81 All Out - A Cricket Podcast

We review the fifth Test between Australia and India in Sydney where Australia regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a thrilling three-day win.

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• Australia's superior bowling depth wins the day
• The remarkable Mr Boland 
• India's muddled approach to this series: neither batting heavy nor bowling heavy
• Why didn't India trust their fast bowlers enough to play 4 each Test?
• The f...

We review the fourth Test between Australia and India at Melbourne. Australia went 2-1 ahead after a special win.

⁠Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• A series where the first 40 overs is vastly different to the second 40
• Why are India hesitant to play a fourth fast bowler?
• India's issue with four tailenders - and Australia's advantage in the lower order
• The Sam Konstas decision - and the hat tip to Bumrah
• Natha...

We review the the third Test between Australia and India at Brisbane. Australia piled on 445 but rain helped India keep the series at 1-1. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• India's decision to persist with four bowlers an an allrounder
• The need for insurance in the lower order against Australia's attack
• Akash Deep's incisive spells with little reward
• India's multipronged. issues with their transition
• Rohit and K...

We review the the second Test between Australia and India at Adelaide. Australia drew level with a handsome 10-wicket win. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• Mitchell Starc: the pink ball master
• Australia's bowling depth to the fore in day-night Test
• India's selection hedges come back to bite them
• Is it time to go back to picking five specialist bowlers? 
• Travis Head: a right royal headache for India
• Australia ...

We review the the first Test between Australia and India at Perth - a remarkable game where the ball dominated the bat... until it did not. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• The significance (and surprise) of India's 295-run victory at Perth
• The toss advantage, and how India made the most of it
• Watching a game live at Perth - and how different it was
• Is a Test match in Australia now like a destination wedding fo...

We preview the upcoming five-Test series between Australia and India. 

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• The marketing of the India v Australia rivalry: and its evolution over the years
• The profusion of India-Australia cricket in the last 25 years - and the relative dearth in the 15 years prior
• The influence of Kerry Packer on modern cricket commentary
• The legends around the Australian teams from the past: rugged, ...

We review the third Test between India and New Zealand in Mumbai where Ajaz Patel bowled New Zealand to an incredible win.

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• Is this the finest Test series win of all time?
• New Zealand overcome great odds in dream sequence
• The categories of outrage accompanying an Indian defeat
• The potency of left-arm spin in India
• Ajaz Patel's dream Test 
• New Zealand's bowlers strike gold on...

We review the second Test between India and New Zealand in Pune where Mitchell Santner bowled New Zealand to their greatest series victory. 

Support 81allout on Ko-fi

Talking Points:

• New Zealand's finest hour: breaking India's 13 year home streak
• When India were dominated in typical Indian conditions 
• Mitchell Santner's golden Test
• India's batters caught between defense and attack
• India's spinners undone by a barrage o...

We review the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bangalore - a magnificent match that will be remembered for a long, long time.

Support 81allout on Ko-Fi

Talking Points:

• Pitch-perfect conditions for New Zealand's bowlers
• The sub-air effect: how Bangalore's drainage system played its part
• India misreading the pitch and choosing three spinners
• The decision to bat first under cloudy skies
• Henry, O'Rourke and Sout...

We preview the upcoming three Test series between India and New Zealand - and also discuss England's win over Pakistan in the Test in Multan. 

Talking Points:

• The India-New Zealand rivalry down the years
• New Zealand in transition - after the retirements of Boult and Wagner
• Rachin Ravindra's terrific 92 at Galle in the recent series v Sri Lanka
• New Zealand's reliance on part-timers to fill in some spin overs
• Should New ...

We review India's magnificent win over Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur.

[podcast_subscribe id="1595"]

Talking Points:

• India doing both the expected and unexpected at the same time
• India's great bowling attack and the art of picking 20 wickets
• Jasprit Bumrah - in a rarefied space of fast bowling
• Jadeja's speeds v Bangladesh's spinner's speeds
• India's batting assault
• Kanpur 2021 v Kanpur 2024
• Kohli, Shastri and...

We review India's 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai. 

Talking Points:

• Bangladesh complete... then lose by 280 runs
• Bangladesh's impressive trio of pacers 
• The sessions that Bangladesh won - before the ball got older and runs flowed
• The sweep v drive ratio: and why Bangladesh chose to sweep much more
• India's spinners finding the right pace for the conditions 
• Mohammad Siraj's relen...

We chat with ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam about Bangladesh's historic series win in Pakistan and their chances in the upcoming two-Test series in India.

Talking Points:

• Bangladesh's dream-like comeback wins in the two Tests in Rawalpindi
• A bowling attack with tremendous variety - world-class spin and promising pace
• The arrival of Nahid Rana - and his ferocious spells in Pakistan
• The sym...

In the latest episode we chat with Paras Mhambrey on his recent stint as the bowling coach of the Indian team. We discuss India's varied bowling attack and how he managed the transition from one set of fast bowlers to the next.

Participants:

Paras Mhambrey

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus...

In the latest episode we chat with Himanish Ganjoo on how data can assist cricket teams and what he learnt from his own stint as a data analyst with the Indian side.

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Himanish Ganjoo (@hganjoo_153)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview)

*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy books republished by 81allout:

War Minus the Shooting by ...

We chat with veteran journalist Clayton Murzello about the oldest living Indian captain: Nari Contractor. Clayton speaks about his interactions with Contractor and why we must remember the man for much more than that one day in Barbados: when he suffered a near fatal injury in a warm-up game. 

Talking Points:

• A story full of destiny: from his birth till that fateful day in Barbados
• The stylish left-handed batter who couldn&#...

We review the final of the T20 World Cup and end of India's wait for an ICC trophy.

Talking Points:

• How trophy wins don't define India's legacy.
• The unfairness of labelling South Africa chokers.
• The peerless Bumrah.
• Virat Kohli's change of approach and his great swansong T20 innings in the final.
• Rohit, Pant and the fallacy of "shot selections".
• How India finally managed to construct a wel...

We review the Super 8 phase of the T20 World Cup and touch upon Afghanistan's glorious triumph, India's sweet win against Australia, and the hopes for the semis and final.

Talking Points:

• Afghanistan's historic wins over Australia and Bangladesh
• Gurbaz and Zadran - the rocks around Afghanistan's journey
• Playing their first official cricket match to 2004 to a semi-final in 2024
• The political question arou...

We review the first two weeks of the T20 World Cup and chat about the heartwarming performances of USA and other Associate teams. Plus Pakistan's insistence on opening with Babar and Rizwan; Kohli's attempts to change; Pant's hitting training; and the umpiring decision that Bangladesh are furious about.

Talking Points:

• Why a 20-team World Cup seems so much more inclusive  
• Why USA beating Pakistan is not as...