Cricket with an Accent Podcast

Aftab Khanna and Vijay Arumugam join the show this week to look back at the playing surface from the Ahmedabad test. Khanna and Arumugam are true students of the game who offered lot of statistical nuance and historical references to support their points on the rank turners vs green tops debate. The observations further touched upon the history of Indian test pitches over the last two decades. There was a deeper dive in comparing this generation of Indian batsmen to their predecessors in terms of the spin playing ability. Devil is in the detail and this duo released a lot of detail in abundance on rich topics that covered Ishant Sharma's 100th test appearance to Ravi Ashwin's 400 test scalp.

Cricket analyst Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill on twitter) joins the show to talk about the midpoint of India England series. Gill breaks down some of the narrative based notions on what a good test match pitch is and how to succeed on those pitches. He further elaborates on the importance of toss and team compositions. This episode's in depth feature is the return to batting form of Ravi Ashwin. The conversation covers Virat Kohli the test captain and how his decision making skills are slowly coming in harmony with his selection skills. Gill also emphasized the importance of Rohit Sharma's hundred in terms of the latter's career arc. Last but not the least we spoke about the IPL auction. A lot of astute observations packed in this episode.

Espn cricinfo senior writer George Dobell joins the show as the guest analyst this week. In this episode Dobell looks back at the impressive win by Root and team in Chennai. We rank this win in terms of relevant context of English overseas performances of the last decade. The conversation is inclusive of the new demand of covid cricket - player rotation. Dobell emphasizes how demanding the covid bubbles can be on the psyches of the players and this can be seen as a needed development given the busy cricket cycle ahead. Team compositions are also discussed ahead of the second test with focus on a certain Ben Foakes and Stuart Broad. From the Indian lens of things we try to address the position of Rohit sharma as the incumbent opener over a longer term. Last but not the least Dobell talks about the IPL and English cricket's white ball roadmap. Could this be at the cost of the red ball fortunes? Tune in to find out. Related articles by George Dobell - https://www.msn.com/en-in/sports/cricket/england-s-attitude-towards-the-ipl-won-t-please-everyone-but-what-is-the-alternative/ar-BB1d8CT5?li=AAggjDC&srcref=rss https://www.msn.com/en-in/sports/cricket/chris-silverwood-not-worried-about-dom-bess/ar-BB1dzHg2?li=AAggjDC&srcref=rss

Bharat Sundaresan of Cricbuzz and Nakul Pande of Guerilla cricket join Saqib Ali to preview the India England series. This is Bharat's second appearance on the pod while Nakul makes his debut on cricket with an accent. The duo breaks down some of the burning topics from both sides of the rivalry. The conversation covers the playing surfaces, the matchups, rotation policy, covid calendar and the team compositions. The episode serves as a good transition point from the epic India Australia series to the next contest.

Noted cricket writer Prem Panicker returns to the show to help break down some of the emerging topics and narratives from the recently concluded Border Gavaskar trophy. Panicker expresses his in-depth views on the Ajinkya Rahane captaincy through the prism of different leadership variables and how differently players may respond to a certain style. He also looks at the importance of Ravi Ashwin's social collaboration with fans by providing rare behind the scenes details which Indian cricket fans crave for. The conversation also looks at the tags of white ball player vs a red ball player and why this Aussie attack should not be devalued because of their fourth innings in Sydney and Brisbane.

On the latest episode of the podcast Himanish Ganjoo makes his debut as the guest analyst. Ganjoo has written for Espn cricinfo and some of his recent written pieces are listed below in the show notes. Like many writers of this generation Ganjoo relies on the stats to tell the actual story of the cricket rather than holding on to the cliched usage of adjectives that have been used to describe the game. Through the prism of stats he talks about the readiness of Indian bench which displayed its depth on a weekly basis on this Australian tour. We also take a deeper dive into the batting methods of Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara. Last but not the least we compare this Indian batting lineup to its predecessors from the previous generation. Some of Himanish's published work is listed here - https://deeppoint.substack.com/p/pujara-the-occupier https://imgur.com/a/ES3jpyA https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/how-good-are-kohli-smith-williamson-and-root-at-occupying-the-crease-1201134

In this episode we look back at the recently concluded Sydney test match. Cricket writer, historian and author Abhishek Mukherjee is the guest analyst, who helps break down the contest. Mukherjee addresses the many facets of the drawn test match from Rishabh Pant's batting to the defensive masterclass of Ravi Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari, and why this will go down as one of the match for the ages. The conversation tries to address the unprecedented injury list of this Indian squad. Has it ever happened before to any travelling test team? What playing eleven options India have left to tinker with for the last test. Second half of the show shifts focus on the Gabba venue - as how it has been one of Australia's winningest venues. Mukherjee like a true historian recalls some of the interesting contests between the two team on this venue. Steven Smith, Cheteshwar Pujara and the Indian top order get a deserved mention in this episode as well.

