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The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Tendulkar v Anderson: two master craftsmen who gave more than anyone to Test cricket
Spring 2006 and India are batting against England at the Wankhede in Mumbai. The series is all square, one Test each with one to play. England, batting first, have made an even 400, thanks in large part to a century by Andrew Strauss and 88 from his Middlesex teammate Owais Shah, who is making his debut. It is just past tea on the second day and India's openers are already gone, bounced out by Matthew Hoggard. Sachin Tendulkar is at No 4 and England's captain, Andrew Flintoff, has just thrown the ball to his first-change bowler, Jimmy Anderson. Anderson is 23. He has already played 12 Tests; the last of them was 14 months earlier, against South Africa in Johannesburg, the other side of the 2005 Ashes, which he spent carrying drinks. It was, he told me last month, 'a hard time' in his life. England's coaches had been trying to rebuild his action and he had been sent on an England A Tour of the West Indies to work on it. He was only playing in India because Simon Jones had gone home, injured. Now here he is, ball in hand, with Tendulkar, who Anderson grew up watching on TV, waiting at the other end and the series in the balance. Coming up on two decades later, the BCCI and ECB have renamed the Pataudi Trophy for the two of them. Some people are upset they are so quick to overwrite the game's history. Iftikhar Ali Khan Paaudi was the only man to play for England and India; his son, Mansoor Ali Khan, played for Oxford University and Sussex and went on to become one of India's best captains after being given the job when he was 21. The decision to get rid of the Pataudi family name was quick, and careless, but we can at least be glad they chose Anderson and Tendulkar. They first played against each other in a World Cup, in Durban in 2003, but this match, in 2006, was the first time that they had squared off in a Test. Anderson's first ball slid down the leg side, his second was blocked to cover, his third thumped straight to point, his fourth went straight through to 'keeper Geraint Jones, his fifth was dropped down by Tendulkar's feet, his sixth was driven to gully, and his seventh, well, his seventh was the one that got him. It was short, and wide, and Tendulkar, who had scored one off 21 balls, decided he needed to punish it. He leaned back in his crease and flicked his bat out to punch the ball through cover. But the ball had been moving away from him all the while and it flew, instead, off his outside edge through to Jones. Tendulkar c Jones b Anderson 1. The moment is best remembered because as Tendulkar was walking off a group of home fans booed him. Anderson finished with four for 40 in the innings and England would go on to win the match and the series. It gets forgotten among all the happy memories of what they did in the 2005 Ashes, but their head coach, Duncan Fletcher, always said it was one of their finest victories. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Anderson would take Tendulkar's wicket eight more times in 13 Tests. By the time Tendulkar retired in 2013, he had got out to Anderson more often than he had any other bowler. Often as not, Anderson would have him caught behind or do him lbw. It was as if he had found a crack in Tendulkar's batting and he played on it, pitilessly. Tendulkar would say Anderson was the first bowler he had faced who seemed to be able to bowl a reversed version of reverse swing. There is a video, when Tendulkar explains it to Brian Lara, full of nerdy enthusiasm for Anderson's technical ability. It is one master craftsman appreciating another. They were two greats passing each other on the slope of their careers, Anderson was at the end of the beginning, Tendulkar the beginning of the end. While age gave the compensation of experience it was not enough to cover for what he had lost along the way. Tendulkar scored one century against England while Anderson was playing, although it was one of his best, and most famous, in the fourth innings at Chennai in 2008, when India made 387 to win a game that had been trailing for three days. But their records against each other are not the point. They are the two most-capped Test players. Tendulkar played 200 games, Anderson 188, and their careers spanned almost a quarter of the history of Test cricket, 35 years from Tendulkar's first match in 1989 to Anderson's last in 2024. It is hard to think of two men who gave more to Test cricket.
