#TheLastSession with Dimitri Mascarenhas
The current series between India and England has been a pure exhibition of test match cricket. Joe Root’s mesmerising double hundred, Rohit Sharma’s batting masterclass, Ravi Ashwin’s extraordinary all-round display – not to mention Ben Foakes’ imperious glovework. The enthralling series is perfectly poised at 1-1 at the halfway stage, with the third test set to get underway in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
The action has been too good to simply leave out on the field at stumps. So, here at TNF, we have been dissecting each day’s play on our Instagram page in ‘The Last Session’ – a live conversation with a cricket enthusiast during which we not only reflect on the day’s action, but also discuss their life, career or interests in general.
Last week, TNF’s Managing Director Michael Sheedy had the pleasure of hosting former England international and current elite coach, Dimitri Mascarenhas, following Day Two of the second test in Chennai. You can watch the full 20-minute video of their discussion on our Instagram page under the IGTV tab @tnfcricket.
Here are a couple of snippets of Dimi’s thoughts during the session…
On Rishabh Pant: “I love watching him play. He plays to his strengths and it’s coming off for him at the moment. He’s carried on his form from Australia (grimace from Sheeds), especially with the bat. But he’s also kept wicket phenomenally well in tough conditions in India.”
On Ben Foakes: “He’s a brilliant player. He averages just on 40 with the bat in first class cricket and he’s a phenomenal ‘keeper. England have got to try and do something to get him in the team. They’re giving a lot of people a lot of opportunities so hopefully he’ll be able to grasp one. He hasn’t done himself any harm.”
On his career, having grown up in Western Australia: “I moved back to England in ’96 to play as club pro. I did okay and got signed up for Hampshire – the rest is history! I’m pretty happy with my journey and loved every minute of it. The T20 game has evolved hugely – batters are whacking it everywhere; bowlers are so much more skilful. It would have been nice to have been playing 10 years later!”
On his involvement with Moonrise Sports – “It’s a great initiative and I’m really loving being part of it. I’m doing coaching wherever and whenever I can – I’m just loving it and happy to help anywhere I can.”
It was fantastic to welcome Dimi, an ex-international cricketer with almost 200 first-class games to his name, on to The Last Session. To watch the full conversation, where Dimi also shared his thoughts on the world’s best T20 spinners and more on his current coaching exploits, head over to the IGTV tab on our Instagram page – @tnfcricket – where you can also find other episodes of #TheLastSession.
The Last Session with Dimi Mascarenhas
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