If you think you know cricket, this book will prove you wrong in the most delightful way possible.
Mid-Wicket Tales: A Century and More of Cricket by S. Giridhar and V.J. Raghunath is not just a book about cricket. It is a love letter. A confession. A conversation between two friends who watched the game so closely and so devotedly that their passion spills off every page and lands straight in your chest.
Originally published in 2014, the revised and expanded edition arrived in October 2023 via Speaking Tiger, and it is better, broader, and bolder than ever.
Who Are These Two Men and Why Should You Trust Them?
Here is what makes this book different from every other cricket compendium gathering dust on your shelf.
S. Giridhar and V.J. Raghunath are colleagues at the Azim Premji Foundation, Bengaluru. Theirs is a friendship that began in 1984 when they worked at Carborundum Universal's factory in Chennai and played city cricket tournaments together.
These are not armchair critics. Raghunath was a left-handed batter and a fearless close catcher who rubbed shoulders with some of India's best cricketers of the 1960s and 70s in the first division leagues of Chennai and Mumbai. The man lived the game. And Giridhar brings the analytical rigour of a researcher who writes for publications like the Wall Street Journal, Indian Express, and The Hindu.
Together, they are what cricket writing desperately needed: two incurable romantics with data on their side.
What Is Inside and Why Every Chapter Hits Differently
This revised and expanded edition is a seamless blend of theories with statistical data, technical assessments, and charming anecdotes. The essays range in theme from Kapil Dev's batting style, big-hitting superstars like Victor Trumper, Viv Richards, and Virender Sehwag, the fearsome pace of Michael Holding, and the magical close catches of Eknath Solkar and Bobby Simpson, to delightful evenings spent with the dashing Salim Durani and the fabulous M.S. Dhoni, and illuminating conversations with Rahul Dravid and S. Venkataraghavan.
But this new edition goes further. We learn of Mahatma Gandhi's involvement with cricket, discover the integral role of video analytics in modern-day cricket strategy, and experience the brilliance of women's cricket, which has taken the world by storm.
Gandhi and cricket. Video analytics and nostalgia. Women's cricket sharing space with Trumper and Tendulkar. This is a book that refuses to be boxed in.
This Is Not a Statistics Dump. This Is Storytelling.
One of the most common complaints about cricket writing is that it drowns you in numbers without ever making you feel anything. Mid-Wicket Tales does the opposite.
Written with the passion of a fan and the knowledge of a cricketer, it celebrates cricket in all its hues and brings alive the rich history, romance, and technical nuances of the game, where diligent research and analysis is blended with rare and interesting anecdotes.
Wisden India called it "a sanctuary of cricket tales" that is "sure to whet your cricketing appetite." The Hindu described it as "analytical, dissects technique, explores various facets" and called it "an informative and a racy read."
Australian batting legend Matthew Hayden put it simply: "This book will ensure that its readers never forget the traditions of cricket and the players who have gone to painstaking efforts to uphold the culture of our great game."
When Matthew Hayden endorses a book about Indian cricket writing, you pay attention.
Cricket Has Gone Insane. This Book Will Bring You Back to Your Senses
Cricket today is faster, louder, and shorter than ever. T20 has rewritten what fans expect. Algorithms determine team selection. Batting averages have been replaced by strike rates.
In that environment, a book like Mid-Wicket Tales is almost radical.
It asks you to slow down. To remember that cricket has a century of stories worth telling. That the way Bobby Simpson caught in the slips or the way Salim Durani charmed a crowd tells you something profound about sport, about culture, about what we value in greatness.
As the authors themselves put it, "This is the sort of book one can reach out and spend 30 minutes with on any number of occasions, just like meeting old friends."
And is that not exactly what we need right now?
Final Over. Last Ball. This Book Wins.
If you grew up watching cricket on Doordarshan, arguing about Dravid versus Laxman at the dinner table, or waking up at odd hours to catch a Test in Australia, this book is written for you.
If you are younger and discovering cricket's depth for the first time, this book is your entry point into a world far richer than any IPL highlight reel.
