Sledging Room

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is almost here! Aren’t you excited? India have been sensational in their last two tours of Australia. However, with a team in transition that has a few injury and availability concerns, it seems that India are on the back foot early in the series.

India will not have captain Rohit Sharma, who is on paternity leave, and star batter Shubman Gill, who fractured his thumb during training, for the Perth Test. Mohammed Shami’s absence was already a big loss and India will not have two of their best batters, adding pressure on coach Gautam Gambhir, who is already under the pump.

Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead India in Perth and the visitors will need to bring in their incredible fighting attitude to the fore.Can India stun Australia with a weakened side in Perth where the hosts are yet to lose?

Who should replace Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in the XI? Is there a place for young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the XI? In the latest episode of the Sledging Room, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the build-up to the much-awaited series opener in Perth.

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Produced and Sound Mix by Sachin Dwivedi

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Gautam Gambhir, saying he 'does not have the right demeanour' to speak to the media after the head coach addressed a press conference in Mumbai before his departure to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In a strongly-worded social media post, Manjrekar urged the Indian cricket board to keep Gambhir away from interacting with the press.

Gambhir kept his responses straightforward and brief. From backing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to praising KL Rahul's versatility, Gambhir was at his optimistic best, emphasising that India is focused on completing a series hat-trick Down Under. He even stated that Ricky Ponting's views about Virat Kohli's form would not matter as India aims to bounce back in Australia.

It seems Gambhir's take on the upcoming series has divided opinions. Is it fair to criticise the former opener heading for his first major overseas tour? Should Indian cricket fans be a little more lenient and considerate?

Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the explosive start to the Border-Gavskar Trophy buzz in the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast.

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Produced and Sound Mix by Sachin Dwivedi

Few anticipated India would lose a home Test series -- especially not to New Zealand, a team that has struggled on foreign soil since the World Test Championship began in 2019. A 0-3 scoreline added to the disbelief. New Zealand, brilliantly led by Tom Latham, exceeded expectations, outshining India in all facets of the game.

The statistics are stark. Rohit Sharma, the captain, has managed just 133 runs in 10 innings, while former captain Virat Kohli has scored 192 runs in the same number of innings. Between them, they recorded only two fifties over five Tests at home during the 2024 season.

Although India secured a victory against Bangladesh in a two-Test series, their subsequent series against New Zealand saw them falter dramatically, losing 0-3 in a manner that exposed their vulnerabilities for the first time in many years.

Is it time to look beyond Rohit and Virat in Tests?

What does a series loss of this magnitude tell about Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and Gautam Gambhir’s coaching credentials?

Will India be able to bounce back in Australia?

Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari reflect on the shocking loss that has hurt their egos and reputations.

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Produced & Sound Mix By: Sachin Dwivedi

The BCCI is set to release the Indian Premier League retention list on October 31. There is a lot of noise in the Indian media about who will stay and who will leave the 10 franchises. It seems fans might be in for some shock news as the likes of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant might leave their respective franchise.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room, Kingshuk Kusari, Saurabh Kumar and Alan John bring out some exclusive news about the Indian Premier League and discuss the latest gossip from all the franchises. Apart from that the focus stays on India's Test series against New Zealand, where the hosts have lost their first-ever bilateral against the Black Caps in the history of their cricket.

As concerns lay around the form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the trio talk about the imminent transition of the Indian Test team and how the senior members of the side have fared in the recent past. The conversation focuses especially on Rohit Sharma, who has looked unclear in his approach on several instances.

Is India's form a point of concern before the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy?

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Produced & Sound Mix By: Sachin Dwivedi

 

Yes, we at the Sledging Room praised Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir when India swept Bangladesh 2-0 at home earlier in October. Their approach to the Kanpur Test was fascinating.

However, it’s time for some tough questions again after India was stunned by New Zealand in the first match of a three-Test series in Bengaluru.

India struggled in pace-friendly conditions in Bengaluru. They made a significant error at the toss, and Rohit Sharma was brave enough to acknowledge it and take the blame.

Despite their past successes, India has shown vulnerabilities even at home recently. Some of Rohit Sharma’s tactics are questionable.

Are India, under Rohit Sharma, capable of defending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia?

Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the Bengaluru Test shocker and its implications in the latest episode of Sledging Room.

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Produced & Sound Mix By: Kapil Dev Singh

On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dropped a bombshell by leaving out former captain Babar Azam, along with fast bowling stars Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, for the last two Tests against England.

The decision to exclude Babar, Shaheen, Naseem, and Sarfaraz Ahmed was made by a selection committee constituted last week. This committee includes former international umpire Aleem Dar, former pacer Aqib Javed, ex-captain Azhar Ali, and analyst Hassan Cheema, who took the bold step of dropping four senior players from the squad.

