Minal & Nani - Podcast Details

Shows

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket: Warren Brennan of Hot Spot Technology SpeaksWarren Brennan, the man behind the Hot Spot technology used in the India England series joins us to talk about his invention, challenges and the controversies surrounding Dravids dismissal in the last test and of course, VVS Laxmans Vaseline non incident.2011-08-2325 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football # 13: Indian Football in a Hurdle RaceArunava joins Nani to talk about the future of Indian football. With tight budgets, Indian clubs find themselves in a fix and with older players being part of the national side, things dont look bright for Indian football at the moment. Discussion on news like Ariel Ortega, the man who was supposed to be the next Maradona, arriving on the Indian club scene. What are the chances of international stars joining Indian clubs? How much will Indian football benefit? And reminiscing a bit on JCT, the club that was.2011-07-1116 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football # 12: What is Wrong with West Bengal FootballDhiman Sarkar of Hindustan Times joins Arunava and Nani to talk about the growing concern surrounding the Mecca of football in India called West Bengal. Arunava and Dhiman feel that while thousands gather to watch important matches in the state, the authorities who run the show have taken a lot of things for granted. The problem also may lie in the over-blown fan expectations, but both our experts feel that not all is lost in the state which takes pride in being the frontrunner of football.2011-06-1341 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football # 11: Goa Football vs Bengal FootballKolkata & Goa share the love for two F words: fish & football. The names that flash across the mind immediately on the mention of football in India are East Bengal & Mohun Bagan (not necessarily in that order). However, the fact is that Goan teams that have ruled the roost & sustained the tag of Indias champions in the last several years. The state seems to attract the best talent, the best coaches, the top goal scorers. In Kolkata, something must be amiss somewhere. We are trying to put a finger on it. In this one we have Mark Rodricks with us as...2011-06-0135 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football # 10 - FIFA is dead. Long Live FootballArunava joins us from Zurich, the venue for FIFA presidential election. Football lovers from around the world are shocked and concerned after news reports which announced that some FIFA officials received bribes for handing out World Cup bids. In this short podcast, Arunava gives us a ground zero update from the media centre.2011-06-0110 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football # 9 - A Conversation with Horst WeinHorst Wein is a renowned name in field hockey as well as football across continents. It is difficult to finish listening to someone who has experience spread over several decades and geography. And we found Horst Wein to be an absolutely charming man, full of energy and lots of stories. We have tried to capture the essence of his training methods in this podcast. We inquire whether or how his methods are relevant in the Indian scenario and his opinion on the appropriate coach for the Indian national football team.2011-06-0140 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football # 8 - A little bit of EverythingFinally with the resignation of Bob Houghton as Indian national football team coach, a saga that was increasingly turning distasteful has ended. Discussed are possible replacements and the importance of setting up of or following the system that Houghton set up over the last five years, because India is struggling from the development perspective as well. Meanwhile, the I league is in a very interesting phase and I-League 2nd division has also surprisingly emerged as a fiercely contested competition. This podcast covers a bit on the teams in these two groups.2011-05-0327 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #10: India, the New World ChampionsThe first ball of the Indian innings in the world cup was put away to the fence and the last ball of the World Cup almost hit the sight screen. Indian Captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni looked unflustered when he played that shot and thats been the story of India in this world cup. Ayaz and Minal talk about this and a lot more.2011-04-0627 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #9: The Final FourUnlike the 1987 World Cup, three teams from the subcontinent have ensured that this wont be a non Asian finals much like the 1996 World Cup finals. With India beating Australia in the quarters and Pakistan thrashing West Indies by 10 wickets, Sri Lanka pulled off an effortless win against England. New Zealand is the only side which has stormed in for a record sixth time in the semi finals by pulling off the only upset in the knock-out state. In this podcast, we talk about the chances of these teams and of course about the big match in Mohali to be played...2011-03-2920 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #8: Let the knock Outs beginThe best eight teams have advanced to the quarter finals. India take on Australia on Thursday. Minal and Ayaz talk not just about the fortunes of these teams but also about the minnows like Ireland which has made a mark in the cricketing world. However, over time, all good Ireland players are poached by England and Minal probes Ayaz about this trend. Ayaz feels that the world cup has revived the One day format. Out of the eight teams, there is no team which looks like the favourite. New Zealand and Pakistan have made significant progress. Australia does not