In this episode we review the Boxing day test between Australia and India. Sanket Singbal and Abhu Tyagi join host Saqib Ali to breakdown the happenings from MCG. The conversation focuses on Ajinkya Rahane's batting and captaincy. Was it his best knock as a test batsman? Md Siraj and Shubman Gill's remarkable readiness for international test cricket also gets discussed in the pod. Other topics covered include the possible return of Rohit Sharma for the SCG test, Pat Cummins vs Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravi Ashwin vs Steve Smith. We wrap the show by comparing the current Aussie bowling unit to one of the all time best bowling unit of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee. The episode is full of nuanced observations and detailed analysis on the MCG test.

Growing up in an adopted land is always a new experience for anyone and it has an additional layer if there is a sport that is common in one's country of birth and their new homeland. Kamran Abbasi one of the most prolific and poignant writers of all things Pakistan cricket is the guest on the podcast this week. Abbasi was born in Pakistan but was raised in Margaret Thatcher's Britain. His new book called Englistan takes a deeper dive into a lifetime journal of a fan and how he viewed the cricket and societal climate of Britain in the 1980's. The book has a comprehensive analysis of all things Pakistan cricket during Abbasi's watch as a fan and writer. In this episode he talks about the book and some of the relevant topics that have surrounded Pakistan cricket since his days as teenaged Yorkshire cricket hopeful.

Kartik Jayaraman is a cricket enthusiast and a true student of the game who also loves connecting statistical dots on cricket trivia. In this episode he makes his podcast debut for our series. Kartik is @elitecynic on twitter. The conversation revolves heavily around the Adelaide debacle from two days ago. Kartik looks back at what will possibly go down as an all time great Aussie pace attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc and how they dismantled a decent Indian batting line up. Was it the Pink ball, or was there extra bounce on day three, or was there lack of technical application by Indian batters? Listen to Kartik on what transpired as we combine facts and some narratives on this topic. We also look forward to Ajinkya Rahane the batsman and captain. How different will he be than the leadership of Virat Kohli in terms of team selection and on field decisions. Why has Ravi Ashwin's batting numbers taken a nosedive and the importance of Pujara;s role in the remainder of this series also get worthy mentions. A lot of nuance and opinion packed in this episode.

Malcolm Knox is a senior cricket writer for the Sydney Morning Herald. In this episode Knox joins the show to talk about the upcoming Adelaide test match between India and Australia. He also talks about the sudden decline of cricket in the Australian ecosystem of sports. Given that the Australian opening pair for the first test match is now an uncertainty with the concussion suffered by young hopeful Will Pucovski. Knox wrote an article in the SMH where he wants the game to move away from the bouncer - https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-has-endorsed-head-hunting-for-too-long-it-s-time-for-the-bouncer-to-go-20201211-p56mo3.html?ref=rss He admits the captaincy talk surrounding Steve Smith is a distraction before the series and ponders at the idea whether Australia will see a fast bowler captaining their team one day with a certain Pat Cummins waiting in the wings as a vice captain. Last but not the least he weighs in on the love hate relationship of the Aussie fans with Virat Kohli.

Sidharth Monga is the assistant editor of Espn Cricinfo. For cricket readers he is one of the most prolific writers in this modern age of cricket. He does it all - be it a match report, short article or the carefully crafted detailed piece on the Cricket monthly. An all format writer! He joins the podcast as a guest to discuss the burning storylines of the India Australia series from the communication breakdown on Rohit Sharma's injury and why India will dearly miss the other Sharma on this tour. We make Sidharth address some narrative questions as well - why we cannot have split captaincy in India? Is it cultural? Last but not the least we talk about his detailed masterpieces on Saha and Pujara and the process behind these write ups.

