We just quickly got together to record some initial reactions after the stunning game at the Oval. We will come back with a more detailed analysis of what has been a fantastic test series.

This episode is a chat with the folks on The Last Wicket Podcast. Do listen to their previous podcasts which have tremendous nostalgia value and a lot of depth in variety of the topics discussed.

The current landscape of cricket journalism and television coverage is characterized by a significant decline in quality and depth, as discussed in our latest podcast episode.

We explore how the monopolistic tendencies of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have led to a homogenization of narratives, focusing excessively on celebrity players while neglecting broader analytical discourse. Our dialogue also delves into the implications of rising jingoism in sports media, which appears to cater more to sensationalism than substantive cricketing insights. Furthermore, we address the emergence of fan culture that prioritizes tribalism over appreciation for the sport itself, reflecting a troubling shift in societal attitudes. Join us as we dissect these pressing issues and consider the future of cricket coverage in an increasingly polarized media environment.

We sat down to discuss England's win at Lord's.

We discussed why Jadeja should have attacked more, why is this team so defensive?, what is the secret of Ben Stokes' energy? (No we didn't) but definitely marvelled at Archer's return and the dangers of Siraj being overbowled before looking ahead to the Manchester Test where we think Kuldeep is a must (heck, we thought he was a must in all tests).

There is sadly no media review but an observation that the Indian fan and YT creators ended up defending this selection as the game went on.

2nd Test Review of the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy

Media Roundups (multiple times, as one must)

Mulder Brainfade?

The wives of cricketers are to blame for everything

Predictions for the Lord's Test

Pradeep Magazine is a cricket writer, columnist, and former sports editor of The Pioneer, the India Today e-paper, and the Hindustan Times. He began his journalistic career in 1979 with the Chandigarh edition of The Indian Express and served as its cricket editor in 1999–2000. He writes on cricket regularly in The Tribune. He has written 2 wonderful cricket books - Not Just Cricket & Not Quite Cricket

In this episode we chat about -

1. SA’s remarkable WTC win with a black captain in Temba Bavuma at the helm
2. The lack of representation & invisibilisation of Dalits and OBCs in Cricket
3. The dim view of administration of Women’s Cricket
4. The star power creates disparities in the Indian team
5. Is Match fixing still possible due to the economic disparities and mushrooming of smaller leagues?
6. Pradeep refers to Ex-Commissioner of Police & Head of BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit - Neeraj Kumar’s book - A Cop in Cricket where his work and findings are ignored by the BCCI
7. Classist humour in India against cricketers
8. His evolving relationship with the game after being in such close proximity

Books by Pradeep Magazine

Not Just Cricket

Not Quite Cricket

Article that prompted the episode -

When Quota is fair game - The Tribune

In this episode, we discuss the changing nature of Bazball, Gill in his first test as captain, Yashasvi's drops affecting the game, the joy of Rishabh Pant, the finesse of KL Rahul, the vitriol against Siraj and Prasidh, the uselessness of Ravindra Jadeja and of course a media review of our favourite Youtube channels.

The only way to honour the memories of those who lost their lives in the stampede at Chinnaswamy on 4th of June is to continue talking about it.

We speak to Sarthak Dev, who wrote an excellent piece for News Laundry.

You can read The story of a disaster: An IPL win, a city’s joy, and a tragedy that was waiting to happen here.

Tarutr runs BestofCricket Substack where he publishes a Daily Newsletter with the best cricket stories (text, audio & video). You can read & subscribe here.