Sports
Abrar, Babar headline opening day in Multan
PAKISTAN VS ENGLAND, 2ND TEST
In an action-packed first day, both teams landed punches and counter punches but the star of the day was debutant mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed who ended up with 7/114 on debut as England paid the price for high-risk batting.
Pakistan further strengthened their position reducing the deficit to 174 by the end of the first day, led by an unbeaten 61 from skipper Babar Azam. The clinical knock snuffed out hopes raised early after Imam-ul-Haq was caught behind off James Anderson for a two-ball duck. Babar first steadied the innings with a 46-run stand alongside Abdllah Shafique, who eventually nicked Jack Leach. But Babar proceeded to add an unbeaten 56 with Saud Shakel, whose lofts against Leach provided an ideal foil for his skipper. Together the duo ensured that the advantage given by Abrar was not squandered.
The spinner, one of Pakistan’s three changes for the second Test, had struck in his very first over when he spun a wrong ‘un through Zak Crawley’s defence. But thereafter, both Duckett and Pope took the spinners on. Through a multitude of sweeps and reverse sweep all across the Multan Cricket Stadium, the duo sent Pakistan on a leather hunt.
In a 61-ball stand worth 79, the duo made sure that England hit back considerably after that early wicket as none of the spinners were spared. As a result of their high-risk approach, the bowlers found themselves always in with a chance when bowling full. As many as four decisions were overturned in the session, with the first two coming in favour of England. Both Pope and Duckett were adjudged to have got glove on ball while trying to reverse sweep and survived.
Duckett’s luck did not last long though. In the same over that he had a decision go in favour of him via DRS, there was one more that brought about his end as he missed a sweep against Abrar and was out LBW for a 49-ball 63.
Abrar gave Pakistan more to cheer about when he ripped a legbreak past Joe Root’s defence to hit him on the back leg and then had Aleem Dar reverse a decision for the third time in the session. But Pope and Harry Brook did not let the momentum slip thereafter, with the former carrying on the charge after getting past his fifty. However, he too fell prey to the reverse sweep, hitting one straight to backward point while Brook gave Ahmed the charge and found mid off, handing him a five-wicket haul in his first session as a Test cricketer.
Ben Stokes and Will Jacks did not let up on the aggression despite half the side departing early. The duo added the lofted shots to the sweeps in their attack arsenal as they put on a 61-run stand for the sixth wicket.
But just as he had done through the day, Abrar was Babar’s go-to man to break a stand, and he did so with a stunning wrong ‘un that bamboozled Stokes to have him bowled. Jacks soon followed suit, missing a sweep across the line giving Abrar seven out of the first seven wickets. England still managed to add fifty runs for the last three wickets thanks a free-stroking Mark Wood who finished with 36 before Zahid Mahmood got three to wrap up the innings quickly.
Brief Scores:
England 281 (Ben Duckett 63, Ollie Pope 60; Abrar Ahmed 7-114) lead Pakistan 107/2 (Babar Azam 61*) by 174 runs
(Cricbuzz)
Under 19 Cricket
A century by Bihan Gamage and and a six wicket haul by Mevindu Kumarasiri were the individual highlights on day one of the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ and ‘B’ matches on Monday.
While Gamage’s century was the backbone of DS Senanayake’s challenging total of 365 runs against Nalanda, Mevindu Kumarasiri’s six wicket haul helped Sri Sumangala restrict Isipatana to 136 runs.
Later Sri Sumangala reached 158 for two wickets at stumps thanks to an unbroken third wicket stand of 140 runs between Sandeep Wijerathna (61n.o.) and Neksha Iddamalgoda (81n.o.).
That was not the only notable partnership of the day as the ninth wicket pair of Kaveesha Githmal (43) and Kavindu Nimsara (66) put on 99 runs for Mahinda to post 284 runs against Lumbini in their match.
