Gurnoor Brar’s Bodyline Burst Gives Team Management Plenty to Think A…

Vaibhav Tripathi, Colombo

Team India’s bowlers had their task cut out on the opening day of the three-day practice game against SLC XI at the NCC in Colombo. On a pitch that offered little assistance to either the pacers or spinners, the home team managed to post 363 for the loss of eight wickets. Of the eight wickets, six were picked up by the spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar. All three bowled more than 10 overs during the day. amunra.help

Among the pacers, Mohammed Siraj bowled 13 overs but went without a wicket. Much like it was during India’s two practice sessions before the match, Gurnoor Brar looked the most threatening bowler. Since it was a practice match, Siraj did not bowl at full tilt. Prasidh Krishna bowled five overs in his first spell, leaked runs and then bowled only three more overs for the rest of the day.

The conditions were demanding. The sun was beating down heavily on the players, and for fast bowlers operating on an unresponsive pitch, the task of taking wickets was even more difficult.

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Once again, Gurnoor looked very penetrative. He was brought into the attack as the second-change bowler and struggled to find the ideal length in his first spell. After 55 overs, he was recalled by stand-in captain KL Rahul for his second spell.

A recharged and fully refreshed Gurnoor came up with a different plan. Earlier in the day, he had looked to hit the good-length area in order to find some movement off the surface. Taking the learnings from his first spell, Gurnoor opted to go short against the SLC XI batters.

The switch from a good-length approach to a bodyline attack worked for him. In the third over of his second spell, Gurnoor bounced out Pavan Rathnayake. It was a quick and sharp short delivery, so well directed that Rathnayake was forced to play at it and ended up giving a simple catch on the boundary while attempting a hook shot. On that occasion, the extra pace and his ability to extract more bounce from the pitch helped Gurnoor.

SLC XI captain Sonal Dinusha, who batted really well for his 52, was troubled a lot by Gurnoor’s bodyline attack. In fact, Gurnoor hit Sonal on the hand. Ask Dhruv Jurel, whose life became difficult whenever Gurnoor bowled after lunch.

At the nets, when no other pacer was able to trouble Shubman Gill, Gurnoor bowled a rising delivery to the Indian captain that struck him on his right hand. As a precautionary measure, Gill could not take the field on day one.

The most likeable thing about Gurnoor is that he always looks to create an impact. Even though it was only the first day of the match, the pace at which he was operating suggested that his mindset does not change, irrespective of where he turns up. Bowlers like him can be difference-makers, especially when nothing is happening for the other bowlers.

Heading into the first Test, the team management will have the tough task of choosing Siraj’s bowling partner if they go with only two pacers in Galle. Gurnoor has shown what he can do on a lifeless wicket. Given the way he has been bowling, Gurnoor should start alongside Siraj.
Also, when he last turned up in Galle, he wreaked havoc against the Sri Lanka A team, taking a 10-wicket haul in the unofficial Test.

There are more reasons to pick him than to make him sit on the sidelines.

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Paris [France], August 8 (ANI): Indian chess will enjoy its strongest-ever representation at the Esports World Cup (EWC), with four Grandmasters set to compete in the Chess tournament at EWC 2026, scheduled to take place in Paris from August 11 to 15, according to a press release.

Grandmasters Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram, and Pranesh M, representing esports and gaming content powerhouse S8UL Esports, will be joined by Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, who will compete under the banner of Gen.G Esports. Together, they will take on the world’s best players for a share of the USD 1.5 million (Rs INR 14.2 crore) prize pool.

Nihal, Pranesh and Arjun secured direct qualification to the Group Stage through their performances in the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) 2025-2026, while Aravindh earned his place through DreamHack Atlanta earlier this year and will begin his campaign in the Play-In stage.

This marks a significant milestone for Indian chess at the EWC. Last year, Nihal and Arjun were the only Indians to compete in the tournament. Nihal, who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), reached the quarterfinals, while Arjun, who qualified through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT), finished fourth. This year, the number of Indian participants has doubled, making it the country’s largest-ever contingent at the event.

Returning after its debut last year, the Chess competition at EWC 2026 will feature a revised two-phase format. The first phase, new to the tournament, is the Play-In stage, featuring nine players who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) and DreamHack Atlanta. These players will compete in a double-elimination bracket, with each match consisting of two games.

