Author: Joshan Basi
I have played all levels of cricket: from under 9s to under 19s, from Division 7 to Division 1, from friendlies and school matches to national knockouts and county games. I have seen thousands of wickets in my lifetime (and got out enough times myself!), but Jamie Smith’s dismissal to Marnus Labuschagne in Sydney sits comfortably as the worst. Sure, I’ve swiped across the line against plenty of part-time spinners, but I don’t play for England. I’m not batting to save the last shred of dignity available for my country, on what has been a woeful tour for both myself and my team. Despite all this, Jamie Smith still produced this awful piece of cricket – yet it might not have been the worst thing we’ve seen from England all…
1,319 days, 44 test matches, 14 series, 25 wins, 17 losses, and 2 draws. England’s Test team under Brendon McCullum has been a success, right? Before McCullum, England finished 4th in the 2019-21 World Test Championship cycle. In 2021-23, they finished 4th again; in 2023-25, they dropped to 5th; in the current cycle, they sit in 7th. Before McCullum, England lost the 2021-22 Ashes tour in Australia in 12 days. The series was hailed as one of England’s worst ever. In 2025, England have crumbled to defeat Down Under again – this time in just 11 days. Before McCullum, England won 2 out of their 6 previous away Test tours, including a statement win in South Africa. Since McCullum’s appointment, England have won 2 of…
I’ve never been a been a huge rollercoaster fan; maybe it’s the heights, the turns, or maybe my years as a Chennai Super Kings supporter have been tumultuous enough that no other rollercoaster comes close. 17 years, 100+ players, 5 titles, 5-time runners-up, 2 banned seasons, and an incredible journey in between. After a tame 2025, I thought the CSK rollercoaster was coming to a halt, but then, everything changed… In a twist that not even the sickest minds at Alton Towers or Six Flags could conceive, CSK have traded away their golden boy, Ravindra Jadeja. Only 2 seasons ago,…
The 74th edition of the Ashes gets underway this month in Australia, and the pressure is on for both sides. England haven’t held the trophy in 10 years and have failed to win a test match in Australia since 2011. Meanwhile, Australia’s golden era is starting to diminish off the back of a World Test Championship defeat this summer, with the team facing top order issues and an injury to their captain, Pat Cummins. England’s woes in Australia have been persistent since 2011. In their last 15 Tests Down Under, they have lost thirteen and drawn two. They have an…