At DSS ground
Scores
DSS 365 all out in 79 overs (Savain Kalansooriya 54, Bihan Gamage 102, Janindu Ranasinghe 50, Shevan Welgama 73; Osanda Pamuditha 2/69, Dunitha Anusara 4/66, Sahas Godage 3/76)
Nalanda 28 for 1 in 10 overs
At Galle
Scores
Mahinda 284 all out in 72.2 overs (Dulsith Darshana 63, Randula Mabarana 28, Manitha Rajapaksha 23, Kaveesha Githmal 43, Kavindu Nimsara 66; Yashod Kavindu 5/100, Dinal Sewmina 2/32)
Lumbini 76 for 4 in 20 overs (Kisandu Dulneth 33, Yashod Kavindu 26; Sadev Nethmina 2/27)
At Panadura
Scores
Isipatana 136 all out in 47.2 overs (Yuveen Keshan 21, Dasith Senal 31; Mevindu Kumarasiri 6/54)
Sri Sumangala 158 for 2 in 45 overs
(Sandeep Wijerathna 61n.o., Neksha Iddamalgoda 81n.o.) (RF)
After three one-sided, low-scoring encounters, the fourth T20I between India and Sri Lanka exploded into a run-fest in Thiruvananthapuram, with both sides posting their highest totals in women’s T20Is. India’s big score of 221 for 2 proved too much for Sri Lanka, who fell short by 30 runs, handing the hosts a 4-0 series lead with one match remaining. India missed two catching opportunities and a stumping chance, while Sri Lanka gave away three, but the batting dominance was decisive.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma set the tone with blistering half-centuries to power India’s innings, while Chamari Athapaththu kept Sri Lanka in the chase with a fighting 52. Despite a few late cameo efforts, the visitors couldn’t overcome India’s dominant batting display.
Shafali and Mandhana delivered a masterclass in aggressive opening batting, putting together 162 runs off just 92 balls – the highest opening partnership for India in women’s T20Is. Shafali continued her purple patch with a third successive T20I half-century, while Mandhana, who had managed only 40 runs in the first three matches, roared back to form. The innings also saw Mandhana climb to the top of the charts for most runs (1,703) in women’s internationals in a calendar year, underlining her dominance.
India’s openers were relentless from the outset, racing to 61 without loss in the powerplay with 12 boundaries. Shafali’s innings was built on control and placement – her first six came only after her fifty, a loft over long-off in the 11th over – and she finished with 12 fours and a six.
Mandhana, meanwhile, struck 11 fours and three sixes, though her innings briefly dipped in tempo. After racing to 24 off 14 balls, she moved to 28 off 24 during a short lull before accelerating sharply to reach her half-century off 35 deliveries. From there, she cut loose, using the feet to loft the spinners and driving straight with authority.
The contest decisively tilted in overs 11 to 13, when India tore into the attack. The 11th over went for 15 runs, followed by a 20-run 12th and an 18-run 13th, each featuring two fours and a six. Any hopes Sri Lanka had of restricting the damage vanished as India surged from 85 for no loss to 120 in just two overs.
India brought up 150 in only 14.2 overs, making light of the Sri Lanka captain’s assessment at the toss that 140 would be a competitive total.
Sri Lanka had to wait 92 balls for their first breakthrough and struck again in the following over, the 17th, but any momentum was swiftly snuffed out by Richa Ghosh. With Harleen Deol replacing Jemimah Rodrigues, who was recovering from a mild fever, India promoted Ghosh to No. 3 for the death overs – a move that paid rich dividends. Having faced just one delivery in the series before this match, Ghosh made an impact, blasting 40 off 16 balls and adding an unbroken 53-run stand with Harmanpreet Kaur.
Ghosh announced herself by heaving her second ball over Nimasha Meepage’s head for four. After a relatively quiet 17th over, she found her range against the same bowler, striking two more boundaries. The onslaught peaked against Kavisha Dilhari, one of Sri Lanka’s more experienced bowlers, as Ghosh went into overdrive. She smoked three sixes and a four to plunder 23 runs from the 19th over, punishing anything in her hitting arc and underlining India’s ruthless finish.
Sri Lanka began their chase aggressively, with Hasini Perera taking charge. She tore into Renuka Singh’s first over, hitting three boundaries, while Arundhati Reddy, making a comeback in place of the rested Kranti Gaud, conceded 17 off the second over. By the end of four, Sri Lanka had raced to 52 for 0, with the opening stand between Perera and Athapaththu putting on 59 runs off 34 balls.
