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Markram ton trumps Kohli, Gaikwad centuries for nervy win

Published

11 months ago

2025/12/4

Priyan

Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad thrilled the Raipur crowd (Cricinfo)

Virat Kohli eased to his second successive century and Ruturaj Gaikwad hit his first in ODIs as India piled up 358 for 5 in front of 60,000-odd spectators, in the second ODI in Raipur. That total, however, didn’t turn out to be a dew-proof one, with South Africa going past the target to silence the packed crowd and set up a decider in Visakhapatnam.

Aiden Markram who led South Africa’s chase with his first hundred in an ODI chase, Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis upstaged Kohli and Gaikwad, with some help from dewy conditions. It was the joint-highest successful chase against India in men’s ODIs and South Africa’s third-highest overall in the format.

When Brevis holed out for 54 off 34 balls, after raising his maiden ODI fifty, South Africa were still ahead, needing 70 off 57 balls with six wickets in hand. The visitors then suddenly fell behind when they lost Breetzke and Marco Jansen in successive overs. By the time Jansen holed out to long-off, South Africa required 37 off 33 balls with four wickets in hand. Tony de Zorzi hobbling off the field with a potential hamstring injury after 45 overs added another twist to the chase. He joined Nandre Burger, who had hurt his own hamstring and left the field earlier in the first innings.

It boiled down to South Africa needing 27 off 30 balls. Corbin Bosch’s attacking enterprise and Keshav Maharaj’s calmness got the job done for them, leaving India wondering what might have been.

India had to contend with multiple mishaps in the field, including Yashasvi Jaiwal dropping Markram on 53. Jaiswal got into an awkward side-on position, let the ball slip through his hands and tip over the rope for six. Markram then cranked up the tempo, launching Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja for sixes. He proceeded to bring up his hundred off 88 balls. On a day where three centuries were scored, Markram’s proved to be the match-winning one.

India were up against it even before the first ball was bowled. Their wretched luck at the toss continued – they lost their 20th straight toss in ODI cricket – and Rahul made his displeasure known by throwing his head back.

After they were asked to bat first, India moved to 40 for 0 in the fifth over, with 13 of those runs coming via wides. Burger and Lungi Ngidi, who had replaced Ottniel Baartman, found swing with the new ball, but struggled to control it. Burger, though, tightened up to have Rohit Sharma nicking behind for 14 off eight balls. Then, in the tenth over, Jansen bounced Jaiswal out for 22. Jansen then greeted Gaikwad with a nastier head-high lifter. Gaikwad took his eyes off the ball, threw his hands up in defence, and managed to glove it over the keeper for four.

Gaikwad then found his groove with a brace of paddle-sweeps off Maharaj. Kohli was already set at the other end, having opened his account with a pulled six off Ngidi. He then dashed out of the crease and whacked a four straight past Bosch, leaving Gaikwad ducking for cover. When Markram pitched one too full and outside off, Kohli flat-batted him through covers.

Gaikwad matched Kohli shot for shot. He pumped Maharaj over his head after stepping out and shovelled Bosch through midwicket, having even Kohli excited at the other end. He zoomed from 50 to 100 in just 25 balls. It was his 18th List A ton and first as a non-opener. Picked ahead of natural middle-order batters like Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma, Gaikwad showcased his versatility.

After Jansen dismissed Gaikwad for 105, ending a 195-run partnership for the third wicket, Kohli went on to bring up back-to-back hundreds. It was the 11th instance of Kohli achieving the feat, easily the most by any batter in ODIs. Ngidi then stopped Kohli’s innings on 102 in the 40th over. When Washington Sundar was run-out, India slipped to 289 for 5, but Rahul took charge of the innings in the end overs to take India past 350. He combined power with invention to remain unbeaten on 66 off 43 balls. Jadeja wasn’t as fluent, managing an unbeaten 24 off 27 balls.

