Sports
Gill, Pujara centuries and Kuldeep five-for put India in firm control
Shubman Gill scored his first Test hundred, and Cheteshwar Pujara his first in 52 innings and the fastest of his career as India declared on 258 for 2, setting Bangladesh a target of 513 in the first Test in Chattogram. More realistically, they gave themselves two days and a bit to pick up ten wickets.In response, Bangladesh openers Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir Hasan saw off the 12 overs left in the day’s play.
This was after Kuldeep Yadav, playing his first Test in 22 months and eighth overall, picked up his third five-wicket haul to skittle out the hosts for 150 in the first innings.
Resuming the day on 133 for 8, Bangladesh could add only 17 more as Kuldeep had Ebadot Hossain caught down the leg side in the fifth over of the day to complete his five-for. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the other overnight batter, then tried to farm the strike even more but was stumped off Axar Patel soon after while going for a big hit. That gave India a lead of 254 but they decided against enforcing the follow-on.
In the second innings, Khaled Ahmed and Taijul Islam opened the bowling for Bangladesh as Ebadot didn’t step onto the field. On Thursday too, after dismissing Shreyas Iyer, he was off the field for the rest of India’s first innings. With Shakib Al Hasan also not bowling, probably because of the rib injury he sustained during the ODI series, the hosts were left with just three frontline bowlers.
KL Rahul and Gill, though, started slowly, accumulating only 16 runs in the first eight overs. Gill upped the scoring rate after lunch but Khaled broke their 70-run stand. Using the short-ball play, he first hurried Rahul and then had him pulling one to fine leg for 23.
Khaled also hit Pujara on the body twice, but the plan didn’t work against Gill, who took the short ball on and hit the seamer for a four and a six. Later, as Khaled seemed to be tiring at the end of his seven-over spell, Pujara too pulled him for four.
Against spinners, Gill used the sweep shot to good effect, picking up three boundaries with it. He, though, had a scare on 70 when Yasir Ali pinged him on the pads. The on-field umpire ignored the vociferous appeal, and when Bangladesh opted to review it, they were told the DRS technology was down.
Post tea, Gill and Pujara batted with even more intent. Gill moved to 99 with a reverse-swept four off Mehidy and two balls later hit him over mid-on for a one-bounce four to get to his hundred. He fell for 110 while attempting another big shot, but Pujara took over after that
Having reached his fifty off 87 deliveries, Pujara took only 43 balls more to get to his hundred. On the way, he used his feet against spinners to loft them over mid-off and mid-on, deployed the lap sweep on more than one occasion, and even brought out the reverse sweep as India eyed declaration.
From the other end, Virat Kohli almost exclusively dealt in singles. He and Pujara added 75 off 73 balls in an unbroken stand for the fifth wicket, Kohli’s share in that being 19 off 29 balls.A misfield at mid-on took Pujara to the three-figure mark off 130 balls, and with that, India declared their innings as well.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 150 (Mushfiqur 28, Mehidy 25, Kuldeep 5-40, Siraj 3-20) and 42 for 0 (Shanto 25*, Zakir 17*) need another 471 runs to beat India 404 and 258 for 2 dec (Gill 110, Pujara 102*, Khaled 1-51)
(Cricinfo)
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) signing of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizure Rahman for the remainder of IPL 2025 has hit a snag, with the BCB stating that it hasn’t been approached for a no-objection certificate (NOC).
Usually, the IPL only announces signings after a player has received an NOC from his home board. According to its CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, the BCB had yet to receive a request for one.
“Mustafizur is supposed to go with the team to the UAE according to the schedule,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday. “We have not received any communication from IPL officials. I have also not received any such official communication from Mustafizur either.”
Mustafizur is part of the Bangladesh T20I squad that is due to play back-to-back away T20I series against UAE and Pakistan, both of which clash with the IPL. On Wednesday, hours after the IPL announced his signing as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mustafizur flew out to Dubai with the rest of Bangladesh’s squad.
Bangladesh are due to play two T20Is in the UAE on May 17 and 19, followed by five in Pakistan on May 25, 27 and 30, and June 1 and 3. Those two series are in conflict with the IPL; DC are set to play their last three league matches on May 18, 21 and 24, followed by the playoffs should they get there.
ESPNcricinfo has sought a response from DC on this development.
[Cricinfo]
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana who is undergoing treatments for an injury he sustained during the World Relays, is racing against time to recover for the Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in South Korea later this month.
The 400 metres specialist is one of the two sprinters slated to compete in the one lap race. He is also a key member of the men’s 4×400 metres and 4×400 metres mixed relays alongside Kalinga Kumarage.
“Currently Dharshana is undergoing treatments. We are hopeful that he will recover in time for the Asian Championships,” Dharshana’s coach Asanka Rajakaruna told ‘The Island’.
“Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a fitness test before the Asian Championships. Hopefully he will be ready by that time,” said Rajakaruna.
Sri Lanka Athletics earlier said that a fitness test will be held to assess the strength of the 20 strong team selected for the biennial event.
Sri Lanka fielded only a mixed relay team for the recently held World Relays in Guangzhou, China where an injury to Dharshana cost them a chance to achieve a top performance and a probable ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Sri Lanka won a historic gold medal in the men’s 4×400 metres at the last edition of the Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok Thailand where the team inclusive of Dharshana beat India to the second place with a new championship record time of 03:01.56 seconds.
Kalinga Kumarage who did the anchor leg and Dharshana are the only members from that gold winning team selected for the upcoming event.
Dharshana is the only Sri Lankan athlete to have clocked sub 45 seconds in the 400 metres after legendary Sugath Thilakaratne.
Dharshana and Kumarage hold the second and third places respectively in the list of fastest times achieved in the 400 metres by Sri Lankan athletes. Dharshana has a personal best of 44.99 seconds achieved during the last Olympic games.
by Reemus Fernando
110th Colombo Championships
Dinara de Silva bagged her second title of the Colombo Championships as she partnered Inuki Jayaweera to record straight sets victory in the women’s doubles final played at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Wednesday.
Dinara and Inuki beat Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 6-2, 6-3 in the doubles final.
Incidentally, it was the second title of the tournament for both Dinara and Inuki.
While Dinara won the women’s singles and doubles titles, Inuki was the winner of the mixed doubles and the women’s doubles.
Women’s doubles results
Semi-finals
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala 6-3, 6-2
Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi beat Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya 6-3, 6-0.
Quarter-finals
Venuli Jayasinghe and S. Usgodaarachchi beat Tuvini de Alwis and Hasali Gajaba 6-4, 5-7, 10-3.
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Nimasha Shehara and Arushi Thomas 6-1, 6-3.
Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala beat Diyansa de Silva and Lihini Jayakody 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya received a walkover from Gehansa Methnadi and Akeesha Silva.
Second lot of luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the Presidential Secretariat sold
President approves establishment of Anti-Corruption Investigation Units in Provincial Councils and LG Institutions
Seven new envoys to Sri Lanka present credentials to the President
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