This episode of Cricket with an Accent we welcome former fast bowler Winston Davis of the West Indies. Winston Davis owned the best bowling figures in ODI cricket for more than eight years. He was the answer to the 7/51 trivia question. More than that he broke into the packed West Indies fast bowling unit, which was no easy feat considering the line up. In this episode Davis elaborates on the art of fast bowling and more importantly the mindset needed to operate as a genuine quick! In a nostalgia driven conversation Davis also talks about the WC 1983 final loss to India and the tour of India that followed the WC.

Former England player Roland Butcher is the podcast guest this week. He has now taken a new role as the manager of the Barbados challenger Football club. Butcher had a long and successful stint with the Middlesex County Club. In this episode he talks about his formative years in England as a teenager. He looks back at the move from Barbados to UK when he was not sure if he will continue playing cricket. He made his Middlesex debut under the astute leadership of Mike Brearley - whom he considers a very instrumental figure in his career on and off the field. The episode has Butcher compare the captainship styles of Brearley with his successor Mike Gatting. He reflects on the experience as the first black man to have played test cricket for England. Butcher says he has no regrets for his short test career for England. He believes it was some sort of destiny that he made his test debut at Barbados.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is the podcast guest this week. He has been a prolific writer for Espn Cricinfo and Cricket Monthly over the last decade. Fernando has this rare ability to connect with the reader and this clearly carries over when he speaks about the glorious past of Sri Lankan cricket. In this episode we take a look back at Sri Lanka's rise in world cricket. And there is no better period to analyse this than the Arjuna Ranatunga years. Fernando shares a detailed account of Ranatunga the man and the player. Ranatunga was a complex figure if viewed from an international lens and the podcast helps understand the dynamics of his leadership and his unique approach to cricket. Fernando also talks about the Duleep Mendis influence on the fortunes of this team that rose to the pinnacle in Lahore in 1996. No conversation about that run would be complete without mentioning Aravinda De Silva's role in the knockout games of that World cup. Fernando bridged the gap in this episode for any younger fan who wants to learn more about the Ranatunga years and at the same time it is a treat for any fan who watched it unfold in their time.

MS Dhoni's rise as a top cricketer has been a fascinating case study. It has defied the logical course in terms of captaincy, batting and even his route to the Indian team. Who better than Siddhartha Vaidaynathan(@sidvee on Twitter) to unpack the legend. Dhoni took over the reigns of the Indian team after the Chappell Ganguly era where the team was somewhat divided. His self assurance and leadership qualities paved the way for many an Indian success in the years to come. Vaidyanathan was able to do two exlcusive in-depth interviews with Dhoni during the later's tenure as captain and feels he was able to get a lot out of the Indian caprtain during this old exclusive chat - https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22894218/if-there-commitment-victory-me . Besides being very popular Dhoni has also been an immensely polarizing figure due to the treatment of some of the senior members of the team during his watch as captain. In typical Dhoni manner he held most of his cards very close to his chest and did not let many people in - which made him a very different subject for the media community to work on. Vaidyanathan addresses the impact of Dhoni the cricketer and how the culture of the team changed on and off the field. This conversation is an attempt at a deeper dive on Dhoni the cricketer.

Mike Brearley OBE is one of the most decorated cricketers of all time and arguably the best captain England ever had. His work transcends beyond cricket to psychoanalysis and book writing. In this episode of the podcast he talks about leadership, captaincy and his upcoming book - Spirit of Cricket. In typical Brealey fashion he decomposes some of the complex topics that separate the laws from the spirit itself. The podcast covers some of those topics like leadership, walking, cheating, sledging and preparation of pitches when viewed from the spirit of the game context. A must listen for any cricket student!

Under Clive Lloyd the West Indies became one of the most dominant teams of all time. This transformation came at the heels of a 5-1 series loss against Australia in 1975-76. This loss changed the approach of West Indies team forever and it drove Lloyd to create his own pace battery of world class fast bowlers. And the rest is history. Simon Lister joins Saqib Ali on this episode to talk about the legend of Clive Lloyd and his legacy as one of the most influential cricket captains of all time. Lister is the author of "Super Cat" and "Fire in Babylon". The conversation explores the leadership traits of Lloyd and his successor Viv Richards in depth. Under their collective watch the West Indies team reached unparalleled heights. Lister explands on the different journeys and background of both men and how that shaped their leadership and cricket in general. While their approach and on-field demeanor was quite different the results remained the same for West Indies in that glorious period of dominance.