Unlike South Africa’s quicks, India’s were largely on target with the new ball. Arshdeep Singh got one to nip away from Quinton de Kock and had him miscuing a hoick to mid-on in the fifth over for 8 off 11 balls. Harshit Rana threatened both the edges of Markram from various lengths, but the batter managed to see off the new ball and laid a strong foundation for South Africa’s chase. Temba Bavuma kept him good company in a 101-run stand for the second wicket before the South Africa captain was bounced out by Prasidh Krishna.

Markram countered India’s spinners, including Kuldeep Yadav, before Rana bested him with a slower offcutter into the pitch. Breetzke and Brevis then forged a powerful partnership, pushing South Africa closer to the target. Breetzke extended his golden run in ODIs, with his seventh 50-plus score in 11 innings. Though both Breetzke and Brevis were part of a late wobble, Bosch stayed cool with Maharaj to seal South Africa’s win with four balls to spare.

Brief scores:

South Africa 362 for 6 8n 49.2 overs (Aiden Markram 110, Matthew Breetzke 68, Dewald Brevis 54; Arshdeep Singh 2-54, Prasidh Krishna 2-85) beat India 358 for 5 in 50 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 105, Virat Kohli 102, KL Rahul 66*; Marco Jansen 2-63)by four wickets

(Cricinfo)

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Achintha smashes 1,500 metres record at All Island Schools Games

Published

54 mins ago

2026/10/17

Priyan

Lahiru Achintha broke the Under 18 boys' 1,500 metres record.

‎by Reemus Fernando

‎

‎Promising middle distance runner Lahiru Achintha continued his record breaking sphere with a remarkable sub four minutes feat in the 1,500 metres at the All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at Diyagama today (17).

‎The Asian Youth Games gold medallist who has run sub four minutes previously returned a time of 3:55.97 seconds to become the first athlete in his age category at these championships to run the distance under four minutes.

‎Achintha who has a personal best of 3:53.05 from last year was representing Prince College Ratnapura today.

‎In another impressive 1,500 m feat Tharushi Abhisheka of Lyceum International School, Wattala established a new meet record in the Under-20 Girls’ 1,500m as she returned a time of 4:34.59 seconds to win.

‎By the end of the second day of the meet seven new meet records had been established.

‎

‎D. V. C. de Soysa (of Galewela Central College) Under-16 Boys’ Discus Throw – 55.83m.

‎D. G. Lahiru Achintha (of Ratnapura Kumara Vidyalaya) Under-18 Boys’ 1,500m – 3:55.97 secs.

‎W. P. Nethula Induwara (Rahula College, Matara) Under-14 Boys’ 100m – 11.70 seconds

‎K. V. R. Gayesha (Ira Handa Kotuwa Wewa Maha Vidyalaya, Polonnaruwa) Under-16 Girls’ High Jump – 1.70m

‎H. M. D. S. Herath (Maris Stella College, Thimbirigaskatuwa) Under-20 Boys’ Long Jump – 7.65m

‎P. M. Amaya Semindi (Vijitha Central College, Dikwella) Under-14 Girls’ High Jump – 1.58m

‎

Foreign News

Rare pink diamond goes on display in France 100 years after amateur heist

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/17

Priyan

The nine-carat, pear-shaped gemstone was one of few royal jewels to survive the French Revolution (BBC)

A rare pink diamond is going on display in France for the first time since it was stolen almost 100 years ago to the day – the last time it was shown to the public.

The nine-carat, pear-shaped gemstone known as the “Grand Condé” was pilfered in an overnight raid on the Château de Chantilly in October 1926 and concealed in a hollowed-out apple.

The diamond – one of few royal jewels to survive the French Revolution – was recovered a few weeks later when a hungry maid at the hotel in which the thieves were staying took a bite of the apple.

It will once again be on display in the Condé Museum at the Château de Chantilly until 3 January.

The museum’s director Mathieu Deldicque said that while the apple story may sounds far-fetched, it was widely covered by newspapers at the time.

Deldicque has faced questions about whether the exhibition may be tempting fate, especially given the string of heists on European cultural institutions in the past 12 months, including the daring daylight robbery of jewellery from the Louvre museum in Paris.

