The unbeaten hosts overpowered New Zealand by 70 runs in a high-scoring match on Wednesday to march into the World Cup final.
If the cricket gods are smiling on India,the crowning moment will come on Sunday with captain Rohit Sharma marking an undefeated campaign by lifting the World Cup in front of 130,000 fans.
Ultimately it was money,and the prospect of Indian broadcast rights swelling revenue for the LA games by something in the region of US$200 million,that ensured cricket’s passage to the Olympics
After three matches played at breakneck pace on crumbling pitches,the final instalment has followed a more glacial tempo.
From Ahmedabad crowd chants for Modi to Albanese’s linked arms with the Australian cricket team,this was theatre of the absurd as the fourth Test began.
Australia’s victory in Indore meant that in 19 Tests played since the BCCI signed a new broadcast deal in 2018,no fewer than 30 days had been left unused due to rapid finishes.
Pete Handscomb’s soundness against spin is no accident,but even he was enveloped in the chaos of the Delhi Test.
Australia will be challenged in the mind as much as with their physical ability in India.
In a lifetime of watching cricket,no innings I have seen showcased the art of batting better than Virat Kohli’s matchwinning performance against Pakistan.
The last over encapsulated the mess and noise of the all-too-rare meetings between India and Pakistan on the cricket field. How did it get to that point? And when did Virat Kohli turn a battling,halting stay into the best performance of his Twenty20 career?
Adam Zampa’s home affords him plenty of introspection. On the day Shane Warne died,Zampa reflected more deeply than usual.