Hello and welcome to Walk the Talk. I am Shekhar Gupta at Bombay Gymkhana and my guest today, well the entire cricketing world favourite voice, Harsha Bhogle. And if I may add, a wonderful mind, a wonderful friend and, to make a proper disclosure, an Indian Express columnist.

Harsha Bhogle: Thank you. Yes, I have enjoyed writing; it’s been quite a few years now.

•Shekhar Gupta: Absolutely, and welcome to Walk the Talk.

Harsha Bhogle: Thank you.

•Shekhar Gupta: In a year when we have seen so much happening in sport, particularly in Indian cricket, and in a year when you have been voted the most popular commentator on your channel.

Harsha Bhogle: Yes, it was a huge, huge moment for me, it’s one of those moments you live for… I remember the little kid, wondering if I would get a break somewhere…so yes. But it’s been an astonishing year for world cricket. And to think it started off in Sydney amidst such rancour and anger and people were taking sides, we said there was a plane ready to take the Indians back…And it ended with us welcoming the English to India, and saying thank you very much for coming. It started with Sachin scoring a hundred and it ended with Sachin scoring a hundred, so you might think nothing’s changed, but a lot happened. The IPL happened…

•Shekhar Gupta: But, in a way, that Sydney Test set up the year.

... contd.