look...2011-03-2125 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football #7 - A little bit of EverythingNani and Arunava are pleasantly surprised that a few kids in Kolkata are running around in football jerseys during the cricket world cup season. In other news, Italy considers an under 21 side in Serie B after an uneventful world cup campaign. The Indian National team is preparing for the AFC Challenge cup in Kuala Lumpur. Nani probes Arunava on the team and the management view on the Indian coach who was accused of rascism.2011-03-2130 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football #6 - The Derby is in townIf cricket is somewhat of a religion in India, Football in Bengal can perhaps match that hype. In this podcast, among other things, Arunava who is currently in Kolkata on a vacation takes us through his rather rough experience of watching Indian fans in the stadium! Nani and Arunava also talk about Arunavas Doha experience and how prepared is Qutar for hosting the WC 2022. Nani plays the eternal optimist hoping that India can make it to the 2022 Fifa World Cup, but if it does, Arunava reckons that it will be the most supported team considering the vast Indian contingent there.2011-03-2130 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football #5 - Indias Chances at the AFC CupNani managed to get a hold of Arunava right before he left for Qatar to cover the upcoming AFC Cup. In this episode, Arunava talks about Indias chances at the AFC cup and how Indians should keep their expectations from its national football team in check. A miracle can always happen, but dont expect a lot. Just participating in this championship means a lot to the team.2011-03-2115 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #7: It's Anybody's Cup Now...The Round Robin matches are in their last stage. While Group A seems to have sorted themselves out, Group B has made mundane look exciting with England providing the Indian crowds a case study in upsets by losing to Bangladesh and Ireland. South Africa have made it to the quarter finals after beating India in the last over. Minal sympathises with Ashish Nehra but blames our reputed batsmen who in Dhonis words, played for the crowds and not for the country. Pakistan and Australia will clash in this week and hopefully Kamran Akhmal will pouch all catches that come his...2011-03-1825 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #6: A World Cup of Upsets?The World Cup is peaking with Ireland recording the first upset of the tournament by beating England. However, Ayaz is vocal about whether they can sustain this success and that there should be a better way of inducting the minnows in the world cup by having a more rigourous selection process. Ayaz and Minal take us through the bowling strengths of all teams. The surprise package is Shahid Afridi who has already bagged two 5 fors in three matches. Imran Tahir from South Africa made a dream debut for South Africa knocking off three wickets against West Indies. Ayaz places special...2011-03-0325 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #5: The wait EndsWith a day more to go for the World Cup, Ayaz and Minal discuss the prospects of all teams. Ayaz shares his experience of meeting with many former cricketers who unanimously feel that India is the top favourite to win the cup. However, he is quick to point out that no host country has won the world cup when the final was being played on their home ground. This podcast is a medley of top players to watch out for, Indias possible team composition, key players and possible upsets.2011-02-1720 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket # 4 - WC 2011 Countdown BeginsAyaz and Minal start the podcast by taking us through the recently concluded India and South Africa ODI series and the gains that both countries can look forward to carry in the world cup 2011. While Virat Kohli and Pathan Seniors form gives our selectors some pleasant worry as they will have to drop at least one batsman, Ayaz reckons that Raina may have to bear the brunt of their splendid run. This podcast also covers teams from the Group A with special focus on Pakistan cricket which has submitted its team without naming its captain! The coverage is back to...2011-01-2919 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #3 - Ind vs SA Test Series Wrap UpAyaz and Minal are back with the wrap up of the India v/s South Africa Test Series. Ayaz had predicted a 1-1 before the series started and that is how it ended. It was a fair result for both the teams. Ayaz would have liked both the teams to be a bit aggressive in the 3rd test by going for the win but a series draw was a good result for India. The other topics discussed include the best players of the tournament and also a tribute to Pradeep Vijaykar, a noted sports journalist 2011-01-1230 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #2 - The Best Test Match DayIn the 2nd episode of The Sports Bench - Cricket edition, Ayaz and Minal discuss the two big test matches that are coming up. It's going to be a Test Match lovers dream come true as England-Australia and South Africa-India begin their test matches on the same day. The episode also covers the Indian team for the upcoming World Cup and the recent spike in India's sporting achievements.2010-12-1836 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football #4 - Indian Footballers HomesickIn this episode, Nani and Arunava talk about the 700 crore deal that was signed between IMG-Reliance and AIFF however it remains to be seen whether the deals leads to any good for Indian football. The other topics include Mohan Bagans horrible start to the I-league, the changes at Blackburn Rovers and Indian football team upcoming friendly with Qatar.2010-12-1726 min