The top performers from the Play-In stage will advance to the Group Stage, where they will join players who qualified directly through the CCT and other qualifying events. The 16-player Group Stage will be divided into two groups of eight, with each group following a double-elimination format featuring two-game matches. The top four players from each group will advance to the Playoffs.

The Playoffs will follow a single-elimination format, with four-game matches in the quarterfinals and six-game matches in the semifinals. The winner of this year’s tournament will be decided after a grueling Grand Final contested over three sets.

The competition features one of the strongest fields assembled in Chess, led by defending champion Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid). He will be joined by Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Natus Vincere), Hans Moke Niemann (GodLike Esports), alongside several other Grandmasters from around the world.

With four Indian Grandmasters in contention, the country will look to build on last year’s breakthrough and challenge for its first-ever EWC Chess title. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Former skipper Ajinkya Rahane advised the Indian batters to be “proactive” against Sri Lankan spinners in the upcoming two-match Test series, beginning at Galle from August 15.

Rahane had played a stellar role in India’s 3-0 series sweep during the 2017 tour to the island nation, scoring over 200 runs with a hundred and a fifty.

“I think in Sri Lanka, the first day wicket generally is very good. But being on top of the bowler as a batsman is very important. That’s what I have learned in Sri Lanka. You cannot be too defensive,” Rahane, who recently announced his retirement, told PTI in an interview facilitated by ETPL.

Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane said the presence of quality spinners in the Sri Lanka line-up makes it imperative for Indian batters to be their dominant self.

“You have to probably be more proactive because they will have spin friendly wickets, and Sri Lanka do have decent spinners in their side. And again, a home team is always a tough team to beat. Whatever I’ve learned playing cricket for so many years, you can’t take anyone lightly.

“So it’s all about, I think, having your own game plan as an individual and being proactive. Even in Test cricket, it’s going to be the key,” he added.

Rahane, once an all format player for India, said the batting dynamics of Test cricket have changed completely in recent years, especially with the T20 format gaining more popularity. “The game has evolved massively. Talking about Test cricket, you see now a lot of T20 players do play in Test cricket as well. The scoop, the laps, switch hit, reverse sweep are being played and that too consistently. I think it is a very good thing,” he said.

For Rahane, adaptation holds key in modern day cricket. “The players need to adapt to different formats very quickly because that’s the mindset you want now. As soon as the Test gets over, probably within a week, you’re playing T20, you’re playing ODIs or after T20, you are straight away going into Test cricket. So having that mindset, the adaptability is really, really important,” he noted.

[popcorn number="2017" desc="The year India last toured SL for a Test series; India won 3-0" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="18" desc="No. of wickets picked by Sri Lanka’s spinners out of India’s 32 dismissals during the 2017-18 Test series in the island nation" class="Default"]

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Mohor Chaudhuri

The grand launch of the non-fiction show Bigg Boss Bangla unfolded in style at Taj Bengal, Kolkata. Revsportz was present on the occasion and could very well feel the excitement and anticipation surrounding a show that promises to blend high-voltage drama with twists and turns.

More so, because this edition carries added intrigue with Sourav Ganguly taking over as the host. The evening was witness to a conversation between the press and the ‘Prince of Calcutta’, with several sporting analogies being drawn to describe the new show and its proceedings.

In the media interaction, Ganguly spoke candidly about the chaos that defines the Bigg Boss House, drawing parallels with the unpredictability of a cricket dressing room.

He emphasised how handling strong personalities, navigating conflicts, and handling a group through crisis moments are all part of leadership—something he is accustomed to right from his cricket leadership days.

In an interesting exchange, Revsportz posed a compelling question: “who is or who should truly be the ‘Bigg Boss’ of a dressing room, the captain or the coach?” Ganguly’s response was clear and insightful. “In cricket, it’s the captain. Always. In football, it’s the coach. Different games have different skill sets and requirements. So in cricket, it’s the captain”, he mentioned without any hesitation.

From ruling the 22 yards as one of India’s most iconic captains to commanding the screen as a host, Ganguly has transitioned into this role quite seamlessly. Having previously hosted television shows, he brings both experience and authority to the format.

Much like a captain assessing conditions, managing egos, and making decisive calls under pressure for the benefit of the larger group, Ganguly is set to bring his trademark leadership into the house of Bigg Boss; calm amid chaos, yet firm when it is needed.

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The post Different games, different roles. But in cricket, it’s the captain — Sourav Ganguly on cricket-leadership being captain-driven appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.