NDTV
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
How Thug Life Stole Housefull 5's Buzz And Box Office Thunder
New Delhi: It's been over a week since one film has dominated headlines, airwaves, and dinner table conversations - and no, it's not Housefull 5. It's Thug Life, and the man of the moment is none other than Kamal Haasan. In what can only be described as a publicity storm, the actor's controversial comments may have ruffled feathers, but they've also done what even a Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam combo might have struggled with: create national-level buzz. From radio shows to prime-time news panels, Thug Life has become a talking point far beyond cinema circles. And it's showing results where it matters most - at the box office. Trade analyst Girish Wankhede confirms that Thug Life's advance bookings are outperforming Housefull 5, despite the latter being a massively star-studded franchise. "The strength of the controversy surrounding Thug Life was so significant that when advance bookings opened, the film garnered an impressive Rs 6.16 crore, while Housefull 5 managed Rs 6 crore," says Wankhede. "The heightened buzz propelled Thug Life to surpass Housefull 5, showcasing the powerful impact of public discourse on commercial performance." Which brings us to the surprise twist - how did a brand as big as Housefull lose the spotlight? Featuring names like Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, and Sanjay Dutt, Housefull 5 had every ingredient for a promotional blitz. Yet, with minimal city tours and lukewarm fanfare, the film failed to break the internet or the ticket counters. Meanwhile, Thug Life went all out with high-octane promotions, slick visuals, and a political controversy that, ironically, became the film's best marketing tool. In today's attention economy, drama sells - and Thug Life nailed the formula. "Historically, controversies have helped films - from The Kashmir Files to Jodhaa Akbar," Wankhede notes. "But in this case, one provocative remark created enough storm to eclipse even a high-profile film like Housefull 5." So, while Housefull 5 plays to nostalgia, Thug Life plays to the moment. And right now, that moment belongs to Kamal Haasan.
Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Nephew Nadal and how everyone needs to have an Uncle Toni in their lives
Back in the day, Rafael Nadal, 15, endured a strange evening. In the company of two men he respected, Rafa sat silently listening to them speculate about his future. This was early 2000 and Nadal, along with his coach and uncle, Toni, were guests at the home of Spain's national hero of that period – the square-jawed, long-haired Carlos Moya. During dinner, Moya, Spain's first-ever World No.1, threw a ridiculous question at Toni. Can you sign on a paper proclaiming that Rafael will turn out to be as good as Albert Costa? Just a few months back, Costa had won the French Open. Not known for diplomacy or false modesty, Toni declined. In his deep tenor-like voice, he said Nadal would do better than Costa. Moya didn't end the game there. 'Do you think he is as good as me, can you sign on to that?' Years later, recalling those bizarre meal-time events in a podcast; Toni said he reluctantly signed the paper just to be courteous to their generous host. But once the goodbyes were done and Toni was sure that the door behind their back was shut, he looked at an utterly confused young Rafa. 'I told him, I should have never signed on it but had to. I am sure you will be better than him. For me, it is not enough for you to be Carlos Moya.' Everyone deserves an Uncle Toni in their lives but only a few lucky nephews and nieces are blessed to have one. Nadal would at times feel the greatness inside him but he wasn't sure. Toni was always around to remind Rafa that he was the 'Special One'. The uncle also forced him to train hard, shielded him from distractions and, like that evening at Moya's home, didn't let his impressionable ward be satisfied by being merely as good as one of his idols and limit his goals. That day when he had signed the paper at Moya's home, Toni knew Rafa would one day put his indelible signature on the game. What he couldn't have imagined, it would be in the form of a red-clay footmark, etched on a sparkling white tile and cemented next to the net at Court Philippe Chatrier forever. Who could have read the mind of the aesthetically blessed and incredibly graceful French? In his teary, emotional speech at his grand Paris farewell the other day, where the French in the stands kept reaching for their handkerchiefs, Nadal extended a 'thousand thank yous' to Toni. He did mention his parents, sister, friends and wife but Nadal's virtual 'what do I say' surrender when it came to paying tribute to his mentor and guide underlined uncle Toni's role in the making of the Clay King. This was so like Sachin Tendulkar at the end of his career at Wankhede, pouring his heart out when talking about his own Toni – elder brother Ajit. 