One-day format still India's favourite

The last few years have seen Twenty20 cricket sweep the sport like a tsunami. Cricket boards the world over have rushed to capitalise on the format’s popularity, reflected most vividly in the extravagance of the IPL. So much is being made of the new format that the 2011 World Cup is widely seen as the 50-over game’s last chance to retain its primacy. But has one-day cricket really slipped so far? According to a to a study commissioned by Mint, the answer, at least in India, the game’s biggest market, is no. 55% of people surveyed across 10 cities said they prefer the 50-over game, while 32% chose the shortest version of the game. (In Chennai, home to the IPL champion Chennai Super Kings, a whopping 60% chose Tests as their favourite format. Only 3% picked T20s).

Also in Mint, Sanjeeb Mukherjea provides a light hearted look at the Indian team’s five-day camp for the World Cup, from the warm-up games of football that all the rage these days to Gary Kirsten's impressive ability to hurl throw-downs at 140 kph.