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In a World Cup chock-full of surprises, here are five iconic moments that stood out (and a few others that are worth a mention).
Does this English team have the strongest ever ODI batting line-up? The author explores the possibility.
Is sport meaningless or the most meaningful thing we do? It is both — and neither. Duality is the key to appreciating sport. And beauty.
I had the chance of meeting Sachin paaji when I was 13 years old, when he had come for a game in Jaipur in 2005. I also have had the opportunity of knowing Mahendra Singh Dhoni from close quarters.
The pitches could be dry and England may be in a state of flux, but India can take nothing for granted.
Squash is a fast-paced game that requires a high level of technical, tactical and motor skills and the physiological character of a 5,000m athlete.
France was a worthy winner in the end, but that a side like Croatia made it all the way to the final was a story for the ages and that’s what makes football so special.
Hima Das is the first Indian to win a gold medal in a track event at a global meet. Next up for the confident Assamese athlete are the Asian Games.
5The number of centuries scored by Rohit Sharma in Twenty20 cricket – following his unbeaten ton against England at Bristol – is now the most by an ...
Qatar, the tiny gulf nation with a population of 2.6 million, had not qualified in any of the previous 21 editions of the competition. That has not diminished its ambitions though, and the country is on course to have the required stadium and logistical infrastructure in place by 2020, a good two years before the World Cup.
It is wrong to criticise Mercedes’ race engineer for Hamilton receiving conflicting information, but the team had just a few seconds to make that call while the champion drove a 1,000-horsepower Grand Prix car in tricky conditions.
As the World Cup in Russia drew to a close, bad map-reading skills plus poor hotel choices and lots of drunkenness (not Diary, of course!) made for some interesting trips.
In Russia, 13 countries represented by Asia, Africa and Central and North America mustered just 10 wins. The rising levels of inequality are a worry for the competitive balance, but a 48-team format may alleviate that concern by offering smaller teams the chance to play against the world’s best and develop.
It was a World Cup of many defeats and many more wins and as FIFA President Gianni Infantino said football cannot solve all problems. But the game can and will be used for many gains and many more ends. And hopefully, the lessons will be more often positive for humanity at large.
Serena Williams was expected to restore order in the Wimbledon final, but her German opponent flipped the script.
Amid a barrage of marathon matches in the men’s quarters and semis, Novak Djokovic emerged as the winner as he recreated the Big 3.