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India look for a fresh wave to crash Test shores in Galle

Published

2 months ago

2026/08/14

Priyan

Sri Lanka's last Test win against India came in 2015, in Galle [SLC]

There’s a sense of regality and nonchalance to the Galle International Cricket Stadium. The sights and sounds here are rather unique. A 17th century fort overlooks the ground – with its old-school, postcard-worthy ramparts – offering a great vantage point to watch the cricket. That is accompanied by the ambient music of the Indian Ocean that surrounds the fort.

The charm of the Galle stadium also comes from not being cut-off from the rest of the world. Cricket venues around the globe are often built as echo chambers for the sport. Not Galle, with its low stands. The bustling traffic on Colombo Road that lines the venue is as much in your view as a moving day’s cricket inside it. It’s a ground that blends into the scenery around it, rather than demanding attention all for itself.

But don’t let the visuals dim its relevance to the sport. It is a lot more than just a pretty ground. Saturday onwards, Galle will host its 50th Test match – the most by an Asian venue. India will take this milestone game to hit a reset in whites – seek a fresh wave to crash the Test shores after recent wobbles. Shubman Gill sat in the press conference on the eve of the game and broke down India’s WTC campaign to simple mathematics – 9 Tests to play, 6 or 7 to win.

But Sri Lanka would’ve read the memo that South Africa offered to the world last November – that this Indian team is thoroughly beatable in the subcontinent. Sri Lanka’s resolve, despite coming off a series defeat in West Indies, will be strengthened further by the big absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

India remain in a transitional tangle, but this tour offers their batters a chance to reverse some of the recent narratives about their game against spin. The Galle surface will have runs for them, but also some extra bounce for the spinners that will pique the interests of close-in catchers and test batting nerves. It will demand time and patience, and none of their recent nonchalance.

One can expect some scattered rain throughout the match days, and a lot of heat and humidity. This ocean-adjacent venue also gets cross winds that can help spinners generate a lot of drift. Spinners will like bowling here but it is still going to be a batter’s den, at least for the first couple of days.

Lahiru Udara should slot in at the top of the line-up, like he did in the second Test against West Indies, due to Pathum Nissanka’s injury. A first Test appearance since March 2023 is on Niroshan Dickwella, who returned to the squad owing to Kusal Mendis’s injury. Off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha should get a look-in too, after he dismissed KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the warm-up game.

The full strength nets session two days out from the Test hinted that India will stick with Dhruv Jurel ahead of Sarfaraz Khan, who replaced Sai Sudharsan in the squad.As for the third spinner, Gill all but confirmed Manav Suthar’s selection ahead of Saransh Jain. The left-arm spinner impressed on debut against Afghanistan and the warm-up fixture vs SLC XI. He was also in attendance for the optional nets session on the eve of the Test. The toss-up between Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna could be a lot closer.

Sri Lanka probable XI:
Nishan Madushka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Sonal Dinusha, Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando

India probable XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna/Gurnoor Brar

[Cricbuzz]

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EU rejects Trump’s diesel demand amid Iran war shortages

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/2

Priyan

Th European Union “fully rejects” a US demand to release emergency diesel stocks as the fuel’s price soars in America and elsewhere amid the war with Iran.

The ⁠EU “fully rejects” the threat made by the ⁠US to ban diesel exports ⁠if Europe does not release more of its fuel stocks, according to European Commission ‌spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.

“A ban would not be beneficial to anyone. It ⁠would undermine our trust ⁠in the United States as a reliable partner,” ⁠she said, adding that ⁠the next EU’s ⁠Oil Coordination Group meeting is scheduled for October 15, ‌but could be brought forward if ‌needed.

On Thursday, President Trump said the US could ask European countries to release diesel reserves to rein in rising diesel prices due to the war on Iran.

His comments came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Europe to “immediately” tap its reserves.

[Aljazeera]

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Sineth Jayawardena, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth in Sri Lanka squad for Pakistan T20Is

Published

8 hours ago

2026/10/2

Priyan

Vijayakanth Viyaskanth celebrates a wicket with his team-mates [SLC]

Opening batter Sineth Jayawardena has charged into the Sri Lanka T20I squad for the series against Pakistan, while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has claimed the legspinner’s spot in the absence of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga. Seam-bowling allrounder Chamindu Wickremesinghe has also been named, as has batter Sahan Arachchige, while seamer Binura Fernando makes a return.

Omitted from the the squad were the likes of batter Charith Asalanka, fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake, and batting allrounder Janith Liyanage.

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera was named in the squad, but his participation is subject to fitness.

Jayawardena, 21, has got his call-up because of an outstanding recent run in domestic T20s. In the past month, he has struck 101 off 52 and 82 off 32 for Tamil Union Cricket Club in the club T20 competition. He has played a single T20I, at the ongoing Asiad, but otherwise has never been part of a full-strength Sri Lanka side.

Others, such as Wickramasinghe, Arachchige, and Viyaskanth have earned their call-ups through years of performance at domestic level. Each of these players has appeared in T20 internationals for Sri Lanka before, but with the national team having had little success in this format in 2026, this inclusion represents their best chance yet to embed themselves within the side.

The three T20Is, which are all set to be played in Rawalpindi, will begin on October 9.

Sri Lanka squad :
Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt.), Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness)

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Bronze at stake as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka look to bring cheer to Asian Games contingents

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/2

Priyan

Litton Das will hope to end his barren run of scores across formats [Cricinfo]

At the end of a wretched week in Nisshin, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have something real to play for: an Asian Games bronze.

Both teams have a point to prove. Bangladesh recovered well from a poor start in their semi-final against Pakistan, thanks to Towhid Hridoy’s efforts with the bat, but their bowlers couldn’t defend 111 in a 13-overs-a-side game, and Mustafizur Rahman was taken to the cleaners in one of his rare poor outings in T20Is.

But at least they ran Pakistan close. In the other semi-final, India ran riot over Sri Lanka, bowling them out for 45. Sri Lanka had a second-string side on the field, but they wouldn’t have bargained for the basic mistakes they made, like the three run-outs in their innings.

Bangladesh, who can call on most of their first-choice players, start the third-place match as clear favourites, but the testing conditions at Nisshin can even up contests that look one-sided on paper. And both teams will have the motivation of bringing joy to contingents that have endured mostly barren Asian Games campaigns.

After a run-less Australia tour where Litton Das made three ducks in a row in the Test series, he was out for 2 against Pakistan. Litton faced just three balls, off which he attempted two reverse-sweeps, the second of them costing him his wicket. It was a perplexing innings on a pitch that offered a lot of turn and awkward bounce. Sometimes it’s hard to say if a batter is really out of form when he’s made a string of low scores, but Litton, who has led Bangladesh impressively in this format over the last couple of years, will want to break out of this run quickly.

Sahan Arachchige couldn’t quite muster up a captain’s performance against India, especially after his top three batters fell for ducks. He scored 9 before falling to a sweep shot against Axar Patel. He had earlier taken two wickets with his offbreaks. The 30-year-old allrounder now has the chance to put together a better show and inspire his team to the bronze.

Both teams could test their bench strength in the bronze-medal match.

Sri Lanka (probable): Sineth Jayawardena, Lasith Croospulle, Sohan de Livera (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Sahan Arachchige (capt), Ashen Bandara, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Tharindu Ratnayake, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando.

Bangladesh (probable): Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (capt), Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Towhid Hridoy (c), Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Aliss Al Islam/Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman/Hasan Mahmud.

[Ceicinfo]