While he declined to reveal to CNN how much the diamond was insured for, he noted that extensive academic study into the properties of the diamond had taken place to make it uniquely identifiable.

The results of this analysis, as well as previously unseen archive material about the gem’s history and theft, form part of the exhibition, according to the museum.

Naturally occurring pink diamonds are exceptionally rare and often sell for tens of millions of dollars. The highest price ever fetched for one at auction was $71.2m (£53.6m) in 2017, according to Sotheby’s.

The exact origins of the Grand Condé remain a mystery.

It was first mentioned in 1740 in an inventory of Louis Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, drawn up following his death, the Château de Chantilly said.

It then became part of the collection of Queen Marie-Amélie of Bourbon-Sicily, the wife of French King Louis Philippe I, and then her son, Prince Henri of Orléans, the Duke of Aumale.

He bequeathed it to the Institut de France, which now owns the Château de Chantilly, 50km (31 miles) north of Paris, along with thousands of artworks and manuscripts which became the Musée Condé collection.

(BBC)

Latest News

Pakistan, Sri Lanka look to find the right mix as World Cup countdown begins

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/17

Priyan

Arafat Minhas made his ODI debut earlier this year (Cricinfo)

Sri Lanka’s men begin this match having won an international in the past week. This is more significant than it sounds. Their 2026 has been abysmal, with the team losing 22 matches to the 10 they have won. New captain Kusal Mendis had carried his team to that victory with his 87 not out off 48 balls, after Sri Lanka’s seamers had also had an encouraging outing.

But the game was only a dead rubber, Pakistan having sewn up the T20I series already. Pakistan have hardly been lighting up 2026 either, but they have had substantially more success than Sri Lanka. They had won their most recent ODI series, against Australia, 2-1. In that series, Pakistan may even have discovered a bright young all-round talent, left-arm spinner and lower-order batter Arafat Minhas, who claimed the Player of the Series award for his seven wickets at an average of 12.28. He has been in penetrative form in the past 10 days as well, having claimed five wickets across the three T20Is against Sri Lanka. Against Australia, Pakistan had also had excellent performances from Shaheen Afridi and legspinner Abrar Ahmed. It had, in fact, been Pakistan’s bowlers who dominated in a low-scoring series.

The tri-series is important for all three sides because there is now officially less than 12 months before the World Cup, which is set to begin on October 2 next year. Sri Lanka still have plenty to figure out – their white-ball squads having been in serious flux this year, as a new set of selectors searches (often fruitlessly) for a winning combination. Pakistan have players and stratetgies to trial as well.

In the series against Australia, Babar Azam had top-scored for Pakistan, hitting 40, 16, and 69 to average 41.66 across the matches. No one will call it a return to his heyday, but it was an encouraging sign following a modest run in 2025, in which he averaged 34 across 17 innings. Sri Lanka has been one of his favoured opponents over the years, Babar having struck four of his 20 centuries against them, averaging 58.33. The tracks in Rawalpindi at least are expected to be good for batting. Can he build up some form in the one format he now plays?

Lahiru Udara has reason to feel miffed at the selectors, many think. Having hit 188 against West Indies three Tests ago, he was left out of the squad entirely for the forthcoming Test series. But with Pathum Nissanka having been ruled out of the ODIs through an ongoing hamstring problem, Udara has surged into ODI contention on the back of a good T20I innings last week. At age 32, he knows his chances at this level are numbered. With the World Cup on the horizon, there is perhaps no better format to impress in right now than ODIs.

With neither Sahibzada Farhan nor Maaz Sadaqat in the ODI squad, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman may open.

Pakistan (possible): Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Ghazi Ghouri (wk), Minhas Arafat, Shaheen Afridi (capt.), Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

Sri Lanka may bring Avishka Fernando straight into the XI, with Kamil Mishara having had a run of modest scores. Sri Lanka also have some decisions to make on the spin-bowling front, although they are likely to favour Maheesh Theekshana over legspinner Sachindu Colombage.

Sri Lanka (possible): Lahiru Udara, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige/Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando

(Cricinfo)