81 All Out - A Cricket Podcast

Some cricketers we love at first sight; some, we take time to appreciate; others, we do not understand the fuss; and still others are quick to get under our skins. Often, we review our views over time - and often surprise ourselves by changing our opinions about cricketers.  Kapil Dev, Ishant Sharma, Ravi Shastri, Ian Chappell, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Steve Waugh - all formidable cricketers. All of whom we have changed our minds over at various stages. And all of whom we focus on in this episode - to understand the evolution of our fandom. Talking Points: What Kapil Dev chasing Hadlee's record meant for many young fans The staggering image of Kapil being a combination of Bumrah and Pant Ishant Sharma's arrival in Test cricket - and the 'trolling' years that followed Post-2016 Ishant - the most improved Indian cricketer this decade? The Ravi Shastri stereotypes - and how it is easy to be trapped by all of them The legendary forthrightness of Ian Chappell Rahul Dravid's purple patch - and why that record needs to be revisited Mohammad Azharuddin: a glorious rise, an inglorious fall Steve Waugh and the danger of hyping 'mental disintegration'  Sachin Tendulkar - the slow journey from hero to mortal Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Prashant DP (@prashantdptweet) | Prashant's cricket posts on Medium Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) 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: Talking fandom: love, loyalty, and a sense of belonging - 81allout podcast That special whistle: the phenomenon called CSK - 81allout podcast Conversation with veteran journalist Pradeep Magazine - 81allout podcast Whatever happened to Ravi Shastri 1.0 - Sharda Ugra - ESPNcricinfo History’s witness: The IPL final, as Ravi Shastri saw it - Siddhartha Vaidyanathan - Yahoo Cricket Ishant Sharma interview with Gaurav Kapoor - Breakfast with Champions - YouTube Ian Chappell on captaincy and much more - 81allout podcast The inscrutable craftsman - Rohit Brijnath - ESPNcricinfo Like father, like son - Siddhartha Vaidyanathan - ESPNcricinfo Out of my Comfort Zone - Steve Waugh autobiography - Amazon Captain courageous, like Tendulkar, vs Rihanna - Mukul Kesavan - NDTV

We talk to the veteran journalist and author - Pradeep Magazine. We discuss the major themes of his books - Not Quite Cricket and Not Just Cricket – and talk about the lessons from the match-fixing epidemic in the late 1990s and how the player-journalist relationship has altered over time. Journalists of the 1990s had enough access to the inner circle to get an inkling of the shadiness, says Magazine, but journalists of today are sadly in the dark. ⁠Support 81allout on KoFi⁠ Talking Points: A chance-meeting with a bookie in 1997 that opened up the world of fixing Writing about match-fixing before the big story broke Interviewing Sachin Tendulkar about match-fixing in 1997 Kapil Dev accusing his players of being distracted by money in 1983 Magazine's relationship with Kapil Dev over time - from fan to critique The two sides of Mohammad Azharuddin and how it was hard to separate both The problem for investigative journalists today cut off from the inner circle A new book that casts light on the corruption that could engulf the game The nexus of politics and cricket - and propaganda taking over the game Participants: Pradeep Magazine (@pradeepmagazine) 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: Pradeep Magazine's books - Not Quite Cricket and Not Just Cricket Neeraj Kumar's book - A Cop in Cricket A T20 tournament that wasn't - how fixers fabricated the UvaT20 League - Guardian It is far more than a game, this cricket - Conversation between Pradeep Magazine and Rahul Bhattacharya - Kolkata Literary Meet - YouTube With sports becoming so commercialized, sports journalism has become more challenging: Pradeep Magazine - Times of India

We talk to the former Zimbabwe fast bowler - and the first black cricketer to represent his country - Henry Olonga. We focus on the book that Olonga published in 2010 - Blood, Sweat, and Treason - and revisit the highs and lows of his career. We also look back on Olonga's and Andy Flower's iconic black armband protest at the 2003 World Cup, and how it would change his life forever. Talking Points: Growing up in Zimbabwe in the 1980s - and recognizing his cricketing potential A bittersweet Test debut against Pakistan- when he was called for chucking The purple patch - beating India and Pakistan in Test series, and shining in the 1999 World Cup The tumultuous early 2000s - within the team and for the country as a whole The racial tension  in the backdrop of unrest over Zimbabwe's land reforms The push for 'targets' to have more black players and administrators The political build-up to the 2003 World Cup - and the decision to speak out How Olonga's life turned upside down in a matter of a few weeks The divine intervention in the Zimbabwe v Pakistan league match in Bulawayo Escaping to England thanks to some generous benefactors Writing the book - and ruminating on the value of speaking one's mind Participants: Henry Olonga (Twitter: @henryolonga) 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: Henry Olonga's book: Blood, Sweat and Treason - Amazon Standing up for their principles - Martin Williamson - ESPNcricinfo Andy Flower & Henry Olonga: the 'death of democracy' remembered - BBC Andy Flower, inspiring cricketer – and protestor - Oborne & Heller podcast Sachin super angry on Henry Olonga - YouTube Blind Audition: Henry Olonga - This Is the Moment - The Voice Australia 2019 Risk - Janet Rand - Orwell Today