The Sports BenchTSB Cricket #1 - The run up beginsAfter covering the IPL for Indicast, Minal, Indicast's resident cricket nut has started her "run up" to the ICC Cricket World Cup. Ayaz Memon and Minal would be hosting fortnightly podcast covering all things cricket until the end of the Cricket World Cup. For the first episode of this special series, here is Ayaz in a phone conversation with Minal 2010-11-2822 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football #3 - Will Venky chicken out?Nani and Arunava are back with more news from the world of Indian Football. The discussion starts with the Arunavas highest point in what could be the worlds shortest professional career for a football player. Arunava probably attained nirvana when he played in the Bayern Munich jersey. The other topics includes the club licensing issue in India, Venky buying Blackburn Rovers, and India's disappointing performances at the Asian games 2010-11-2624 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football #2 - All in WaneIn this episode, Nani and Arunava begin by discussing the why, where and what-ifs related to Wane Rooney's wish to leave Manchester United. But let us not get carried away with all the action at happening out of India. The I-League, India's national football league, fixtures have been announced and Arunava discuss the top contenders. Towards the end, Adwait Patil joins in to give us his first hand account of being at Indian Football team's last two preparatory matches.2010-10-2234 min

The Sports BenchTSB Football #1 - India prepares for Asian CupNani and Arunava are back discussing football, football, and more football. After quick updates about the most popular european leagues, the discussion gets meaty about Indian team's preparations for Asian Cup. While in New Delhi, Arunava got a chance to catch up with the team and shhres his insights about the team.2010-10-1134 min

The Sports BenchFootball World Cup 2010 - FinaleThe biggest match of the World Cup was played and Spain came out smiling. The Spanish team might have beat Netherlands by only a goal but match wasn't as drab. For the podcast we have a new guest, Corey who follows the Spanish team on World Cup Blog. The other voices on the podcast include Arunava and Jan.2010-07-1534 min

The Sports BenchFootball World Cup 2010 - Netherlands's Big DayJan Roskott joins in before Netherlands plays its biggest match since 1974 and may be this time they'll go all the way. Jan has a positive feeling about Netherlands's but is holding back the celebration until the final whistle has been blown. Both teams in the finals, Netherlands and Spain, are well matched against each other. Both have an attacking midfield and a strong defense. So it might all come down to the strategy that the coach's adopt on the day.2010-07-1222 min

The Sports BenchFootball World Cup 2010 - Germany - Spain ReviewArunava joins in to review the games post semi final of the Football world cup 2010. The young german team finally went down 1-0 to a goal scored by the Spanish defender but whats next for the German team? The game saw a very different German team. They lacked what got them into the Semi finals - the sting in their play or it probably was Mueller's absence?2010-07-1017 min

