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1
The opiate of the masses delivers
ESPNcricinfo’s Sidharth Monga had the best write-up on the messy, chaotic explosion of emotions that followed a messy, chaotic last few overs of the World Cup;
“Kohli is retiring from T20Is with a Player-of-the-Final trophy. Kohli slips out of the celebrations and pulls out his AirPods. They connect just in time for him to take the call. He is visibly talking to one of his children: he is making faces and gestures you make to babies.
He has earned everything a man could wish for, he has carried Dravid's work forward in Tests to an extent Dravid himself couldn't, but for 13 years he has not been part of a team that has had a world title.”
The Guardian’s Frédéric Noy has a beautiful photo essay on what cricket means to the average Indian; “‘It is a religion here’: India united by shared love of cricket.”
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2
Swing was Bumrah’s fallback option
Stephen N has an incredible data story on how Jasprit Bumrah improved after an injury, which has led to an incredible 12 months even by his own high standards.
ESPNcricinfo’s Karthik Krishnaswamy writes about the one retiree that India are going to struggle to replace; “Good luck finding another Rahul Dravid.”
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3
A reminder that India has a ridiculous number of people
ESPNcricinfo’s S Sudarshanan captured the emotions of Mumbai’s outpouring of love for the Indian victors as the locals packed the streets and the stadium;
“But none of [the fans’ discomfort] mattered at around 8:55pm. Not their parched throats. Not the lack of water or food. Nor the couple of brief spells of showers in the evening. Their energy levels when the victorious Indian squad made their way down the steps of the dressing room were just as high - if not higher than - as what they were when they had made their way in.”
Indian Express’ Anil Dias profiles one of the most resilient and hardcore fans at the event; “Wheelchair-bound Maithili joins sea of cricket lovers at parade to celebrate Rohit, Virat, Bumrah and Co.”
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4
The best of the rest
Sportstar’s Tarun Shastry profiles the journey of a valued member in India’s backroom staff; “Against all odds: India fielding coach T Dilip’s non-linear progression to the top.”
Sky Sports’ Evie Ashton talks to Georgia Adams about coming out, from her pro cricket father’s relief to her grandmother’s hidden desires; “Rainbow Laces: Cricketer Georgia Adams on being an LGBT+ cricketer and the role her family played when she came out.”
Deccan Herald’s Roshan Thyagarajan has an interesting piece about a cricket club created by and for the poor residents in Barbados, which has developed 20+ Test cricketers during it’s existence; “Empire Cricket Club: Greatest club born out of a rebellion.”
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5
The best videos and podcasts
Tailenders has an incredible farewell podcast for Jimmy Anderson. They talk to the man himself ahead of his final Test, to retrace his life and career. [Apple Podcasts]
Powerplay’s Firdose Moonda & Valkerie Baynes talk to Sophie Ecclestone about being the best bowler in the world, as we approach the 8-year anniversary of her international debut. [Apple Podcasts]
Carribean Cricket Podcast’s Machel St Patrick Hewitt had a fascinating conversation with the head coach at Cricket West Indies’ Academy about how to develop elite players in today’s cricketing environment.
Editor’s Note
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