'Toni, you are the reason I am here. Thank you for dedicating a large part of your life to wanting to be with me. Training, speaking and winning, making me suffer, making me laugh, and pushing me to my limit. What I experienced was not always easy but, without doubt, it was worth the pain. Toni, my gratitude for the sacrifice you made for me is infinite. The best trainer I could have had. A thousand thank yous.' In the stands, Toni was being his stone-faced self. His eyes did squint, but there were no tears. He had been at Nadal's 14 triumphs here, sat through some disappointing losses, gulped down emotions watching his warrior nephew play through pain. He had seen it all. This was a happy 'last goodbye' party. Known as 'Dr No' for his stubborn nature, Toni isn't known to be the sentimental kind. Having an uncle, and not a father, as coach has some unique advantages. With a parent, a child can take liberties, throw a tantrum to try to get concessions in training. A strict uncle doesn't allow all that. Toni had a torturous coaching regime – he would make a young Rafa train on under-prepared clay courts, make him play with old bald balls, didn't allow him to drink water during a session, forced him to have endless repetitions and on days even reduced him to tears. Teenager Rafael Nadal playing tennis with uncle Toni 😊 — Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) October 16, 2024 But Toni knew the limits of the young boy's patience. He ensured that Nadal didn't start to hate tennis. He would also cajole him, show patience with his mistakes and also be his protector. Once Toni couldn't travel for a tournament with pre-teen Nadal, so he asked a local coach to accompany him. Before they left, Toni had a word with the new coach. 'Don't be tough with my nephew, I am tough enough,' he said. Nadal's father was Toni's elder brother and they all lived in one big building. The family patriarch was a musician. Rafael was the family's first grandchild, a favourite among his uncles. In his book 'The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay,' Christopher Clarey mentions how Toni, besides teaching him tennis skills, was also his 'unofficial performance psychologist'. He was an incredible story-teller, who wanted the trust of his nephew. Toni wanted Nadal to believe that he had magical powers and can do anything – even make him invincible. A charming little anecdote from the time Nadal was seven explains this. To relax his nephew before a crucial game against an 11-year-old, Toni came up with a story. He told Little Nadal that in case he was trailing in the game, he could magically arrange for rain and the game would be washed out. The game would start with Nadal trailing 4-0 and Toni getting restless. But the tide turned and it was 4-3 soon. That's when the skies opened up and there was a downpour. Nadal took his word. He was too obedient to challenge his elder. The match had started with Nadal 0-4 down. Toni's promised showers were nowhere around. Left with no option, Nadal hit back. 1-4, 2-4, 3-4 … Over to the book, where Clarey quotes Toni. 'At 4–3, it starts to rain, so I stop the match and take shelter on a porch at the club. And Rafa comes up to me when the other player can't see him and tells me, 'Listen … I think you can stop the rain because I think I can beat this guy.'' That lovely story then takes a big jump. Cut to 2008 and the Wimbledon final against Federer. Here Nadal takes the first two sets and it starts to rain. 'Toni reached Rafael in the locker room during the forced break, Rafael's first words to him were – 'Now was not the time to make it rain!', writes Clarey. The two laugh and after a while the rain actually stops. Nadal loses the next two sets, but in the final set, beats Federer to win his first Wimbledon. It was a miracle, a Spaniard had won on grass. So how could Toni agree that his nephew was as good as Costa or Moya? How could he have undervalued the precious diamond he was so diligently polishing? Everyone deserves an Uncle Toni in their lives but only a few lucky nephews and nieces are blessed to have them.
India Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Hardik Pandya never gives up, good to see his turnaround in IPL 2025: Ajay Jadeja
Hardik Pandya soaked in the roar of a rapturous Wankhede as he led Mumbai Indians' lap of honour on Wednesday, May 21. The MI captain was all smiles, celebrating a resounding 59-run win over Delhi Capitals that sealed their spot in the IPL 2025 play-offs. It was a moment of redemption and resurgence and Hardik stood proudly at the heart of a high-profile transfer from Gujarat Titans, Hardik had taken over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma — a fan favourite. When results didn't go MI's way in 2024, it was Hardik who bore the brunt of the backlash as MI finished bottom of the 2025: MI vs DC Highlights But Hardik did not throw in the towel. The pressure mounted once again this season after MI lost four of their first five matches. However, the five-time champions staged a stunning comeback, winning seven of their next eight games to storm into the play-offs in the season, Hardik has remained content to stay in the background, focused on getting the best out of a star-studded squad. On Wednesday, they delivered under pressure, displaying the composure of a team accustomed to big-match COOLadvertisementFormer India batter Ajay Jadeja heaped praise on Hardik's leadership, noting that the all-rounder hasn't altered his captaincy style but has simply managed his team more effectively this time has already proved his credentials, having led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022 and the final in 2023. Now, he'll be aiming to guide Mumbai Indians to a record sixth championship.'Hardik has been fabulous. He has got the energy. He has got a different style of captaining. Unfortunately, last season wasn't a success. He has kept his cool. He has carried on