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Rana’s 10-wicket haul wraps up India’s victory over South Africa

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Shafali Verma set the game up and helped finish it off [BCCI]

India won the one-off Test against South Africa by 10 wickets on the final session of the final day at Chepauk, keeping the visitors winless in the series so far. Shafali Verma’s double-century, Smriti Mandhana’s 149, Sneh Rana’s sensational 10-wicket haul were multiple high-points for India. The match will also be remembered for the way South Africa fought hard for almost 240 overs in testing conditions.

That South Africa forced India to bat for the second time after declaring at 603 for 6 showed the visitors’ extraordinary determination, coming on the back of the limited red-ball practice. From being bowled out for 266 in the first innings, South Africa rose thanks to centuries each from Laura Wplvaardt and Sune Luus and a resolute Nadine de Klerk to keep the contest alive till the final session.

South Africa started a gloomy day four on 232 for 2, trailing by 105 runs, with Wolvaardt seven short of her maiden hundred. She brought up her century in 259 balls, punishing anything short and wide of off stump, but 15 overs into the game, South Africa lost Marizanne Kapp when she played down the wrong line and was trapped lbw by Deepti Sharma. Delmi Tucker was the next one to fall in the following over when Jemimah Rodrigues took a sharp at cover off Rana. Not long after that, left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, in her first over of the day, dismissed Wolvaardt for 122. After pitching the first four balls outside off stump, she darted one on middle and leg and it went in quicker than Wolvaardt anticipated to trap her in front.

Thirty overs, 70 runs, three wickets in the morning. India needed just five more for victory but were made to toil for those.

The afternoon session was a quiet one with South Africa scoring 34 runs in 29 overs. De Klerk was an unsung hero in that period. There was joy in her slow-burn, and was a test of her ability to play the long game. She is usually ultra-aggressive in white-ball cricket. De Klerk spent 213 minutes on the field, and notched up her maiden Test fifty in 174 balls with seven fours. It was one of the great blockathons, almost giving away nothing to the Indian spinners.

Sinalo Jafta, retired hurt due to lower limb cramps at 9, came back to bat in the second session, lasting 36. At tea, South Africa were 336 for 8, trailing by one run and seemed like they would bat out the overs to eke out a draw if de Klerk continued her resilience.

But then, a wicket came out of nowhere. Shafali, in her third over of the second innings, got one to turn in to clean up Masabata Klaas. In the next over, Gayakwad ended de Klerk’s innings with a flighted delivery to disturb her stumps. South Africa had managed to push into the lead, but it was only 36 runs. Shafali and Shubha Satheesh, who came in ahead of Smriti Mandhana, took 9.2 overs to chase it down.

The focus shifts to the T20Is quickly in a few days’ time but this was cricket at its finest at Chepauk, where women’s Tests returned for the first time since 1976.

Brief scores:
India Women  603 for 6 dec in 115.1 overs (Shafali Verma 205, Smriti Mandhana 149, Jemimah Rodrigues 55, Richa Ghosh 86, Harmanpreet Kaur 69; Delmi Tucker 2-141) and 37/0 in 9.2 overs (Shafali Verma 24*) beat South Africa Women  266 in 84.3 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 20, Anneke Bosch 39, Marizanne Kapp 74, Sune Luus 65, Nadine de Klerk 39; Sneh Rana 8-77, Deepti Sharma 2-47) and 373 in 154.4 overs  (Sunee Luus 109, Laura Wolvaardt 122, Marizanne Kapp 31, Nadine de Klerk 61; Sneh Rana 2-111, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-55, Deepti Sharm 2-95) by 10 wickets

[Cricinfo]



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Ronaldo apologizes for Portugal walkout; says Jesus broke promise

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Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal's leading scorer (Aljazeera)

Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal ‌coach Jorge Jesus of twice breaking his word, saying a failed agreement to publicly ⁠explain his omission ⁠against Norway drove him out of the camp, but insisting he remained available after any punishment.