In this episode of the podcast host Saqib Ali is joined by longtime English fan Kevin Framp(@bigKev67 on twitter) and freelance cricket writer Edd Oliver(@Eddoliver1 on twitter). In an informal chat the trio talks about the recently concluded Wisden trophy. Jason Holder's decision to bowl first in the last two tests gets magnified in this episode. Framp and Oliver both agree that for the West Indies to be a force again in test cricket their batting has to improve in terms of consolidating starts into big innings. They give Holder his due respect as he has made the West Indies into a respectable outfit during his leadership. According to Oliver things are looking good at the top for England with the new opening combination of Burns and Sibley. Framp explains why Buttler's ODI record gets in the way of the fans and critics to continue to expect more from him in the longer format of the game. Last but the not the least the podcast focuses on Stokes and Broad on their big series. Stokes cannot seem to put a foot wrong and he is already according to some a better all rounder than Sir Ian Botham. Tune in to hear what Framp and Oliver had to say about Stokes!

It is hard to imagine a more romanticized figure in Indian cricket than Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Cricket writer Ayaz Memon returns to the show to talk about the impact Pataudi had on Indian cricket. The conversation covers Pataudi's early days in England where he honed his cricketing education, the inescapable comparisons with his father and finally it shifts to tackle his accidental ascent to the Indian captaincy. The rest as they is history! Pataudi's legacy goes beyond stats as he was leading a team of a newly independent country which was still trying to establish its cricket presence. Memon shares his own anecdotes and views on the great man from his numerous meetings over the years. A must listen for any student of the game.

In this weeks podcast Dilip Chavan joins the show. Chavan is the president of the Massachusetts Cricket league. He has been involved in the MSCL for twenty years now and has witnessed significant growth in the popularity of the sport during this time. In this interview he shares the numerous challenges of managing and running a statewide cricket league. Cricket in America is not a foreign sport anymore but it still needs a lot of work to become a second tier sport. Chavan talks about the grass root work that goes into familiarizing the game at the community level, and more importantly introducing the sport at local schools. The conversation also covers the strength of the Massachusetts league in terms of the talent it attracts and how it measures up to other American states.

Imran Nazir is the podcast guest. He is one of the biggest talents to come out of Pakistan cricket in the last two decades. Nazir looks back at all the promise and opportunities of his career with no regret. He states that structural changes are needed to recreate the magic of world class teams pakistan had produced in the past. He also talks about how the aggressive approach of the white ball cricket carried over to the test arena. The conversation also touches upon the significance of former greats coaching at the junior level where the real difference can be made. Last but not the least he explains how PSL can play a major role in reshaping the fortunes of Pakistan cricket. (The interview is in Urdu/Hindi)

Freelance writer and blogger Ahmer Naqvi is the podcast guest this week. Naqvi known as @karachikhatmal on twitter is an established voice on Pakistan cricket. His work has appeared on Espncricinfo among other sites. In a very candid conversation he helps unpack the mythical Imran Khan - Javed Miandad relationship. He sheds light against popular wisdom on how the duo worked collectively towards the team's success despite swapping captaincy few times during their illustrious run. Naqvi addresses the age old theory - why a generation of Pakistani fans think Sachin Tendulkar was not a match winner and Virat Kohli is. Is Younus Khan a batsman of Indian mold? A lot of interesting topics rolled into one.

Free lance cricket writer Daniel Gallan returns to the podcast. As a resident of London, Gallan weighs on the certain goodwill aspect between the respective boards given the English summer is about to kick off with visits from West Indies and Pakistan. Gallan believes Dean Elgar is the leading candidate for South African Captaincy. The podcast also takes a nostalgic turn as we recall South Africa's heart breaking WC 1999 campaign and the historic 2008 test win in Australia. Was 1999 the best chance for South Africa? Does the 2008 series win has an asterisk for the Proteas considering the depleted Aussie pace attack? A lot of these nostalgia driven questions are addressed here.

Samir Chopra is back to conclude his thoughts on the India Pakistan cricket rivalry. In an extension to the first episode this conversation revolves around the rise of Tendulkar, Azhar's captaincy, the friendship tour of 2004 and the overall change in trajectory of this rivalry where India became a stronger outfit. It is hard to cover all the players in an exercise like this - but we managed to mention Akram, Dravid, Waqar, Dhoni among other key names from both sides. The topics also include the global appeal of Virat Kohli and how his popularity has transceded over to the Pakistani fans.