the way he captains, whether he was at GT, whether it was last year,' Jadeja told JioStar.'He is an excellent motivator. He is one man who has shown he never gives up. Yes, there is an excellent analytical team out there who is helping him out. But the energy that he brings in!'It's lovely to see, for a man who has had such a tough time last year — with the same team, same ground, same fans — he has turned it around. The same fans at this ground were booing him last year; now they are cheering for him. That shows his character. You want to always have a leader like him — not just when you're winning, but when you are losing as well.'BETTER BOWLING GROUP, BETTER RESULTSadvertisementJadeja also pointed out that Hardik has benefitted from a vastly improved bowling line-up in IPL 2025, so much so that the captain himself hasn't needed to bowl in most Jasprit Bumrah carried much of the bowling burden last season with 20 wickets in 13 matches, this year he has found ample support from Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Deepak Chahar. The trio have collectively picked up 37 wickets, while Hardik himself has chipped in with 13.'The results have come his way this year. I think he has got a better bowling attack this year. So that makes a big difference.'A man who bowls for India and plays as a pure bowler is not even required. That's the kind of arsenal that has been put around him. A captain is always as good as his team.'Mumbai Indians will now look to finish in the top two and earn themselves an extra shot at reaching the final. Their final league fixture will be against Punjab Kings on Monday in MI, PBKS, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans completing the line-up, the play-offs race for IPL 2025 is officially over — and the business end updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!Must Watch IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Surya, Santner and Bumrah guide MI into playoffs; DC out
Mumbai: T20 is the most merciless of formats in cricket. Up until the 19th over, Mumbai Indians batters had managed only three overs with double digit returns, the highest being a 15-run over. In the final two overs, Naman Dhir and Suryakumar Yadav combined for an almighty onslaught, with five fours and five sixes. All of Delhi Capitals' hard work over 90% of their bowling was undone in two expensive overs by Mukesh Kumar (27 runs) and Dushmantha Chameera (21 runs). From 132/5 in 18 overs and aiming to post a fighting 160, MI soared to 180 on a Mumbai pitch offering grip and turn on Wednesday. DC batters were no match, dismissed for 121. MI's 59-run win saw them book the fourth playoff berth. DC became the sixth team to be left stranded before IPL 2025's final week. In the final over, as Chameera leaked boundaries, DC captain Faf du Plessis kept coming to his bowler to discuss the field for the next ball. Despite du Plessis's calmness, the Sri Lankan pacer never recovered his composure or control. Dhir, MI's designated finisher, played the most crucial hand (24 - 8b, 2x4,2x6). That and Surya's 73 not out (43b, 7x4,4x6), marked by late acceleration, meant 48 runs came in the final two overs. It swung the equation in the home side's favour. At the innings break, smiles were back in the MI dugout, the Wankhede crowd had found their voice. Earlier, another packed house wearing newly minted Rohit Sharma jerseys, didn't get a reason to cheer for their hero. Rohit, playing at the Wankhede since a stand was named after him, perished on five to another left-arm seamer's dismissal – caught behind off Mustafizur Rahman in the third over. Most of the remaining Powerplay was cat-and-mouse play. Will Jacks came to the crease to hit out against pace but was soon greeted by Vipraj Nigam's leg-spin. Jacks got away, only to fall to Mukesh Kumar's slower ball. Jacks (21) and Ryan Rickelton (25) batted with freedom in the Powerplay – 54/2- before batting got tough. DC would have loved Axar Patel's overs in the middle as the ball began to grip, but the skipper did not play due to illness. Watching Axar and Kuldeep Yadav challenge Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma would have been a box office middle overs contest. Enter Nigam, DC's 20-year-old leg-spinner from UP. He applied the squeeze on Surya, who had until then swept spinners at will for most of the tournament. Nigam's miserly spell (4-0-25-0) complemented Kuldeep's guile; the India spinner, with figures of 4-0-22-1, came into his own with the pitch taking significant turn. The Surya-Varma fourth wicket stand was only a little over run-a-ball (55 off 49b), giving a measure of how difficult batting had become as DC's pacers also began to bowl off-pace. KL Rahul had not played a shot in anger during his century in the previous match on being promoted as opener. In an uncharacteristic hurry during DC's chase, he swiped outside off-stump in an early exchange against Trent Boult's angle. His top hand came off the bat as Rickelton behind the stumps completed the catch. As Rahul (11) returned to the change room, and with captain du Plessis already dismissed, DC's tournament hopes lay in tatters. From 20/2, DC could never mount a fight after losing their two big batting names. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (4-0-11-3) ran riot in the middle overs, extracting prodigious turn. How different T20 cricket can look with the cushion of runs. MI's late batting blitz and their sharp bowling made the difference.