Athapaththu struck the chase’s first six, charging down the track and clearing long-off off Deepti Sharma in the third over. Both left-handers punished anything too full or short, though Perera fell in the sixth over, holing out to Harmanpreet at mid-off off Reddy’s offcutter.
Athapaththu kept the momentum going, adding 57 runs off 46 balls with Imesha Dulani for the second wicket. Athapaththu moved from 20 off 15 balls to fifty in the next 19 deliveries, hitting three sixes and as many fours. However, her innings ended when she mistimed a charge over the off side, gifting a catch to Mandhana at long-off off Vaishnavi Sharma. At that stage, Sri Lanka needed 106 runs from 42 balls. Despite a few late cameos, the chase fell short.
On a night dominated by big scores, Vaishnavi emerged as the standout bowler, picking up two crucial wickets for just 24 runs. Introduced into the attack after the powerplay, she began by floating the ball outside off stump to entice the batters before gradually attacking the stumps and testing the left-handers with clever variations.
After dismissing Athapaththu in the 13th over, she also removed Harshitha Samarawickrama for a 13-ball 20 in the 17th, when the batter looked threatening. Her disciplined lines and sharp changes of pace helped India keep Sri Lanka’s scoring in check.
Brief scores:
India Women 221 for 2 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 80, Shafali Verma 79, Richa Ghosh 40*, Harmanpreet Kaur16*; Malsha Shehani 1-32, Nimasha Meepage 1-40) beat Sri Lanka Women 191 for 6 in 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 52, Hasini Perera 33, Imesha Dulani 29, Harshitha Samarawickrama 20, Kavisha Dilhari 13, Nilakshika de Silva 23*; Arundhati Reddy 2-42, Vaishnavi Sharma 2-24, Shree Charani 1-46) by 30 runs
(Cricinfo)
A private function will be held on Monday, December 29 at Melbourne’s Spicy Wicket Restaurant to celebrate Asanka Gurusinha’s iconic Boxing Day century at the MCG, the first and still the only hundred by a Sri Lankan at the grand old ground that staged the game’s inaugural Test and has long been cricket’s festive showpiece in Australia.
Sri Lanka featured in the 1995 Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a match remembered as much for controversy as for courage. Umpire Darrel Hair repeatedly no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in front of a stunned crowd of 55,000, turning the contest into a cauldron.
It was a one-sided affair dominated by Mark Taylor’s Australians. Forced to follow on, Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel before Gurusinha dug in to produce a back-to-the-wall 143. It was the left-hander’s career-best Test score and more importantly helped Sri Lanka avoid the ignominy of an innings defeat.
“Any Test hundred is a moment to remember, but to do it against Australia, facing McDermott, McGrath, Warne and Reifel at the MCG is very special,” Gurusinha told Telecom Asia Sport. “It didn’t sink in 30 years ago, but I know now why it’s special. I always enjoyed batting on pitches with bounce and seam and Australia was a place I loved playing.”
“Coming up against the best team in the world at the time and that formidable bowling attack is something that will stay with me forever,” he added.
Gurusinha also paid tribute to those behind the celebration. “I want to thank my good friends David and Cathy Cruse for organising this event. All my family will be there and it’s great to have Aravinda de Silva as chief guest. I played against him at school level for eight years and then alongside him for 12 years for Sri Lanka. He’s a dear friend.”
Gurusinha made his Test debut in 1985, straight out of school as a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter. His sound technique soon demanded promotion and he settled into the No. 3 slot, becoming the side’s human sandbag, valuing his wicket, batting time and wearing down attacks during marathon vigils that tested bowlers’ patience as much as their stamina.
A key member of Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning squad in 1996, Gurusinha willingly shelved his natural strokeplay to play the anchor’s role, allowing the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva to cut loose. He struck a vital half-century in the final against Australia, earning praise from captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who famously labelled him the unsung hero of Sri Lanka’s World Cup triumph.
Gurusinha retired prematurely at the age of 30 soon after that World Cup success, migrated to Australia and has since made Melbourne his adopted home, fitting, perhaps, that the city where he played his finest innings will now raise a glass to a knock that has aged like fine wine.
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