We talk to ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam on his decade-long career covering cricket and his recent anthology On the Tigers Trail. Isam touches on the culture of cricket media in Bangladesh and offers a number of personal nuggets  - bowling to Kevin Pietersen in the nets, talking to Javed Omar about a 'Hate to Love' piece, prompting a Mohammad Ashraful breakdown, following Mashrafe Mortaza on his election trail... and much more.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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) [podcast_subscribe id="1595"] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talking Points: The culture of cricket coverage in Bangladesh The journey from being a club cricketer to a journalist Hearing of Mustafizur Rahman's potential - and helping his rise Bowling to Kevin Pietersen in the Dhaka nets in 2010 The hopes invested in Mohammad Ashraful, and the eventual disappointment The Dhaka Premier League and its role in the cricketing fabric of Bangladesh The cottage industry of left-arm spinners in Bangladesh The journalist-player relationship and retaining one's journalistic objectivity  The brutal honesty of Mashrafe Mortaza The fateful day in Christchurch in 2019: when the team escaped from terrorists Participants: Mohammad Isam (@isam84) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Related: For those within Bangladesh, order Isam's book here The day I helped KP confront his spin demon - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo Javed Omar, no, yes, sorry - Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly The original premier league - Mohammad Isam on the Dhaka Premier League - ESPNcricinfo Red Sun Rising - Sidharth Monga and Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly Left-arm revolutionaries - Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly A mountain of hope, a pile of Ash - Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly Mashrafe's tale - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo On the campaign trail with Mashrafe Mortaza - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo

We talk to journalist and historian Gideon Haigh about The Summer Game - his classic book recently republished by 81allout Publishing. Gideon talks about the largely forgotten 1950s and '60s, and fascinating stories he heard from many who nourished the game – at a time when the financial rewards were minimal and when the game itself saw some fallow times. 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) Talking Points: The idea for The Summer Game - an outgrowing from The Cricket War How post-war period opened up Australian cricket to the rest of the world The tragic end to Ian Meckiff's career - and what he recalled of it many years on Robert Menzies' role in Australian cricket through his primership The discontent of the '50s and '60s setting the stage for World Series Cricket The poignant story of Pat Crawford - who disappeared from the face of cricket The staggering popularity of the West Indies tourists in 1960-61 Richie Benaud's punctilious image management - and his precise writing The ebullient Benaud who ruffled feathers as a player and journalist Neil Harvey's legacy in Australian cricket Australia's tours to South Africa in the 1960s - and their attitude to discrimination Bill Lawry's reaction to the news that he was dropped from the Australian side Participants: Gideon Haigh Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Books Discussed: Gideon Haigh's books - gideonhaigh.com Cricket War - Gideon Haigh - Amazon Bowler non grata - Brydon Coverdale meets Ian Meckiff - The Cricket Monthly The Lucky Country - Donald Horne - Amazon Beyond a Boundary - CLR James - Amazon The Summer of '49 - David Halberstam - Amazon The Fifties - David Halberstam - Amazon The Tale of Two Tests - Richie Benaud - Amazon  

In episode 156 of the 81allout podcast we are joined by former India Test cricketer and Ranji Trophy colossus Abhinav Mukund - who has now turned into an astute analyst on TV. Abhinav is piqued by Kartikeya Date's latest article in ESPNcricinfo (Do India choke in high-profile ODIs) and shares his perspective on how a player approaches (and talks about pressure), and weighs in on the question: is pressure a good parameter to explain the result of a match?  Talking Points: The times when a player feels he is in the 'middle of a volcano' How players talk about the game and their part in it What players mean when they talk about 'pressure' Does pressure affect performance in a sustained manner? Talking about skill v talking about mental faculties Is it fair for strangers to make assumptions about players' mental abilities? The problem with attributing the result to mental strength/weaknesses What happened to South Africa in the 2015 World Cup semi-final? The value of finding a mindspace when 'nothing matters'  Participants: Abhinav Mukund (@mukundabhinav) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Buy War Minus Shooting - Mike Marqusee | Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar - Mike Coward Related: ‘I have found my love for the game in the last couple of years’ – 81allout podcast speaks to Abhinav Mukund on his career and challenges Do India choke in high-profile ODIs? Here's what the numbers say - Kartikeya Date - ESPNcricinfo Why there's no such thing as a finisher in ODI cricket - Kartikeya Date - ESPNcricinfo What pressure does to cricketers - Aakash Chopra - ESPNcricinfo The mother of all myths - The Cricket Monthly - Tom Eaton on the narrative of South Africa choking in World Cups What Is Clutch? A Look at the Most Overused Term in Sports - Rob Goldberg - Bleacher Report Cognitive Biases in Sports: The Irrationality of Coaches, Commentators and Fans - Samuel McNerney - Scientific American

