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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same...

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same narrative unfolded on a cricket field, the reaction would have been dramatically different. In cricket, even defeat often becomes a story of heroism. A hard-fought loss by the Indian team can dominate television debates, fill newspaper columns and trend across social media for days. A player who narrowly misses a milestone is still hailed for his fighting spirit. The nation rallies around its cricketers not only in victory but also in defeat. The narrative quickly shifts from the result to the effort -- the resilience shown, the fight put up, the promise of future triumph. This emotional investment is one of the reasons cricket enjoys unparalleled popularity in India. It has built a culture where players become household names and their performances, good or bad, become part of the national conversation. Badminton Fights Contrast that with what happens in sports like badminton. Reaching the final of the All England Championships is a monumental achievement. The tournament is widely considered badminton’s equivalent of Wimbledon in prestige and tradition. Only the very best players manage to reach its final stages, and doing it twice speaks volumes about Lakshya Sen’s ability and consistency. Yet the reaction in India remained largely subdued. There were congratulatory posts, some headlines acknowledging the effort and brief discussions among badminton enthusiasts. But the level of national engagement never quite matched the magnitude of the achievement. In a cricketing context, reaching such a stage would have triggered days of celebration and analysis. In badminton, it often becomes just another sports update. Long Wait India’s wait for an All England champion continues. The last Indian to win the title was Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Before him, Prakash Padukone had scripted history in 1980. These victories remain among the most significant milestones in Indian badminton. And yet, unlike cricketing triumphs that are frequently revisited and celebrated, such achievements rarely stay in the mainstream sporting conversation for long. Lakshya Sen’s journey to the final should ideally have been viewed as a continuation of that legacy, a reminder that India still possesses the talent to challenge the world’s best in badminton. Instead, it risks fading quickly from public memory. Visibility Gap The difference ultimately comes down to visibility and cultural investment. Cricket in India is not merely a sport; it is an ecosystem built over decades through media attention, sponsorship, and mass emotional attachment. Individual sports, on the other hand, often rely on momentary bursts of recognition, usually during Olympic years or when a medal is won. But consistent performers like Lakshya Sen rarely receive the sustained spotlight that their achievements deserve. This disparity can also influence the next generation. Young athletes are naturally drawn to sports where success brings recognition, financial stability and national fame. When one sport monopolises the spotlight, others struggle to build similar appeal. Beyond Result Lakshya Sen may have finished runner-up again, but his performance at the All England Championship is a reminder that India continues to produce world-class athletes in disciplines beyond cricket. The real issue is not that cricket receives immense attention -- it deserves the admiration it gets. The concern is that athletes from other sports often do not receive comparable appreciation for achievements that are equally significant in their own arenas. If India aspires to become a truly global sporting nation, its applause must grow broader. Sporting pride cannot remain confined to one field. Because somewhere on a badminton court, an athlete like Lakshya Sen is fighting just as hard for the country’s colours as any cricketer on a packed stadium pitch. The only difference is how loudly the nation chooses to cheer.

Kiwis Setting Trend

Kiwis Setting Trend

Tom Latham followed in the footsteps of Graham Dowling and John Wright, the two successful New Zealand Skippers to win a Test Match on Indian Soil. What is unique about Latham’s team victory is they have made a winning start in the series in the nearly seven decades test battle between the two teams. Dowling and Wright won the tests after losing the opening test of the series.


With Tim Southee giving up test captaincy after a whitewash (2-0) on Emerald Islands tour Tom Latham was forced to take over the reins of teams as Ken Williamson is still indisposed. He is likely to join the Kiwi squad just before the Pune test match to be played from October 24. This young and talented bunch of Kiwis performed exceptionally well and jolted Rohit Sharma’s team by bundling them out for paltry 46 runs on day one in the pre-lunch session in mere 31.2 overs.


It is the new low for Indian cricket team on home turf. (Lowest total in Asia). What a fall for Australia bound Indian team! It was the folly of skipper Rohit Sharma who after winning the toss decided to bat first and within no time the Big Brothers collapsed like house of cards. Five out of top seven batters failed to open their accounts.


Opener Yashsvi Jaiswal and wicket keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, both southpaws, entered the double figures (13 and 20 respectively). Others just caved in front of accurate seam, swing bowling of Matt Henry and UK born tall gangling speedster William O’Rourke. They exploited conditions and variance in weather conditions at Bengaluru (more like Birmingham ) after veteran Tim Southee castled Indian opener Rohit Sharma. It was beauty of a delivery with Rohit beaten all ends up.


Then it was a mere roll call for over rated Indian batting line up. Matt Henry who completed the century of wickets in tests was delighted at the atmosphere on Day 2 of the series opener after entire first day’s play was washed out.


Kiwi pacers never expected these conditions in India. They got assistance from weather conditions. Henry’s figures of 13.2-3-15-5 may look flattering on paper but Indian stalwarts had to face the music and Kiwis being talented bunch of fielders Indians had their cup full of woes.


Nothing went right for Rohit’s team after a false start or meek surrender and Kiwi batters Devon Conway (91) the Indian origin Wellington born tall curly topper Rachin Ravindra smashing red cherry to all corners of Chinnaswamy Stadium. The cricket crazy crowd was silently applauding the Kannada boy’s shots in silence. Rachin scored a century at home away. His father being a Banglorian went to Maori land but the generation next lad making hay at KSCA Chinnaswamy stadium his ‘Home Turf.


After conceding lead of 356 runs top five batters played well specially two young turks, Sarfaraz Khan and Southpaw Rishabh Pant. Sarfaraz scored his maiden test ton in his 6th test innings. He scored 150 runs with three sixers and 18 fours. Rishabh missed his ton by a solitary run. Second New ball brought swift end to India innings.


Kiwis requiring 107 runs for victory achieved the target with loss of two wickets Captain Latham failed to open his account as Bhumrah removed him quickly. Conway was consumed by Bhumrah but star player Rachin Ravindra reaped rich reward by remaining unbeaten to mark Kiwis’ victory by eight wickets and giving his team 1-0 lead in the test series for the first time ever.


Is this the trend of shape of things to come. Keeping my fingers crossed.

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