Sports
Pathum delivers a knock for the ages
There are few sights in cricket more pleasing to the purist’s eye than Pathum Nissanka in full flow – batting as if he were painting strokes on a canvas. Last year, the elegant right-hander had a breakthrough season, making headlines and turning heads. But 2025 hadn’t been kind to him until now. After a barren patch where his bat was quieter than a library on a Sunday, Nissanka has found his rhythm once more.
He started last year with a bang – quite literally – blasting his way past Sanath Jayasuriya’s long-standing record for the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in ODIs. But he didn’t just break the record; he smashed it to smithereens and went on to notch up the country’s maiden double century in ODI cricket. For a nation that had graced three World Cup finals and boasted of batting luminaries like Aravinda de Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and T.M. Dilshan, it was almost unbelievable that no Sri Lankan had reached that landmark before.
Yet, the true turning point came in London six months later. With Sri Lanka two-nil down in the Test series after painful losses at Old Trafford and Lord’s, the third Test at The Oval was played for pride. The ball was seaming around like a drunk staggering through a winding road. In those conditions, even someone like Nishantha Ranatunga – whose bowling could usually be charitably described as dibbly-dobbly – might have looked like Michael Holding reincarnated.
That’s when Pathum produced a gem – an innings so perfectly constructed, it belonged in a museum. For the first 40 runs, he played with the straightest of bats, tighter than a miser’s purse. Then, as he started seeing the ball well, the cover drives started flowing like fine wine. Once past the century, he hooked with intent and class, showing he was no one-trick pony.
It was a statement knock, from a player who had previously been pigeonholed as a white-ball specialist. That innings nailed his place back in the Test side and brought Sri Lanka their first win in England in a decade – a victory as rare and precious as a blue moon.
Naturally, fans and pundits thought Nissanka would go from strength to strength. Scoring a ton away from home, especially with the Duke’s ball and against top-tier bowling, is no mean feat. It requires skill, temperament and a touch of steel.
But from that high, it was a steep fall. A string of failures followed – at home against New Zealand and Australia, and away in South Africa. Across five Tests, he mustered just one half-century, the rest of his innings no more than brief cameos that flattered to deceive.
That solitary fifty came at Port Elizabeth, where he looked in complete control – until a rush of blood had him dancing down the track to Keshav Maharaj. He missed, the stumps didn’t. Bowled for 89, with a century there for the taking. It was a golden chance squandered and few Sri Lankans have joined the elusive club of Test centurions on South African soil. That miss stung.
Word has it that the Head Coach didn’t utter a word to him for a fortnight. That Test was within Sri Lanka’s grasp and Pathum’s dismissal tilted the scales.
The lean patch bled into domestic cricket. The runs dried up like a well in a drought. For NCC, he was a passenger and for Kandy in the ongoing NSL, he barely made a ripple in the first few matches. The vultures began to circle.
Meanwhile, openers like Lahiru Udara and Ron Chandraguptha were cashing in, piling on runs and banging loudly on the selection door. For Pathum, the writing was on the wall. It was now or never.
Just when it looked like he was heading back to the pavilion for good, he came up with an innings for the ages – a double century that not only turned heads but kept Kandy’s hopes of making the final alive. It was the cricketing equivalent of a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Pathum is cut from rare cloth. He shares traits with the great Sangakkara – particularly that unrelenting hunger for big runs. He doesn’t stop at three figures; he builds monuments. And when he does, the team usually ends up with totals that put the opposition under the pump.
Another feather in his cap is the pace at which he scores. He’s no stonewaller; instead, he unfurls an array of shots that are as delightful as they are destructive. At times, though, that flamboyance is his undoing.
What separates him from the rest is his work ethic. When others are hitting the snooze button, Pathum is hitting the nets. He’s willing to put in the hard yards, and that dedication is the backbone of his resurgence.