In episode 155 of the 81allout podcast we review the fourth and final Test between India and Australia in Ahmedabad. The two teams played out a high-scoring draw, which ensured India won their fourth consecutive series against Australia and set up a Test between the same two teams in the World Test Championship final in June. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: The value of Axar Patel as a bowler and batter in this series Has any Indian team had as much batting and bowling depth as this one? The pitch laid out for the final Test - flat and slow Australia's batters finishing off on a high note Ashwin's masterful spell in the first innings What Ashwin and Lyon do really really well Virat Kohli's defensive flourishes Will Kuhnemann play another Test? The political event on day 1 - and the questions cricket fans need to ask Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Ashoka (ABVan) * Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee | Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward * Related: 81allout podcasts from the series: 3rd Test | 2nd Test | 1st Test | Preview | Throwback to 2004 Rahul Dravid interviews Virat Kohli after his century - BCCI.tv Nanbaa, ellaam konja kaalam - R Ashwin review of series - YouTube Artistry and attrition combine in Ashwin spell for the ages - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo 81allout podcast with Amol Muzumdar  The Modi Stadium metaverse: half full or just half empty? - Sharda Ugra - Mojo Story Cult over cricket - Mukul Kesavan - Telegraph

In episode 154 of the 81allout podcast we review the third Test between India and Australia in Indore. On a challenging wicket in Indore - which was subsequently classed as 'poor' by the ICC match referee - Australia pulled off a terrific nine-wicket win. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Did Australia do anything differently in this Test than in the previous two? Jadeja's rare off-Test in recent times India's collapse on the first morning - and all the pitch talk Did the pitch rage enough? Was the match referee justified in rating it 'poor'? The problem with variable bounce (as opposed to lateral movement) Khawaja v Labuschagne: a contrast against spin Nathan Lyon's masterful spell - from around the wicket, cramping the batters Lyon's evolution as a spinner for Indian conditions - and his battle with Pujara Pujara's half-century in the second innings - and the partnership with Shreyas Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Ashoka (ABVan) * Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee | Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward * Related: Chasing Wickets Instead Of Control - Kartikeya Date - A Cricketing View The last grand battle between Pujara and Lyon - Kathik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo Nathan Lyon proving to be Australia’s unglamorous linchpin in India - Geoff Lemon - Guardian

In episode 153 of the 81allout podcast we interview the award-winning author and historian - and one of modern India's most renowned biographers - Ramachandra Guha. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: In search of the memories of India's first great cricketer - Palwankar Baloo Does the Bombay school of batting begin with the remarkable P Vithal? How the city of Bombay is a main character in Corner of a Foreign Field The Parsee influence in the history of Indian cricket CK Naydu's epochal 153 against the MCC team in 1926-27 The evolution of the game in post-independence India Race, caste, religion, and nation - the fissures around Indian cricket The India v Pakistan match in Manchester in 1999 - with their soldiers at war Participants: Ramachandra Guha (@ramguha) Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) * Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee | Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward Books Discussed: Corner of a Foreign Field - Ramachandra Guha - Amazon; Spin and Other Turns - Ramachandra Guha - Amazon; Cricket, Public Culture, and Making of Post-Colonial Calcutta - Souvik Naha - Cambridge University Press; A Stroke of Genius - Gideon Haigh - Amazon; On Warne - Gideon Haigh - Amazon; Beyond a Boundary - CLR James - Amazon; Cricket Country - Prashant Kidambi - Amazon; Pundits from Pakistan - Rahul Bhattacharya - Amazon; Fire in Babylon - Simon Lister - Amazon; Cricket: the game of life - Scyld Berry - Amazon; Late Cuts - Vic Marks - Amazon

In episode 152 of the podcast we review the second Test between India and Australia in Delhi. The match see-sawed for two days until Australia collapsed on the third morning - and India sealed a six-wicket win. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Australia's tactic to sweep against spinners on a pitch keeping low Batting in India in the third innings - a most perilous task The Smith sweep to Ashwin, and Labuschagne playing the ball off the pitch Ashwin and Jadeja - and the subtle variation in lengths across innings Could Australia have used their feet and lofted more in the second innings? Ashwin's mesmeric spell on the first morning Nathan Lyon's drift and turn from around the wicket How the Axar-Ashwin partnership tilted the scales Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Ashoka (ABVan) * Buy War Minus the Shooting by Mike Marqusee | Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar by Mike Coward * Related: Jadeja's seven-wicket haul - BCCI.tv video If Jadeja doesn't get you, Ashwin must - 81allout podcast review of the 1st Test R Ashwin and the story of a most magical over - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo Ashwin-Jadeja combo a nightmare for any touring team to India - Dinesh Karthik - Cricbuzz India get the better of Australia, one flick at a time - Karthik Krishnaswamy - ESPNcricinfo The Plan: How Fletcher and Flower Transformed English Cricket - Steve James - Amazon Batsmen could learn from the Hayden way - Andrew Ramsey - cricket.com.au