Whenever I am asked for a book recommendation on Indian cricket, I find it difficult to give a definite answer. We have books on cricket history, iconic series, autobiographies of our favourite cricketers and even tour diaries. But a book that offers a comprehensive account has been missing for far too long. I am happy to say the quest has finally ended.

Venkat Sundaram brings together famous cricketers, distinguished writers and leading journalists to give us an anthology on Indian cricket. The book has 47 contributions from 40 different writers, making it a goldmine of stories and anecdotes for the cricket fans. The journey of Indian cricket is very well chronicled through its prominent personalities and landmark moments.

The essays are split into six chapters – The Early Years, Legends of the Past, Winds of Change, The Modern Age, Domestic Stalwarts and Beyond the Pavilion. I particularly enjoyed the last two, with chapters from V.K. Ramaswamy on umpiring and from Narottam Puri on commentary being the most fascinating.

While Raju Mukherjee’s essay on the pioneers will take you back in time, Shubhangi Kulkarni’s essay on women's cricket will compel you to broaden your perspective. Vijay Lokapally shares the journey of a domestic cricket stalwart Sarkar Talwar who couldn't make it to the highest level.

What I love about anthologies is the freedom they provide to the readers. You can pick any chapter as you please. They are also a good way of acknowledging the efforts of writers in educating cricket fans about the rich history of the game.

This is Venkat 's second book as an editor, the previous one being the Sardar of Spin. He is a former first-class cricketer who knows the game inside out, which also reflects in how he has set the vision for the book.

As a cricket fan, you will get to enjoy the game of only a handful of cricketers in your lifetime. But books such as this one will keep reminding us where the game has come from and the contribution of various cricketers towards it. In the words of the editor,

“This book is a wonderful window into the past, through which one can look back at the fascinating journey of Indian cricket.”