The Sports BenchFootball World Cup 2010 - Post League Stage ReviewThe league stage of the Football World Cup 2010 is over. France and Italy faile dto make it through. Now, start the knowout phase, where one bad game and the effort put into over two years in the qualification will bite the dust. The tournament has already thrown enough surprises in the form of Slovakia and Serbia. No team can be taken for granted. Arunava joins in to discuss the Pre-quater stage and the big matches to watch out for in the Pre- Quarter final stage is the England vs Germany and Portugal vs Spain.2010-06-2726 min

The Sports BenchFifa World Cup 2010 Week 1 - Vuvuzela & JabulaniIn this episode, we review Group E consisting of Netherlands, Denmark, Cameroon, and Japan. Jan Roskott joins us as a special guest and long with Vikram, our resident contributor. Jan is the chief blogger at the NEtherlands World Cup Blog. He was also fortunate to be present behind the nets when Netherlands won the Euro 88. While Netherlands seems to be favourite to move on from this group, but the second spot is still up for grabs with Cameroon, Denmark and Japan vying for it.2010-06-1927 min

The Sports BenchFootball World Cup 2010 - Group E ReviewIn this episode, we review Group E consisting of Netherlands, Denmark, Cameroon, and Japan. Jan Roskott joins us as a special guest and long with Vikram, our resident contributor. Jan is the chief blogger at the NEtherlands World Cup Blog. He was also fortunate to be present behind the nets when Netherlands won the Euro 88. While Netherlands seems to be favourite to move on from this group, but the second spot is still up for grabs with Cameroon, Denmark and Japan vying for it.2010-06-1235 min

The Sports BenchFootball World Cup 2010 - Group D ReviewIn this episode, we review Group D consisting of Germany, Serbia, Ghana, and Australia. Arunava Chaudhuri joins us as a special guest and long with Vikram, our resident contributor. Arunava has worked as a football commentator and expert for different Indian TV channels - ESPN-Star Sports, Zee Sports and NDTV 24x7, while also talking on the BBC World Service. While germany seems to be favourite to move on from this group, the second sport is still up for grabs. It should be an interesting group to watch if Serbia manage to hold on to their nerves.2010-06-0932 min

The Sports BenchFootball World Cup 2010 - Group C ReviewIn this episode, we review Group C consisting of England, United States, Algeria, and Slovenia. Nani calls this "Group of Hype". England has been a perennial hyped team because of the coverage of English Premier League but Nani doubts that they have what it takes to be World Champions. USA - well they play a different sport altoghether - Soccer! THe algerian team has beaten the mighty Egyptians in the qualification rounds but are currently going through injury problems. Slovenia, a country of 2 million population, is a team that combines well within itself and holds the abilities to cause upsets...2010-06-0626 min

The Sports BenchSports Bench - Football WC 2010 - Group B ReviewIn this episode, we review Group B consisting of Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, and Greece. Nani calls this group of indiscipline. All teams, ecept South Korea are still figuring out their match strategies, including Argentina. Argentina is having problems with selecting their final 11, Nigeria's got a new coach just a week back and Greece has never won a world cup match. The group could see South Korea causing some havoc once again.2010-05-3025 min

The Sports BenchSports Bench - Football WC 2010 - Group A ReviewIn this episode, we review Group A consisting of South Africa, Argentia, Mexico and Uruguay. But even before getting into the podcast with the group discussion, guess how was the Soccer City Stadium inaugrated? to say the least, it was a bit different. Group A is very close to being the Group of Death and Nani tells us why.2010-05-2925 min

The Sports BenchSports Bench - Football WC 2010 Podcast - Kick OffIt's that time again. The World's most popular sport will see which country is the world's best. The Football (not soccer) World Cup 2010 is all set to kick off in 3 weeks. Indicast intends to bring you a special series covering all things Football World Cup 2010 in South Africa. We will not only with doing a weekly review of the matches once the World Cup starts but will also be bringing you a round up of all teams participating group by group. In the first Sports Bench Podcast - Football World Cup 2010 edition, we decided to keep the discussion around the...2010-05-2620 min