CATEGORIES

Smouldering Hungaroring!

There’s a lot of interesting stuff for Ferrari to analyse because there’s a clear trend here: when there’s a circuit that requires a high amount of down-force and has a lot of corners where one leads into the other, the FERRARI IS RIGHT THERE, and if anything, is quicker than the Mercedes.

Not The Ultimate Point In The UTT Journey

Did Ultimate Table Tennis manage to catch the eyeballs of the masses? Did it even remotely capture the imagination of the country’s sports watchers? The most likely answer to these questions IS NO.

Let The Action Begin

This will be one of the CLOSEST TITLE RACES in the Premier League history. But the only thing that keeps me from predicting a winner is the fresh memory of Ranieri and his band of merry men.

Sugared To Begin With, The EPL Has Not Always Been Sweet

The television companies have gained a throttle hold on the English Premier League, obliging matches played on Saturdays to be also played on Sundays, Mondays and now even Fridays. All that TV money hasn’t prevented steep rises in the cost of watching for spectators. Once a working class game, Premiership football today is very much for the well heeled. Has the game improved proportionately? PLAYERS ARE FASTER and fitter now, but the recent record of English clubs in the European Champions Cup has been dismally mediocre. As the old adage says, money isn’t everything; even when there is so much of it around, writes Brian Glanville.

Colombo High

With India just next-door, across the Palk Strait, there are very visible influences from the bigger neighbour as you TROT DOWN COLOMBO STREETS. K. C. VIJAYA KUMAR finds out.

Shape Up Soon Or You Will Be Shipped Out!

However weak the opposition, the tournament’s format means that one NEGATIVE RESULT CAN KNOCK A TEAM OUT. There is little time for sides to ease themselves into the competition. Therein lies the beauty of the Champions Trophy, writes SHREEDUTTA CHIDANANDA.

Team India On The Right Track

The return to form of M. S. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh is a good sign as India slots the higher gears and dreams about the perfect synthesis of POTENTIAL AND PERFORMANCE in the ICC Champions Trophy at England in June. Incidentally the stakes are truly high as the Men in Blue are the defending champions. If the old order seems to be in fine fettle, more alluring is the cool-head and rapid-shots that Kedar Jadhav brings to the table.

Next Phenom? English Clubs Call the Scout From Adidas

It is not just the big football clubs that are doing all they can to snatch up young future prospects. If anything, the battle between sportswear brands, and particularly market leaders Adidas and Nike, to put their STAMP ON THE NEXT GENERATION is even more intense.

When The Past Was Very Much Present!

As much as the 2017 Australian Open warmed the hearts of the sceptics, it was perhaps the MOST FORCEFUL OF CASES ever made for the triumph of mind over matter. Four players aged over 30 making the final showed tennis’ shallowness it was argued. In fact, as far as one can remember, tennis has been a young man’s game. But the recent Australian Open proved that when physical prowess reaches a saturation point, with modern medicines and recovery techniques available to all, it’s often the mind that plays the decider.

Hero Or Villain?

Though there have been reports of Bernie Ecclestone trying to form a breakaway series, he would be BETTER OFF RETIRING peacefully. The octogenarian has lingered for so long that the F1 fraternity is now happy to see the back of him, writes S. DIPAK RAGAV.

Virat Kohli: Aggressive, Ambitious!

Virat Kohli,​ as skipper, has the courage of conviction to pursue his plans to their logical conclusions and that has set him apart from the rest.

Djokovic Will Break Every Conceivable Record: Bogdan Obradovic

Bogdan Obradovic, who also happens to be the non-playing captain of the Serbian Davis Cup team, Put into perspective​ the stunning achievements of his most famous ward, in an exclusive chat with Derek Abraham​.

Tossing Out The Toss- The Way To Go?

To fret and fume about the pitch and to negate home advantage by discounting the toss would affect the innumerable ifs and buts of the game. What is sport but for its unpredictable scripts? What is sport without its supreme practitioners using their technique to counter all kinds of pitches and conditions?

Vijay Hazare Trophy: They Came To See One Man

The presence of India internationals, especially Mahendra Singh Dhoni,​ has lifted the Vijay Hazare Trophy cricket tournament.