Whispers had begun that his place in the Test XI was hanging by a thread. But with a statement double hundred in the country’s premier domestic tournament, Pathum has silenced the doubters and booked his ticket for the Bangaldesh Tests.
by Rex Clementine
Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting finish on the fourth day of the first Test in Sylhet to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. It was Zimbabwe’s fifth overseas Test victory, which came after they completed their highest successful chasein the fourth innings. It was also their first win in the last 11 Tests and with this one, each of their last three wins have come away from home.
Blessing Muzarabani was the architect of the victory with a nine-wicket match haul, but it needed Wessley Madheve and No. 9 Richard Ngarava to push Zimbabwe over the line after they collapsed while needing less than 50 runs in their chase. It was Mehidy Hasan Miraz who orchestrated a collapse when he picked up his second five-wicket haul in the Test. He took his 200th Test wicket on the way to a ten-for, but it was in vain. Madhevere reverse-swept him to the boundary to get Zimbabwe to their 174-run target.
Openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran got Zimbabwe off to a rollicking start with a 95-run stand in just 21 overs. Curran, who struck seven fours in his 44 off 75 balls, was out to Mehidy, skying him to mid-off. No. 3 batter Nick Welch fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 10, before Sean Williams misread the bounce against Mehidy in the 31st over. He top-edged a simple catch to Najmul Hossain Shanto at cover for 9. That’s when trouble started, at 127 for 3.
In the next over, Bennett was done in by the spin and was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim at deep mid-on. The big shot he attempted was a risky move against Mehidy in that situation as he was batting well on 54. He struck seven fours and a six in his 81-ball stay.
Taijul next struck when he had Craig Ervine caught behind off a delivery that was sliding down the leg side. Mehidy convinced captain Shanto to take the review, Ultra-Edge showed a spike and Ervine walked off for ten. Mehidy struck first ball next over when he clean bowled Nyasha Mayavo for 1. Zimbabwe were now 145 for 6.
Wellington Masakadza, however, settled Zimbabwe’s nerves with boundaries in consecutive overs from Taijul. He struck a big six down the ground soon after he arrived at the crease, before slamming him past mid-off for a four. But his innings was ended by a Mehidy beauty – pitching on a length around off stump from around the wicket and turning away ever so slightly to bowl him for 12.
After defending his first two balls, Ngarava slammed Mehidy for a boundary over wide mid-on to reduce the target to nine runs. Madhevere hit Taijul for another four off the first ball of the next over. He repeated the dose against Mehidy before sealing the win that would go into Zimbabwe cricket folklore.
The Test win will, however, be most remembered for Muzarabani’s bowling excellence. He has now taken five-wicket hauls in his last three Tests, which has helped him equal Heath Streak’s record for the fastest to 50 Test wickets for Zimbabwe. His match figures of 9 for 122 are the best by a Zimbabwean in Bangladesh. Muzarabani also found great support at the other end with left-arm quick Ngarava, quick Victor Nyauchi and left-arm spinner Masakadza taking the remaining four wickets.
Rain gave Bangladesh a bit of reprieve as the fourth day began 75 minutes late. Zimbabwe, though, attacked from the get-go, taking three wickets in the first 5.3 overs of the morning session. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 255, having lost 6 for 62 on the day.
Muzarabani struck with the second ball of the day, dismissing Shanto on the pull. Nyauchi dived forward at fine leg to catch the top edge, ending Shanto’s innings at 60 off 105 balls. Mehidy followed his captain back to the pavilion soon after, edging Muzarabani to gully. Bennett took a simple catch as Muzarabani completed his five-for. Ngrava got into the act from the other end, removing Taijul in the next over.
Hasan Mahmud’s rearguard action – 12 off 58 balls – stemmed the batting collapse. He added 35 runs for the eighth wicket with Jaker Ali, before holing out to mid-off where Muzarabani took an easy catch. Khaled Ahmed gave Ervine a catch next ball, as Masakadza again proved lethal for the Bangladesh tail.
Muzarabani completed Zimbabwe’s dominant morning with Jaker’s wicket, when he top-edged a slog to deep midwicket. Jaker had been farming the strike for the previous hour, before opening up with just one wicket left. He had hit one six among his five boundaries and was eventually out for 58 off 111 balls.