Being dropped from the national team, particularly for a player who has been a cornerstone of the batting lineup, can be demoralising. This could lead to self-doubt and questions about his place in the team, potentially undermining his confidence further.

Many, including Pakistan’s leading white-ball batter Fakhar Zaman, questioned the board’s decision to drop Babar, highlighting how Virat Kohli was given an extended run to regain his form by the BCCI.

To put it bluntly, Babar enjoyed the hype and comparisons to modern-day greats, including Virat Kohli. However, he hasn’t managed to shut out the outside noise during this period of intense scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the Indian women's team failed to impress in the Women's T20 World Cup. After losing to Australia and New Zealand in the group stage, they are on the brink of an early exit. Is it time to ask tough questions of the team and the management group?

Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the big Pakistan bombshell and India's T20 World Cup show in the latest episode of the Sledging Room.

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Produced & Sound Mix By: Kapil Dev Singh

Sunil Gavaskar dropped a bombshell when he wrote a column for Sportstar, hitting out at those who credited Gautam Gambhir for India’s Kanpur Test win against Bangladesh. Gavaskar said the sole credit for India’s aggressive approach should have gone to Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Test team. He said he felt people indulging in ‘foot-licking’ by crediting the newly-appointed coach.

It seems the legendary Gavaskar missed the mark on this occasion. While he stated the obvious by praising Rohit Sharma for India’s fearless approach, his swipe at the head coach's supporters left a bad taste.

Meanwhile, India women’s cricket has been facing criticism for its slow start to the women’s T20 World Cup. Some critics have accused the women’s cricket team of not asking the right questions. Can India wriggle out of trouble and make it to the semi-final? It looks less likely after a timid batting performance against Pakistan.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari join the bandwagon and try to make issues out of non-issues.

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Produced and Sound Mix By Kapil Dev Singh

The Indian Premier League announced its most detailed mega-auction rules for the 2025 season. In a surprise move, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, not only made the tournament robust but also provided several safeguards for franchises from players who randomly opt out of seasons citing various personal concerns.

The BCCI also made an 'India-first' move by making sure that no overseas players earn more money from the auction than the highest-paid Indian player. The board further provided incentives to all the players in the Indian Premier League, by introducing the first ever match-fee. Now, players participating in an IPL game will be additionally paid a sum of Rs 7.5 lakh - something that would really help the local cricketers coming from poor backgrounds.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of the new retention and auction rules.

Before the IPL retention rules, the trio discuss India's incredible victory in the Kanpur Test match against Bangladesh and also Babar Azam's surprise exit from the Pakistan ODI and T20I captaincy.

Produced & Sound Mixed By: Kapil Dev Singh

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant made a riveting comeback in Test cricket during India's first match against Bangladesh in Chennai. Pant scored a tremendous century, helping India win a comprehensive 280-run victory. Pant also matched MS Dhoni's tally of Test centuries in the process, hurling himself into the debate about the greatest keeper-batters from India in Test cricket.

In the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari discuss whether the argument has merit and whether Pant is really on his way to becoming one of the greatest keeper-batters in the history of red-ball cricket in India.

The trio also discuss the impact Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin have had on Test cricket for the country and how the in-form duo have dominated in the last four years whenever they have worn whites for India.

But before all of that, the latest episode begins with the question of whether fans take India's domination in home Tests for granted and the possible reasons behind it.

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound mix by Kapil Dev Singh

India will be heading into a busy period of Test cricket, starting with the two-Test series against Bangladesh. 10 Tests will be played in a span of 16 weeks, as red-ball cricket will be the flavour of the next few months. India will be looking to get into the third successive World Test Championship final, and a lot will depend on how they perform at home—against Bangladesh and New Zealand—and the all-important five-Test series in Australia from November to January 2025.

It will be a crucial phase of Indian cricket which will define Rohit Sharma’s legacy as Test captain. While Virat Kohli remains one of the greatest red-ball captains for India, Rohit has done well in the limited opportunities he has gotten. Having taken over Test captaincy after Virat Kohli’s unforeseen announcement in 2021, Rohit has succeeded. He was not the frontrunner to take over from Kohli, but the former Mumbai Indians captain has created a well-knit unit that has his style -- relaxed and fun-filled.

Rohit Sharma, as an opener, has been phenomenal in Test cricket. Promoted to open the innings in 2019, Rohit has been one of the leading run-getters in the World Test Championship. He has proved to be India’s crisis man at home and overseas.

Will he continue after the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle? Should India look to groom a successor in the next few Tests? Will we see Rohit playing and competing in the 2027 ODI World Cup?

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound mix by Kapil Dev Singh