Distant cousins

Sir — Scientists have now found that the humble potato was born nine million years ago from a chance encounter between a tomato and a wild Andean plant. That explains the deep connection between French fries and ketchup — it is clearly a family reunion. The discovery is fascinating. It also raises a serious question. If the potato is part tomato, can the health food crowd stop pretending it is dietary doom on a plate? For too long, the potato has taken the blame for chips, crisps and childhood obesity. Let this nine-million-year-old origin story be a reminder. The potato is not a villain. If a
tub of French fries adds to the waisline, too much tomato raises uric acid. This is a reminder to not blame vegetables for our excesses.

Shaik Arshad,
Mumbai

Team effort

Sir — India won the final Test at The Oval by 6 runs in a match that swung wildly until the very end (“Mother of all clashes”, Aug 5). England needed 35 runs with two wickets in hand and, at that point, it looked like a mere formality before England won. Then came Mohammed Siraj with his reverse swing. The cherry on the cake was Chris Woakes batting left-handed with one hand as if to give the crowd one final plot twist. Who needs thrillers when one can watch such Test matches?

Aranya Sanyal,
Calcutta

Sir — Too many Test match post-mortems focus on the batters. This one should be different. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna produced a masterclass on bowling under pressure. When the ball gets old and the pitch goes quiet, most teams panic. These two did not. They bowled straight, they bowled fast, and they kept at it. The result was a finale that will sit among India’s best ever away wins. For once, let the bowlers have the front page and the post-match praise.

Deba Prasad Bhattacharya,
Calcutta

Sir — England is no place for half-baked technique or paper-thin confidence. Playing against the country that invented cricket tests intent, clarity, skill and guts (“Boys to men”, Aug 5). On all these parameters, Shubman Gill passed with flying colours — three big hundreds in three weeks, all different but equally commanding. A knock of 267 with a false shot rate of 3.5% — the least for any innings in England since this statistic came into existence 20 years ago — is not luck; it is muscle memory built over hours of net practise and discipline. England was an exam and Gill aced it.

Manoj Parashar,
Ghaziabad

Sir — Prasidh Krishna’s tour of England began almost as comic relief. But at The Oval, he turned that ridicule into redemption. The Oval gave a glimpse of what happens when he finds the right length. His fuller deliveries jagged off the pitch, nipped past edges, and forced errors. Eight wickets, better lengths, and decisive breakthroughs when it mattered most showed that Krishna is in the game for the long haul. In five days, he reminded everyone why he was picked for the side in the first place.

Shatadru Ghosh,
Calcutta

Sir — Stress fractures, quadricep tears and rehab stints have robbed Prasidh Krishna of valuable years. Most fast bowlers fade into the background after that much damage. Not him. He returned, got battered and still kept going. Not many have the strength to fight such criticism. His eight wickets at The Oval were not just good bowling, they were a response to doubters.

Kamal Laddha,
Bengaluru

Sir — India sealed a thrilling 6-run win in the final Test of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval, levelling the series 2-2 and raising some hard questions for England. This was meant to be the perfect Bazball series — flat decks, all tosses won, sunshine on demand. Yet England could not win. Their top order crumbled. Joe Root and Harry Brook aside, the batting was flaky. India fielded a team in transition without Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli and, yet, they out-bowled and out-thought England. If this is Bazball’s peak, then it is oddly underwhelming.

Koustabh Sengupta,
Calcutta

Sir — There is something deeply unconvincing about Bazball’s stubborn refusal to evolve. The top order is a house of cards. Players who cannot play seam or swing are protected by dead pitches. Meanwhile, bowlers suffer on these surfaces designed to flatter flawed batters. There is drama, yes, but mostly because of self-inflicted jeopardy. England’s leadership spins this as entertainment. In truth, it is predictable theatre with one act. The curtain call came early at The Oval.

Annesha Ghosh,
Calcutta

Sir — Flat-track bullies make for tired storylines. England have good batters but the pitches are tailored to make them look better than they are. The final Test at The Oval proved what happens when conditions deviate from the script. Once the old ball wobbled, the batting turned to dust. The same men who charge down the track to spinners fell to straight deliveries. India did not need Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma to expose this. The young team led by Shubman Gill brought control, patience and old-school grit. And that was enough. Bazball did not blink. It collapsed. The myth of Bazball collapses when wickets have bounce or seam or any character at all.

Brij B. Goyal,
Ludhiana

Lost value

Sir — Once upon a time, film awards meant something. They shaped opinion, launched careers and honoured merit. Now the real drama lies in watching award panels try to please everyone — from trolls to trendsetters, from State interests to social media. National Awards try to give something to everyone, offend no one, and quietly hope that no one notices the propaganda slipping in. Unfortunately, people are noticing. And when everyone gets a prize, the prize stops mattering.

Fakhrul Alam,
Calcutta