Arunabha Sengupta

India's first Test series win in England in 1971 was epic and magical, with a resonance far beyond the scorecards. The cricket was riveting, with twists and turns right up to the last ball, and the excitement was garnished by a baby elephant parading the outfield of The Oval on the final day. The victory had immense significance for a country that had gained independence from Britain less than 25 years earlier and was tottering on the brink of a history-defining war. In the background were the British illusions of moral and cultural superiority even as decolonisation went through its final phase. The Indians often accepted these illusions as they struggled for the most basic necessities of life, battling against poverty, malnutrition and illiteracy. Thus, the victory provided a major equaliser for the national psyche. Elephant in the Stadium examines the many reasons for the myth and magic that still surround the triumph, including the complex historical relationship between Britain and India.

The Ashes: the most ancient, most traditional and perhaps the most widely written about of all sporting rivalries. And in spite of all that, this book is indeed one of its kind. It tells the complete story of Anglo-Australian cricket, letting no facet remain untouched, pulling no punches, leaving no obscure detail unresearched, not really bothering about toeing any usual politically correct line. Yet it is presented in a format that is accessible to all, using the sequential art of story-telling as in a graphic novel. It has the depth to rival the most rigorous academic treatise, covering the cricketing excitement, touching upon the human element and essential - often uncomfortable - social history and geopolitical implications on and off the field. At the same time the flavour of entertainment remains intact through a marathon of 1000-plus illustrations that appeals to a wide readership. The illustrations tell the story of The Ashes in minute detail through the attention span barrier of the social media era, while remaining of supreme interest to serious cricket readers. They recreate the pre-camera and pre-video eras while adding multiple innovative layers to cricket in the more recent days.

Sachin and Azhar at Cape Town is the story of an incredible partnership between Tendulkar and Azharuddin in the Newlands Test of 1997. Replying to 529, India slumped to 58/5 against Donald, Pollock, McMillan and Klusener. What followed was an exhilarating counter-attack from both ends, seldom seen in Test cricket. With Nelson Mandela watching on - he met the players during lunch that day - the pair added a magical 222 in 40 overs, treating the lethal bowling attack with disdain. Arunabha Sengupta and Abhishek Mukherjee relive the partnership, recounting and analysing every stroke, but as they do, they also bring to life the cricket, history and society of the two countries. Covering a multitude of topics as diverse as apartheid, Mandela and Gandhi, Indians in South Africa; cricket isolation and non-white cricket in South Africa, rebel tours; the television revolution and commercialisation of cricket; with other historical details and numerical analysis of the game supporting the text, this is a fascinating snapshot of cricket at that time through the prism of that impressive sixth-wicket stand.

The Oval, 1882. WG Grace, the great champion of England cricket, and Fred 'The Demon' Spofforth, that diabolical Australian bowler, are locked in a titanic tussle as England and Australia play out a thriller of a match. That was the day when giants clashed, sparks flew and it resulted in the lore of The Ashes. We know all about that. But, it has seldom been revealed that in the pavilion on that famous August day sat Sherlock Holmes, his services recruited by Charles W Alcock, Secretary of the Surrey County Cricket Club. After a century and a third thereof, the facts of the matter have finally been made public; Dr John Watson's account of the sensational events have at long last seen the light of the day. We are taken on a journey of knuckle-cracking, nail-biting cricket action along with suspense, tension, villainy and death, and the Birth of the Ashes. In this intricate tale of mystery and cricket, much of the described action and dialogues are scrupulously accurate and did take place at The Oval on that day. The narrative also remains faithful to the timeline, personal characteristics and idiosyncrasies of the Holmes canon. A gourmet treat for the lovers of Sherlock Holmes, mystery stories, as well as a delight for the cricket fans. Testimonials Stephen Chalke: "The whole idea of the book is a delight, and Sengupta has gone about the writing of it with great playfulness which appealed to me very much. He has also mastered the language of a Holmes story and the period detail, not to mention all the cricketing history. I am most impressed." David Frith: "I found it richly entertaining. I was on full alert throughout for historical inaccuracies - not necessarily expecting them, though the author's undertaking was fraught with risk. It rang true throughout. The fidelity to personality (such as we know it) was so pleasing. He knows his stuff."