Brief scores:
Zimbabwe 273 in 80.2 overs (Sean Williams 59, Brian Bennett 57, Mehidy hasan Miraz 5-52) and 174 for 7 in 50.1 overs (Brian Bennett 54, Ben Curran 44, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5-50) beat Bangladesh 191 in 61 overs (Mominul Haque 56, Najmul Hossain Shanto 40; Wellington Masakadza 3-21, Blessing Muzarabani 3-50) and 255in 79.2 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 60, Jaker Ali 58, Mominul Haque 47; Blessing Muzarabani 6-72) by three wickets
[Cricinfo]
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IPL 2025: Red-hot Mumbai Indians go third as Boult and Rohit blow Sunrisers Hyderabad away
Last week, Mumbai Indians (MI) had straightjacketed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) batters on an atypically slow surface at the Wankhede Stadium. On Wednesday, they did the same in the reverse fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, cantering to a seven-wicket win after restricting SRH to 143 for 8.
Getting to that total was an achievement for SRH after they had slumped to 35 for 5, with Heinrich Klassen hauling them to something like respectability with a superb 71 off 44 balls. Respectable as the total may have been, it was far from enough to put pressure on MI, who raced to victory with 26 balls remaining, with Rohit Sharma continuing his return to form with a second successive half-century.
The defining performances of the match came from Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar who picked up two new-ball wickets each as SRH slumped to the lowest powerplay score of the season, 24 for 4. They were in danger of collapsing to a double-digit total when they lost their fifth wicket in the ninth over, but Klaasen and Impact Player Abhinav Manohar ensured that didn’t happen, putting on 99 for the sixth wicket in 63 balls.
SRH, meanwhile, are second from bottom with just two wins in eight games. They took a net run rate hit too; theirs is now -1.361, only marginally better than bottom-placed Chennai Super Kings’ -1.392.
The early exchanges set the tone, with both Chahar and Boult swinging the new ball while also benefitting from the ball stopping on the surface. Conditions still weren’t as tricky as SRH’s top-order slump made them look, though; both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were caught while going hard at the ball, slicing shots they were early on, while Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped a drive to mid-on.
The defining moment of SRH’s top-order collapse, however, was the wicket of Ishan Kishan, who was out to a leg-side strangle for the second time this season. He began walking even though no MI player made a genuine appeal, and Ultra Edge proceeded to rub more salt in SRH’s wounds, showing no spike as ball passed bat.
When Hardik Pandya made it 35 for 5 with an offcutter-bouncer that got big on Aniket Verma, SRH had no option but to make early use of their Impact Player and bring on an extra batter, Manohar.
It was Klaasen who did all the heavy lifting, though, particularly early in the sixth-wicket partnership. Left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur helped him spark the innings to life with a series of long-hops in the 10th over, and Klaasen helped himself to a six and two fours. Fifteen came off that over, and 16 off the next, bowled by Hardik.
Klaasen went on to play a number of sensational shots – none better than a reverse-scooped six off Jasprit Bumrah in the 19th over – but thanks to SRH’s circumstances, his innings was necessarily one of restraint, as a control percentage of 86 suggested. The risks he took were measured ones, off marginal errors in line and length from MI’s bowlers. That he still finished with a 160-plus strike rate was a testament to his quality, with Manohar’s 43 off 37 balls and the scores of SRH’s other batters putting his innings in context.
Mitchell Santner, varying his pace and seam orientation cleverly while keeping the stumps in play as much as possible, made the best of SRH’s self-imposed restraint, conceding just 19 runs – and just one four – in his four overs.
Klaasen and Manohar gave SRH the push they needed at the death, as 35 came from overs 17 to 19. But the finish was muted. Bumrah dismissed Klaasen with a full-toss off the last ball of the 19th, and Boult came back to end the innings with a double-wicket 20th.
