Gomesh S

CHENNAI: When Tilak Varma says he loves playing red-ball cricket and grew up wanting to play Test cricket for India, it might come across as an in-form young elite cricketer projecting his ambitions to be an all-format player. And it could well be true. His last three red-ball scores in the Duleep Trophy as South Zone skipper read — 99, 51 n.o, and 116 n.o. However, beneath that, there is more.

CHENNAI: East Zone were a spinner short. They had to use part-time spinners through the course of the day. The temperatures were sky-high and humidity in Chennai did not help either. And yet, none of it deterred Ishan Kishan and Co to put up a disciplined bowling performance on Day 3, leaving South Zone in tatters. Sure, it helped that they had 708 runs on the board, but what stood out on Tuesday was the precise planning and consistency with which Mohammed Shami led the attack.

CHENNAI: As Japan are set to host the Asian Games, cricket in the country and facilities have been the talking point over the last few weeks. The buzz has only gone up since the BCCI announced that India will play Japan in a T20I before the discipline begins.