“It was never hard for the likes of Root, Stokes, or Bairstow to go back to the basics and play with a straight bat, use the feet, trust the defence and occupy the crease. But what they really did was a below-par display of batsmanship, which set a poor example for those, who look up to such stars and learn”

So, the third Test between India and England at the biggest cricket stadium in the world lasted less than two days and is now the seventh shortest completed Test match and the first since 1935.

Without a doubt, it was…

It was Lazio’s first UEFA Champions League knockout game for more than 20 years. Simone Inzaghi’s team is struggling in the Serie A, still had some very good players to challenge Bayern Munich, who were playing without some of the major players and even their position is shaky in the Bundesliga. Lazio took four points from Borussia Dortmund in the group stage — their first Champions League campaign in 13 years.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva, and Ciro Immobile were expected to test the reigning champions, well; things did not go according to the script — Bayern simply thrashed Lazio at…

The return of Barcelona and Lionel Messi marshaling the side dominated the headlines and the fans started to dream big, but you know what, in sports, the scenario just changes each week and you never know what is waiting for you in the coming days — thus, a team that maintains its consistency like Manchester City is doing, tends to correct the mistakes and work on the loopholes rather than relying too much on the heydays.

The defence of Barcelona has been the thorn in the throat for a while and even though they win matches, the shakiness at…

The hope for the Premier League title was gone long ago and what required was maintaining the consistency for the remaining part of the season which has been a nightmare. You always get that unusual feeling of the wheels have completed their circle when the fortress is breached. Since that astonishing record at Anfield was broken, there was a sign of Liverpool entering the period of transition and the men of the golden generation have reached their peak and now started to show signs of decay.

Of course, Liverpool have been badly hit by injuries but in this season…

He left Barcelona with misty eyes and felt insulted. Then joined Atletico Madrid, where he is giving a fitting reply to the doubters by scoring goals consistently and at the moment, Atleti are well poised to win the La Liga title. Indeed, Luis Suarez is a genius when the matter is about scoring goals.

Atletico has proven to be the perfect environment for Suarez to thrive, with the Uruguayan emerging as the decisive attacking player that Diego Simeone has yearned for since 2016.

“I continue to see myself enjoying this moment that I’m living through in elite football, some didn’t…

The clash between Liverpool and RB Leipzig had been shifted to Budapest, Hungary due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Reds set foot for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League after digesting three consecutive defeats in the Premier League and nevertheless jolted by the injury woes. Still, they started the campaign with a victory over the German Club courtesy of sloppiness.

The Leipzig of Julian Nagelsmann sit second in the Bundesliga, where they have emerged as the most credible challengers to Bayern Munich and they have built their game on firm defensive foundations, still, they failed…

The last time Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) visited Camp Nou, they were completely devastated by Neymar in one of the most charismatic displays in the history of the UEFA Champions League. PSG arrived at Camp Nou with an advantage of four goals, but in the end, they digested an absolute humiliation — Barca went through to the next round.

Since then almost four years have passed and so many things changed.

After that epic comeback in 2017, Neymar did not receive the due credit, and as usual Lionel Messi was hogging the limelight. There was a school of thought…

“There was nothing wrong with the pitch; rather the technique and temperament had to be positive”

The wicket for the second Test in Chennai remained the subject of interest among the cricket fans and experts even before a ball being bowled. After the heavy defeat in the first test, a rank-turner was always on the cards.

Four days ago, former Indian cricketer and now commentator predicted that we might see the second Test ending in 3 and a half or 4 days.

Chopra observed that considering how the pitches are prepared in India, the pitch for the second Test…