One of them was another unusual dismissal, a rare hit-wicket. He sneaked a yorker past Manohar and hit the stumps, but the batter, sitting deep in his crease, had already disturbed the stumps while trying to bring his bat down to keep the ball out.
SRH had replaced Mohammed Shami – who had endured a difficult season, picking up just five wickets in seven games at 52.20 while conceding 10.87 runs per over – with Jaydev Unadkat, and the left-arm quick marked his return with an early wicket, getting Ryan Rickelton caught-and-bowled in the second over of MI’s chase with another ball that stopped on the surface.
But whether because of dew or other reasons, the ball in general seemed to come on to the bat much better during the second innings. Even Pat Cummins’ offcutter into the pitch, such a potent weapon on slow surfaces, sat up to be hit here, with Rohit and Will Jacks pulling him for a six each in a 17-run third over.
That set the tone for the rest of the powerplay, with MI scoring 56 for 1 in this phase, the highlight an effortless six over long-off from Rohit off Unadkat, with arms at full extension.
Rohit came into this game having improved his scores with each innings, his first seven visits to the crease bringing him 0, 8, 13, 17, 18, 26 and 76*. He seemed on course to keep that sequence going, but fell against the run of play on 70, chipping an Eshan Malinga yorker to midwicket in the 15th over.
MI only needed 14 off 32 at that point, though, and Suryakumar Yadav was already batting on 26, picking his spots and targeting them clinically. He finished the game with a flurry of boundaries, to end it unbeaten on 40 off just 19 balls. The final act of the match summed up the contest: a flat Suryakumar pull off Zeeshan Ansari could have been caught at deep square leg, only for Reddy to overrun the ball and let it run away to the boundary.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 146 for 3 in 15.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 70, Suryakumar Yadav 40*, Ryan Rickelton 11, Will Jacks 22; Jaydev Unadkat 1-25, Eshan Malinga 1-33, Zeeshan Ansari 1-36) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 143 for 8 in 20 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 71, Aniket Verma 12, Abhinav Manohar 43; Trent Boult 4-26, Deepak Chahar 2-12, Jasprit Bumrah 1-39, Hardik Pandya 1-31 ) by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
The uncapped trio of Malki Madara, Dewmi Vihanga and Piumi Badalge are among six changes to the squad that toured New Zealand earlier this year, as Sri Lanka named a 17-member squad for the upcoming ODI tri-series against India and South Africa starting April 27.
There are recalls for veteran Inoka Ranaweera, as well as Hasini Perera and Hansima Karunaratne. Making way are Imesha Dulani, Sachini Nisansala, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Chethana Vimukthi and the injured Udeshika Prabodhani.
Of the three new faces, 24-year-old spinner Madara made her senior debut during last month’s T20I series against New Zealand, impressing with a match-winning three-wicket haul in her first game.
She joins a strong spin contingent, bolstered by the returning Ranaweera, and one that also has the likes of Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, star allrounder Kavisha Dilhari, and the uncapped 19-year-old spin-bowling allrounder Vihanga.
Another player who will be eyeing an ODI debut will be 18-year-old batting allrounder Rashmika Sewwandi, who was part of Sri Lanka’s squad at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. Sewwandi is one of just two seamers in the squad, alongside Achini Kulasuriya.
The squad is largely settled on the batting front, with skipper Chamari Athapaththu leading a mostly unchanged unit which includes Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani.
There are, however, slots for the taking with 17-year-old Manudi Nanayakkara one to keep an eye on, after she scored a brisk 35 in her only opportunity on the tour of New Zealand. Panadura CC captain Badalge, 29, will also be hoping for a first opportunity with the national side.
Sri Lanka play India in Colombo on April 27 to begin the series.
Sri Lanka squad for women’s ODI tri-series
Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Manudi Nanayakkara, Hasini Perera, Achini Kulasuriya, Piumi Badalge, Dewmi Vihanga, Hansima Karunaratne, Malki Madara, Inoshi Priyadarshini, Sugandika Kumari, Rashmika Sewwandi, Inoka Ranaweera
(Cricinfo)
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