SRT is 50. Hard to think of a cricketer who made you love the game more. His sheer range of strokes, taking on great bowlers, with a perfect technique married to an inventive mind, bowling anything, fielding anywhere, creating magic from nowhere: such a gift.

Happy birthday. A few pieces from the archives:

One March morning in Auckland:
sidvee.net/cricket/one-ma…

The grand piano has left the building:
espncricinfo.com/story/siddhart…

Growing up with Sachin: espncricinfo.com/story/siddhart…

Remembered this from 2004. A really close decision then. Which had such a profound influence on Indian cricket over the next 18 years: Link: espncricinfo.com/story/i-recomm…

On this day in 1983: Kapil Dev scored an immortal 175* against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells. There were no TV cameras at the ground, which meant the photographs from that day are so much more precious. So who shot many of these gorgeous photos? Here's a little story on that. 2/ The preeminent cricket photographer of that era - Patrick Eagar - was at Lord’s that day to cover Australia v West Indies, by far the more high-profile game. So he asked his younger colleague Jan Traylen to cover the match at Tunbridge Wells

Indian cricketers’ families are dealing with Covid. Australian cricketers are nervous about travel. Tye has left. Ashwin won’t take part. Ponting and D Hussey have spoken frankly. The IPL may be a welcome distraction for many but don’t discount the mental stress on those playing SMH: smh.com.au/sport/cricket/…

Sept 3, 2003 was my first day at cricinfo. I had not studied journalism nor had any work experience. I had written a handful of (terrible) pieces but had never thought of becoming a writer (in cricket or otherwise). I had finished my engineering but knew I was no good at it. 1/ All I was doing was quizzing or watching cricket. I sent a couple of my articles to Wisden Asia Cricket, a magazine that carried really evocative writing. And I was really upset when they didn’t get back. How could they look past such a terrific piece! (I was so naïve). 2/

The fact that 25/30 of these 'greatest' innings were for or against Eng or Aus makes this list dubious. It also tells us how 'greatness' in a cricketing context tends to be so anglo centric. And how poor the other countries are in immortalising their own great innings.

https://twitter.com/jonathanliew/status/1167349278202912770

It's one thing to play victim and say the English and Aussie press don't watch cricket elsewhere. But what are our own writers and historians doing? BCCI has actually LOST footage of Gavaskar's 10000th run (among other games). Easy to erase history. Harder to preserve it.

If you track cricket scores online, if you have followed matches at work (or when traveling), if you have furiously refreshed your browser for updates, if you have been part of a chatroom or forum and met (and argued with) fellow fans… you must learn about Prof Sankara Rao 1/ Prof Sankara Rao was a brilliant man with several academic achievements. He was also a passionate cricket fan, who laid the groundwork for the monument that is ESPNcricinfo. I interviewed Professor Rao in 2013 and he told me – over piping hot coffee – about how it all began. 2/

I don't normally do threads here. But I have to tell you a story about @darensammy88.
I have met Daren Sammy precisely twice. The first time was on June 13, 2006. It was the fourth day of the West Indies v India Test in St Lucia. It rained the whole day. No play was possible. 1/ @darensammy88 A rained-out day is no good for those covering the game. You have to find something – anything – to write about. Interviews, color pieces, crowd interviews… anything to add value. To justify your presence. 2/