While the world watched football, cricket made its case

In a season when everyone and their niece are staying/waking up at the ungodliest of hours to follow the world's biggest tournament, cricket has been staging its own quieter insurgencies against predictability. Ireland's 1-run victory over reigning T20 champions India in Belfast was a reminder that in cricket too, margins can be razor-thin and reputations worth little on the level playing field. For Ireland, Sunday's win was proof that minnows can bite giants, and that sport's allure lies precisely in its refusal to obey forecasts, even when a side is backed by gazillions who take victory as their birthright.

On the same day, Australia's women defeated India in the ICC Women's World Cup quarterfinal at Lord's. The Aussie triumph was a statement that cricket's global reach, much narrower than football's, offers its own gladiatorial pizzazz. Also infused with drama was the England-New Zealand Test at Trent Bridge. The format many deem anachronistic, showed its enduring capacity to blend narrative and uncertainty. The farewell match of Ben Stokes, talisman of England's 'Bazball' revolution, was a reminder that cricket's longest form is still capable of producing theatre as compelling as any Iranian 'offside' heartbreak.

Yes, cricket is not played in every corner of the globe. Yes, it doesn't command football's universal devotion. Yet, this very minority status sharpens its appeal for many. In India, cricket is the 'majoritarian' sport. But it's a minority sport in the world. Belfast, London and Nottingham underlined the fact that even in this summer of football, a 'niche' sport, followed by an asymmetric billion-plus, can also have its faithful pull. Pleasure and comfort isn't either-or. Not in sports, not in business, not in life.