Ayaz Memon has covered Indian cricket for more than four decades now. During his timeline he has seen the landscape of the game in India transform tremendously. He was one of the few journalists who has seen it all from the 1983 Prudential world cup win to Javed Miandad's last ball six to Sachin Tendulkar's debut and last match. In a candid chat Ayaz reflects on many complex topics from his coverage of the game that dates back to beginning of the 1980's. He addresses the musical chair era of swapped captaincy between Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev to the selection of Azharuddin as the captain. The Chappell-Dravid era also gets an explained mention as well. Tune in for the chat!

Cricbuzz writer Bharat Sundaresan joins the podcast as he shares the "Finding Patterson" journey. The article is few years old but the story and drive behind this uncovering of the fastest bowler of his time is quite the listen. The podcast is full of anecdotes on Patterson. Sundaresan also has authored a book on MS Dhoni. How do you write a book on one of the most famous cricket players of all time? Lot of good details on this very process are shared as well. Tune in to uncover a journalists account on a missing cricketer and then how to document a famous cricketer in a book!

In an in house podcast Sanket Singbal and Sabeeh Ehsan talk about the Pant vs Saha debate across all formats and conditions. The conversation is backed by stats vs what has been conventional wisdom in Cricket over the years. The pair also touches upon whether Saeed Anwar is underrated as an opener. Last but not the least Salim Malik and Ravindra Jadeja are mentioned for respective reasons. Tune in to hear the discussion.

Samir Chopra is an academic who has been writing about cricket for over a decade. He is the author of books "Brave New Pitch" and "Eye on the Pitch". He has been a prolific blogger for EspnCricinfo. In this episode Samir puts his fan hat back and travels back to his first memory of the India Pakistan cricket battles in 1978. The conversation visits the first live telecast of the rivalry to key performers like Imran Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, Javed Miandad and Kapil Dev among others. Samir shares lots of observations on how these men and their teams shaped the landscape of the future battles and what it meant to be a fan who consumed these encounters. Bishen Bedi's captaincy, impact of the Sharjah six and end of the spin quartet are also discussed. A must listen for any India Pakistan cricket fan.

Espn cricinfo reporter Firdose Moonda joins the latest edition of the podcast. Moonda unpacks a lot of information on some of the most relevant topics surrounding South African cricket. She talks about Covid19 impact, domestic structure, appointment of Graeme Smith and AB De Villiers among other topics. Last but not the least Kolpak exodus surrounding the South African cricket also gets a mention.

Former South African great Mike Procter joins the podcast and delivers a candid conversation on all things South African cricket. Procter would have been a premier all rounder in any era. He recalls his successful stint with Gloucestershire county and reminisces the strong competition at the Curry cup. He also talks about some of the current topics that have surrounded South African cricket from AB DeVillers retirement to Graeme Smith's legacy. He also talks about how the game has changed at the highest level drawing examples from the past generations.

Tarun Nethula is a professional cricket player who has represent New Zealand in ODI. In this upclose conversation he unpacks his career journey which started in Hyderabad, India and reached its pinnacle when he got selected to play for the Black Caps. A lot of fine details are shared in this interview which will make this a must listen for any cricket fan.

Kevin Framp is a Fan-alyst , a fan who is a pretty good analyst of the sport. He opens up about the English red ball cricket in a candid conversation. The topics segways into the England's recent win over South Africa and how big of an achievement is that considering how touring teams have little success in that context. Other topics include the growth of Root as a leader and reliance on Ben Stokes as a key member. Mike Brearley, Sunil Gavaskar and Jos Buttler get lot of mentions in this episode as well.

The podcast returns after an absence of 6 months with Sanket Singbal breaking down the middle orders of India and Australia. Are these teams in the same boat with unproven middle orders? The conversation also weighs on the Word test championships.

Anand and Sabeeh return to the show as we dissect some of the obvious and some not so obvious questions of the Indian team's loss - from Rayudu to playing Karthik in a big match and the exclusion of Kuldeep and Kedar after investing so much time in them. Kohli's team selection and Dhoni's batting approach were major talking points as well. Also covered how England is peaking at the right time. And if they win this will they be ranked as one of the all time best ODI teams? Tune in to find out the disagreements and discussions.

