Sidharth Monga

Senior writer, ESPNcricinfo

Benched quartet keep themselves in contention

A day after India's defeat at Newlands, the four players who had sat out the Test match - KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Parthiv Patel and Ishant Sharma - went to the nets for an intense training session

09-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

Big Vern reels in the big fish

Over the course of 13 balls delivered from his favourite Wynberg End, Vernon Philander set Virat Kohli up and sent him back with the most artful of knockout blows

08-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

India should rue fatal first day

It's easy to fall for recency bias and blame a fourth-innings collapse for losing a winnable contest, but India know their bowlers and batsmen really let the Newlands Test slip in the first innings

08-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

Rohit, Dhawan and the limits of 'current form'

Runs against Sri Lanka earned Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan their places in India's XI for Cape Town, ahead of Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul respectively, but neither justified his selection

08-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

Afterlife in the Newlands turf

Eddie Barlow and Hylton Ackerman are among the famous names whose ashes have been scattered on the Newlands outfield, but you don't need to have been a cricketer to make this famous ground your final resting place

07-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

A day when Pandya talked, and walked it too

The impact of the 24-year-old allrounder's 93 runs and two wickets in this Test will be seen soon, but there is a larger impact of this effort that merits commendation

06-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

India's surprise moves turn into damp squib

Can surprising selection choices, unsuitable lines and lengths, and the dropped catch witnessed on the opening day justify the visitors' pre-series claims of preparedness?

05-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga at Newlands

India face uncertain conditions with skill and hope

South Africa will be as determined to secure this series, what with the scores to settle from their last tour to India

04-Jan-2018•The Preview by Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

Two men, a painting and tales of the past

How a return to Newlands was a big moment of redemption for two 60-something friends

03-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

Philander not convinced yet that Kohli's India travel better

Asked about the general reputation this India team seems to carry - of being better travellers than the earlier teams - the South Africa quick said he wasn't impressed just yet

03-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

India yearn for a less slippery cordon

Since India's last tour of South Africa, their slip and gully fielders have dropped more often than they have caught. Whether it's an issue of technique or temperament, they will have to sort it out quickly if they hope to win matches on pitches with pace

03-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

India turn focus on getting forward

At a purposeful nets session on Tuesday, India's batsmen went to work on dealing with lengths they are likely to be tested with by the South African quicks. Tennis-ball props included

02-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga in Cape Town

Six, seven, eight could decide India's fate

The pre-series spotlight might be on India's top five and their three quicks, but the three players in between might just end up deciding Tests if they are closely contested

02-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga

Same old attack, all-new challenge

India have the same set of bowlers that toured South Africa in 2013-14. They have become fitter after the home stretch, but are they equipped to handle pressure of doing everything in tough conditions?

01-Jan-2018•Sidharth Monga

A batting order with clear roles to fulfil in hostile conditions

If M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara protect Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane from the new ball, India know they can score plenty of runs in the quick-scoring grounds of South Africa

31-Dec-2017•Sidharth Monga

Sweet '17

It was yet another annus mirabilis for India (fine print notwithstanding)

29-Dec-2017•Sidharth Monga

CKM Dhananjai replaces Tulli as India team's analyst

The team management made a specific request to get Dhananjai back in order to travel with the "best support staff and technology support possible" as the next year features tough tours of South Africa, England and Australia

26-Dec-2017•Sidharth Monga

R Ashwin, now a legspinner too?

The India offspinner's bid to master legspin, while retaining his consistency at the international level, is simply an attempt to be a complete package, according to former team-mate and now coach VRS Guru Kedarnath

23-Dec-2017•Sidharth Monga

Rohit rewarded for sticking to 'set template'

Doing it once is hard enough, but to accelerate so crazily to get three double-hundreds after a sedate beginning is a perfect combination of skill, fitness and the right mental approach to ODI batting

13-Dec-2017•Sidharth Monga

BCCI revokes Rajasthan CA suspension

At its SGM on Monday, the BCCI also decided to continue contesting the damages it was ordered to pay to former IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala

11-Dec-2017•Sidharth Monga

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