In a lengthy statement, the 41-year-old gave his account of the dispute ⁠that prompted his departure  from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League match versus Denmark last week.

Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed a plan under which the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark ⁠matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes.

“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said.

“The manager had broken his word to me.”

Portugal’s ‌captain and all-time leading scorer said a subsequent meeting with Jesus, attended by his club side Al Nassr’s sporting director Simao Coutinho, produced an agreement for the coach to clarify events at his next news conference.

According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was prepared saying he had never demanded playing time, had respected Jesus’s decisions and that the coach asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.

Ronaldo said the agreed notes did ⁠not require Jesus to apologise to him but said the coach’s ⁠public remarks bore no resemblance to their private discussion.

“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said. “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”

The statement provided Ronaldo’s account⁠, but on Sunday, after Portugal’s win over Norway, Jesus denied he had made any agreement with the player, nevertheless leaving the door open  ⁠for his return.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) did not immediately respond ⁠to a request for comment about Ronaldo’s statement.

Ronaldo apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates,  accepting that his captaincy made his conduct more serious.

“The consequences of my actions must be assessed ‌and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he said.

Despite the rupture, Ronaldo said he was not limiting his international ambitions to a farewell appearance.

“If I’m physically fit, playing for my club – scoring ‌goals, ‌I hope – after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I’ll be available, as I’ve always been until now, to compete and win for our national team,” he added.

(Aljazeera)

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M. M. D. J. Senarathne, appointed Director General of the Department of National Botanical Gardens

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The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to appoint  M. M. D. J. Senarathne, who is the senior most officer in Grade I of Sri Lanka Scientific Service se

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Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain

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Harmanpreet Kaur's last act as India captain was defending their Asian Games gold medal [BCCI]

Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to their first women’s global title at last year’s ODI World Cup, has stepped down as captain from all three international formats. She announced her decision via an Instagram post on Tuesday morning. Having given up the captaincy and left the team in a “good place”, she has said she’s now “ready to play for the love of the game again”.

Harmanpreet, 37, led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. Her last act as captain was leading India to their second successive Asian Games gold medal, in Nisshin last month.

The decision came a day after Harmanpreet, India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar met BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati to discuss the roadmap of the women’s team going forward.

“This is not an easy decision,” Harmanpreet wrote. “It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket – my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions. There were moments when I had to put my individual performance, my own growth, and what I wanted for myself aside, because I believed the team had to come first.

“As a captain, I have had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes came at a personal cost. But every decision I made was with one intention – to make this TEAM better and to give other players the opportunity to grow, believe in themselves and become the best versions of themselves.”

Murmurs about a possible change in captaincy had been on for a while, especially after India’s second successive group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup in June this year. The selection committee, chaired by Amita Sharma, is understood to have been divided, but Harmanpreet had indicated a desire to lead India at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“I leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions , but also with PEACE,” Harmanpreet said. “Because I genuinely believe My team is in a good place. A team with talent, character, belief and a future that I am incredibly excited to watch and be a part of.

“I feel I have done my duty. I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women’s cricket.

“Now, it is time for me to turn the page. Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will. Thank you to every teammate, coach, support staff, management , BCCI , family members every single fan who stood by me through the highs and lows.”

The noise for Smriti Mandhana to take over has been getting louder in recent months. In the past six months, Mandhana has been vocal about her readiness for the top job, and has given evidence of her credentials by leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to twin WPL titles (in 2024 and 2026).

Harmanpreet first captained the T20I team in 2012, but it wasn’t until after India’s group-stage exit from their home T20 World Cup in 2016 that she was considered a serious candidate for the role.

In 2018, she led the team to the T20 World Cup semi-finals in the Caribbean after having taken over the role in a full-time capacity from Mithali Raj, and followed it up with a runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020.

Harmanpreet’s stepping down as India captain will not, however, change her stance as far as playing the shortest format goes. She is expected to continue leading Mumbai Indians in the upcoming WPL edition as the team chases their third title.

[Cricinfo]

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