The World cup round robin phase is coming to a closure and last week's results have opened up the competition. England have now lost two back to back matches and face possible elimination in the coming matches. Anand and Sabeeh are back to discuss what lies ahead. The conversation also focuses on the impact of Shakib Al Hasan's all around game and is he the premiere all rounder in the ODI game? Please tune in to listen to a conversation that covers quite a lot in 30 minutes!

It's the marquee matchup and we have a panel to break it down for you. Bharath Ramraj of Cricbuzz, Anand Mamidipudi of Tennis with an Accent and Sabeeh Ehsan of Pak Passion join in this extremely detailed and candid chat as we talk about the matchups within the matchup. We cover everyone from the usual suspects like Kohli, Sharma, Amir, Bumra to some of the less experienced guys like Shadab. Hopefully this is an enjoyable listen to all.

Australian podcaster Paul Dennett returns to the podcast. In this episode he unpacks the Australia Pakistan clash, along with the upcoming India New Zealand match. Paul also weighs in on the big hitting ability of West Indies batting line up and why they are the most tricky team to play in this event. We also talk about the recent retirement of Yuvraj Singh and the ABD saga that has clouded the South African team's fortunes at this dismal world cup campaign so far.

Anand Mamidipudi returns to the podcast as we discuss the week 1 of the cricket world cup. In a fast moving conversation we touch upon Pakistan being Pakistan, Bumrah vs Rabada, stability that Joe Root provides to the English middle order and will Afghanistan bounce back from their defeat to Sri Lanka. And of course the big one coming up India vs Australia.

Cricbuzz editor Bharath Ramraj is back on the show and he is joined by Karthik Raj in this episode as we take a deeper look at the Afghanistan and Bangladesh squads. Why is Afghanistan the most exciting underdog in this edition? What has hampered Bangladeshi progress in the ODi format? A lot unpacked in this episode of Cricket with an Accent.

In this episode we discuss the squads of New Zealand and Pakistan. Sanket Singbal and Sabeeh Ehsan join the discussion as the due takes a deeper dive into the possible team combinations and potential limitations of each squad. Captaincy styles of Williamson and Sarfaraz are magnified in this episode. Many important topics from Amir's omission to Ross Taylor's stability are included as well. Must listen episode!

Daniel Gallan is a freelance contributor for CricBuzz and writes primarily about South African Cricket. He joins the podcast this week to talk about the squad, the team combination and key players. He takes a deep dive into the selection of Hashim Amla and the decision of ADB to stop playing the international cricket. Gallan also unpacks the brilliance of Aiden Markham and leadership of Faf Du Plessis among other topics. A must listen for a Proteas fan.

Sanket Singbal returns to the podcast to review the West Indies and Sri Lanka squads. He is joined by Swaroop Mamidipudi as the two exchange deeper notes on selections and omissions of the West Indies squad. The conversation in the second half turns its focus on the Sri Lankan cricket team and its short comings in the ODI arena.

In this episode of the podcast Bharath Ramraj and Sharan Mamidipudi join the show and talk about the Indian WC squad. We focus on all the slots in the batting order to a certain omission of Ambati Rayudu. We also unpacked the possible over reliance on the big three of this Indian batting line up - Sharma, Dhawal and Kohli. The wrist spinning combo and their importance in this batting dominated version of cricket is also covered. And yes a lot on Virat Kohli as well.

In the countdown leading up to the World Cup - we have our first episode where Sanket Singbal, Bharath Ramraj and Saqib Ali talk about the possible combinations for Aussie and English squads. Bharath and Sanket also weigh in on conditions, batting depth, possible complex matchups and the overall strengths of both sides.

Sanket Singbal and Bharath Ramraj talk about the recently concluded Indian tour to Australia.

Cricket commentator Paul Dennett weighs in on some of the burning topics leading into Perth.

Sanket Singbal weighs on the Australian Squad and how they stack up against Kohli's men in the much awaited series. He also points out exciting matchups in this clash. Is Justin Langer a welcome change to the Aussie mindset? Will Rohit Sharma make it count this time? and much more.

As India embarks on the tour to Australia we talk about the selected squad. CricBuzz co editor Bharath Ramraj is the guest who breaks down this unit.