Best Of 2015: A Heady Cocktail Of Events

It was a year (2015) of Novak Djokovic and Jordan Spieth, the All Blacks and Barcelona, Usain Bolt and Serena Williams. This was also a year of glorious underdogs — Brendon McCullum’s New Zealand, Leicester City, the Icelandic men’s football team, and Flavia Pennetta.

European Championships: Strikers By The Dozen

Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, Tottenham’s Harry Kane and QPR’s Charlie Austin are at the top of their games, scoring aplenty for their clubs. But can they together lead the English line at the European Championships in France? The answer is an emphatic “no”. They are excellent players, but they can’t work together. They are there to offer manager Roy Hodgson options A, B or C.

A Saga Of Betterment With Leander Paes

“I am not the most talented player technically in the world at all. But through grit, perseverance and hard work I got there. So what pushes me is history, and my desire to push my body and mind to see how far they can go,” says Leander Paes in this chat with G. Raghunath.

Bigger Shifts In The Indian ODI Setup!

The batting order has been unsettled, bowlers have been injured and out of form, and no new talent has been given consistent opportunity to emerge. Teams expect and plan to regenerate between World Cups. A year on, India cannot claim to have unearthed any new players that promise to be part of the first team at the next World Cup.

Fraser Forster - First Choice Goalkeeper

Fraser Forster’s​ return cannot be the only reason for Southampton’s sudden upturn but the turnaround since he took over in goal has been staggering.

Spinner's Role In Twenty20

A clean action fused with clearer thinking can help spinners flourish and they do have a role to play​ in Twenty20. They will get hammered at times but like the Minions in the children’s movies, they keep coming back with renewed vigour.

Cricket Has Given Me Everything In Life

“The important thing is that I am still enjoying myself.​ The day I stop enjoying, I will say goodbye to this beautiful game that’s given me everything in life,” Harbhajan Singh tells Derek Abraham.

5 Best 'Knocks' Of T20 World Cup

The latest edition​ of the World T20 championship is round the corner and Derek Abraham picks the five best knocks in the event.

5 Best Bowling Performances In The World T20 Championship

It’s generally agreed that Twenty20 is a batsman’s port. However, there have been a few bowlers who have bucked the trend and proved that they can also be game-changers in this format. Shreedutta Chidananda picks his five best bowling performances in the World T20 Championship.

World T20: A Lot Depends On The Bowlers

India enters the competition as the favourite. It should be able to go all the way.

WT20: Judging A Nation By Its Bowlers And Batsmen!

India-Pakistan cricketing relations have limped along, sometimes mirroring the political reality, at other times being reflected in a distorting mirror. One thing hasn’t changed, however. Finishing second best is not a choice, writes Suresh Menon.

Can Sharapova Escape Suspension?

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), missile and rocket technologist, institution-builder and motivator of men, was relentless in his quest to build an India strong and self-reliant in science and technology.

How To Make Home A Sweet Home

If you are able to find a way to protect yourself from all the extra emotions and added pressures, there are great positives in playing at home. There is no doubt that when things are going well it can be really inspiring to be playing in front of a vocal and supportive home crowd.

What Is The Supporter Of An IPL Team Supporting?​

So what is the supporter of an IPL team supporting?​ His city or the team or one of its players? Each fan has his own reasons. To many at an IPL venue, it is just about an evening of fun, about soaking in the fairground atmosphere. But there is a place for the IPL in the Indian cricket fan’s mind. Teams that have made an effort to maintain continuity and win local fans over have reaped the rewards.

Leander Paes: Mr. 100 Percent

Leander Paes' achievements in Tennis are far, far away from being routine. These are not easily accomplished. When the man himself isn't that vocal about them, it is for us to articulate them sufficiently and lend perspective. That perspective comes when one takes into account his longevity, writes N. Sudarshan.

Spinning Away With Ashwin!

"It is very exciting, the South Africans are a great side. To compete with them here at home and do really well is going to be one of the challenging aspects for this Indian team, which is quite inexperienced,"Ravichandran Ashwin tells S. Dinakar in this candid chat.