart a new series: street cricket chronicles. Here we hope to bring out the cricket culture in different cities at the most amateur levels: whether it is on the streets, in the gullies and driveways and terraces, on beaches, or in the parks. In this episode we chat with two guests who grew up in Delhi in the 1990s. Talking points: Tip-top and connections Breaking windows, damaging cars Spinning the Cosco cricket ball Off-side only rules Mimicking Mark Waugh, Lara, Aravinda et al. Bet-matches for pizzas at Nirula's Playing (and watching) cricket in the Delhi chill Visiting the Kotla Watching Sachin's 35th hundred Participants: Aftab Khanna (@aftabkhanna) Prothit Sen Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

In this special episode, we chat with veteran cricket journalist and author Makarand Waingankar. Over the last five decades, Makarand has been witness to the changing tides in Indian cricket. He has written extensively about the game – from the  maidans as well as the giant stadiums – and carries with him stories and anecdotes to last several lifetimes.  Apart from his work as a journalist, Makarand played a key role at the BCA-Mafatlal Academy in the early 1990s - which produced cricketers like Abey Kuruvilla, Salil Ankola, Paras Mhambrey and Sairaj Bahutule. A decade later, he would play a vital part in the setting up of the BCCI's Talent Resource Development Wing, which would go on to unearth talents like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla. We chat with Makarand about the various hats he has worn over the years, and he provides us with a wonderful portrait of how cricket was when he started his journey and how vastly different things are now. Talking Points: Sunil Gavaskar's emergence in Bombay cricket Ashok Mankad's tactical genius Ravi Shastri's ability to rise to the occasion Frank Tyson, the gentle giant Abey Kuruvilla's meteoric rise The Talent Resource Development Wing Jagmohan Dalmaya's vision The current state of talent-spotting in India The lack of passion in Mumbai cricket Participants: Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Related: A million broken windows: he magic and mystique of Bombay cricket - Makarand Waingankar Guts and Glory - Makarand Waingankar Yuvi - Makarand Waingankar Bombay Boys - Makarand Waingankar Makarand Waingankar interview - cricketcountry.com Makarand Waingankar columns since 2015

The cricketing memory is a strange beast. Sometimes you recall exactly where you were and what you were doing when you watched a cricket match 33 years ago. Words from the next day's match report are stuck in your head. The photographs are etched in your memory. They transport you to a time and place far, far away. Then you try and recall a game that took place ten days back. You watched every ball of it. You had a lot to say on Twitter when it was happening. You saw the highlights too. But seem to remember very little now. The scorecard is a blur. The match report... did you even bother to read it? In our latest episode, we chat with two guests who fell in love with the game in the 1980s. They are cricket tragics who have lived in various parts of the world – and they tell us about their experiences of following the game in the pre-internet, pre-cable TV years and their passion for tracking  scores and devouring match reports.  Each explores their own relationship with cricket over time and they try and make sense of how they can remember so much... and yet at the same time, remember so little. Participants: Vijay Arumugam (@vijayarumugam) Subu Sastry (@suubsy) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Related: From Bedi to Kohli: a cricket writer's journey - Vijay Lokapally interview in 81allout From moustache to Mushtaq - 81allout podcast on random memories What we talk about when we talk about cricket - 81allout podcast Kapil Dev lofted shot flicker - posted by @suubsy on Twitter Sportstar archive from 1987 Bangalore Test - posted by @suubsy on Twitter * Lead image from here

We review New Zealand's 2-0 series win against India in the recently concluded series. Talking Points: How NZ winning Tests within three or four days is bad financial news for their board. Were the pitches too green or green enough? When extra pace perhaps worked against India's fast bowlers. The swing masters - Boult and Southee The dangers of Pujara's natural game in specific conditions Pant's indecision Jamieson, the all-round star NZ open up the World Test Championship Participants: Michael Wagener (@mykuhl) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Related: New Zealand's home advantage - Michael Wagener How the Blackcaps became a powerhouse in their conditions - Michael Wagener Shami needs a defensive trick up his sleeve - Karthik Krishnaswamy A bowler for each batsman: how New Zealand plotted India's downfall - Karthik Krishnaswamy New Zealand's finest brace for their biggest season - 81allout podcast with Michael Wagener

In this special episode, we chat with the deputy editor at The Hindu, Vijay Lokapally. In his career spanning close to four decades, Vijay has had a ringside view of Indian cricket and written about the team and its performances from around the world. Long-time readers of The Hindu and Sportstar would have many fond memories from Vijay's reports and tour diaries, which he infuses with keen insights as well as his signature brand of humour. We chat with Vijay about his illustrious career – from covering his first Test for a children's magazine, tracking Delhi's Ranji team in the '80s, and spotting a young Waqar Younis in the same game as Imran Khan did… to being present at so many historic moments in Indian cricket and establishing himself as one of the leading lights in the field. Talking Points: His piece on Bishan Singh Bedi that got him his first break The characters in Delhi cricket in the 1980s His memories of Raman Lamba The world of cricket journalism in the 1980s Telegrams and trunk calls The 1992-93 tour to South Africa - their first home series after readmission The 1997 tour to West Indies How the player-journalist relationship has changed over time The challenges of writing on match-fixing VVS Laxman's 281 The thrill of Virender Sehwag Observing a young Virat Kohli And much, much more Participants: Vijay Lokapally (@vijaylokapally) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Ashoka (@ABVan) Related: Driven: The Virat Kohli Story - By Vijay Lokapally The Virender Sehwag Story - By Vijay Lokapally Not Quite Cricket - Pradeep Magazine's book on match-fixing Obituary of Peter Roebuck - By Vijay Lokapally How a photojournalist of The Hindu cooked for team India - By Vijay Lokapally A recent Sunil Gavaskar interview - by Vijay Lokapally A recent Kapil Dev interview - By Vijay Lokapally

We preview the upcoming 2-Test series between New Zealand – who have been formidable at home of late – and India – the No.1 team in Tests. Talking Points Is India v New Zealand a rivalry that needs more hype? New Zealand's horror tour to Australia Wagner the warrior The trend of fielding first in Tests in New Zealand India's happy headaches with regard to selection of openers Should we read anything into Bumrah's ODI performance? Participants: Suhas Cadambi (@suhascadambi) Ashoka Rao (@abvan) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Related: New Zealand's finest brace for biggest season - 81allout podcast with Michael Wagener Wagner pounds his beat to good effect - George Dobell Rewind to India's tour to New Zealand in 1998-99 - 81allout podcast

In this podcast, we look back at India's tour of New Zealand in 1998-99. India had pulled off a thrilling Test series win at home against Australia earlier in the year, followed by some memorable wins in ODI tournaments, before the disheartening loss in the one-off Test in Zimbabwe in the lead up to the NZ series. Talking Points: Simon Doull's spell from hell. Azhar's brilliant back to the walls century. The Nash-Vettori partnership that took the game away. Tendulkar's peak that produced a dazzling century. A Boxing day Test without a tradition. McMillan's short balls. Srinath's fifer, Prasad's batting, and Dravid's twin hundreds.

Being a Tamil Nadu fan in the Ranji Trophy is not a journey for the faint-hearted. We talk to two ardent followers of Tamil Nadu's fortunes and chart their journey through the losses, moments of ecstacy, and eternal hope. We talk about the classic TN heartbreaks over the years, favourite games, the vibrant league cricket in Chennai, the struggles of early TN cricketers, the recent success stories, rise of CSK and N Srinivasan, and we cap off the chat by picking an all time TN XI. Participants: K Balakumar (@kbalakumar) Dipak Ragav (@dipakragav) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)