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Mid-wicket Tales

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Mid-wicket Tales

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S. Giridhar is Registrar and also the Head of the University Resource Centre at Azim Premji University. V J Raghunath retired as CEO of Addison Paints and is now a senior training consultant. Both share a great love for test cricket. Both have combined to write a number of articles on cricket drawing upon their knowledge the game. They may be contacted giri@azimpremjifoundation.org and raghunathj@gmail.com

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Tyson, Holding, Donald: The true terror of the fast bowler

Dec 26, 2012

“Typhoon Tyson”; “Whispering Death”; “White Lightning”; “Rawalpindi Express” - each an epithet to describe that ultimate terror in cricket – the truly frightening fast bowler. Those who have watched cricket since the fifties will swear that there was no more thrilling sight than Wesley Hall and Roy Gilchrist bowling together. Hall, #Allan Donald #Cricket #Fat bowlers #Kapil Dev #Michael Holding #TheLongView
From Viswanath to VVS: Stylists who make cricket magical

Oct 22, 2012

By S Giridhar and V J Raghunath Some eight years ago, after a spellbinding music concert by the maestro T V Sankaranarayanan, we went on stage to tell him that he had given individually autographed goose bumps to his mesmerized audience. What was that in his music that he was able transport #Cricket #GR Viswanath #Inpraiseof #Mohammad Azharuddin #VVS Laxman
Why Laker, Prasanna remain better off-spinners than Murali, Bhajji

Aug 31, 2012

by S Giridhar and VJ Raghunath Many years ago, in the winter of 1969 to be precise, both of us saw two of the best ever spells of off-spin bowling, within a week of each other. The younger of us, not yet 13 saw Erapalli Prasanna, bring Australia down to its #Cricket #Erapalli Prasanna #Harbhajan Singh #InMyOpinion #Muttiah Muralitharan #Off-spinners #Saqlain Mushtaq #Sports
Davo, Akram, Zaheer: What is the legacy of left-arm bowlers?

Jul 14, 2012

by S Giridhar and VJ Raghunath We did a dip stick survey with friends, who are knowledgeable followers of cricket, asking them to name five well-known left-arm fast bowlers, relying only on their memory and without giving them much time. Of the 27 friends, only 11 could name five left-arm fast #Alan Davidson #Cricket #TheLongView #Wasim Akram #Zaheer Khan
The ballad of the big-hitters of cricket

Jun 9, 2012

By S. Giridhar and V J Raghunath Biggest hit at Lords – “The only known instance of a batsman hitting a ball over the present pavilion at Lord’s occurred when A. E. Trott appearing for MCC against Australia on July 31, August 1, 2, 1899, drove M.A. Noble so far and #Cricket #OnOurMind #Shahid Afridi #Virender Sehwag
Close encounters on the cricket field

May 5, 2012

By S. Giridhar and V J Raghunath Two uniquely thrilling visuals of test cricket have not changed with time. One, the first morning of the first day of a test match, new ball, fresh wicket, three slips and a gully and a leg gully, alert and ready as the fast bowler #Cricket #Eknath Solkar #Fielding #Slip #TheLongView
Men of Dravid’s ilk – their country’s most trusted batsmen

Apr 12, 2012

by S Giridhar and VJ Raghunath Some of the best of cricket writing in recent times have been the essays about Dravid after he announced his retirement, each a genuine tribute to a man and cricketer who left the game richer than he found it. For Indian cricket, Dravid was their #Allan Border #Cricket #Inpraiseof #Rahul Dravid #Sports #Steve Waugh #Sunil Gavaskar
Proved without a doubt, India is the true home of spin

Mar 23, 2012

By S Giridhar and VJ Raghunath Quiz time: Can you name an Australian left arm spinner with more than 54 Test wickets? Or a leg spinner from England who played with any success in the last sixty years? Apart from Murali and Herath can you name a Lankan spinner with over #TheLongView
The link between Dhoni, Brearley and Bradman

Mar 2, 2012

By S Giridhar and V J Raghunath “On Friday, I watched JM Brearley directing his fieldsmen very carefully. He then looked up at the sun and made a gesture which seemed to indicate that it should move a little squarer. Who is this man?” wrote The Guardian correspondent after Brearley had #Bradman #Garfield Sobers #Mahendra Singh Dhoni #TheLongView #Tiger Pataudi
Is batting average the clue to finding the next Dhoni?

Feb 14, 2012

By S Giridhar and VJ Raghunath Truly great and enduring Test teams like Lloyd's West Indies of the 1980s and Steve Waugh’s Aussies of the 1990s were a unique combination of great batsmen and great bowlers. India climbed to the top largely because of its legendary batsmen. The magnificent heroes, after #Cricket #Dilip Vengsarkar #Mohinder Amarnath #Sanjay Manjrekar #TheLongView

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Sep 7, 2012
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Mid-wicket Tales

S. Giridhar is Registrar and also the Head of the University Resource Centre at Azim Premji University. V J Raghunath retired as CEO of Addison Paints and is now a senior training consultant. Both share a great love for test cricket. Both have combined to
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Sugandha Dubey has over 18 years of work experience in marketing, sales and brand management for iconic brands like Tanishq, Gillette, Group 4 and Getty Images. She turned entrepreneur in 2008 and launched SIBSA Digital Pvt Ltd, a total photography solut
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