Tag Archives: Sports

In May 2005, the mighty AC Milan considered to have the best defence in the world and had the best player in the world (Kaka), met with Liverpool Football Club, who were thinking how in the blue hell they were the finalists of the toughest football competition in the world, The Champions League. For those who don’t know, The Champions League final has as much viewership, if not more, as a FIFA World Cup final.

The book under review eloquently encapsulates not only the major achievements of the game but also sheds light on the stalwarts of Indian cricket, their achievements, approaches and vision. In order to carve out the chronology of events, the book has been divided into various sub-sections by the editor on the basis of several epochs of Indian cricket. This has certainly contributed to making it more reader-friendly. Importantly, it has underlined how cricket has become an integral part of Indian social life. Through its ability to capture the imagination of the people, it has succeeded in becoming a game for the masses. The role of the media—print and electronic, has greatly contributed towards this. Additionally, the book brings together memories and conversations of cricket enthusiasts and interviews of eminent Indian cricketers which provide deeper insights on the game. Its discussion of domestic as well as women’s cricket is equally enthralling.

This debut novel offers a playful twist on the possible origins of chess. The narrative flips back and forth between the boardrooms of the 21st century and the battlefields of the 5th century. The protagonists are Ms Vinita Joshi.

Bonn, 2008. Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik face each other in the World Chess Championship, a much-anticipated clash between two modern titans of the game. The episode serves as a suspenseful introduction to the autobiography of the five-time World Championship winner, Viswanathan Anand.

A friend, who trained at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, once reminisced about an interesting tussle he had at the academy nets. A right-handed batsman, he was receiving hard lessons on the perils of spin bowling. He began with a cover.

Prashant Kidambi’s Cricket Country: The Untold History of the First All India Team is ostensibly about the first Indian cricket team to have toured Britain. However, in reality, the book is much more than that. It is about how sport helped dissolve national, caste, class and community.