Dialog Axiata PLC is supporting Sri Lanka’s national contingent at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Achi Nagoya Japan, continuing its long standing commitment to supporting Sri Lankan athletes and helping them compete at the highest levels of international sport.

As the team sponsor, Dialog is backing a group of 21 athletes whose journeys have been shaped by determination, discipline and a strong desire to represent their country on the international stage. For Dialog, however, the value of this team goes well beyond the medal tally.

Each athlete has taken a different path into elite sport. Their physical abilities may differ, as do their individual stories, challenges, and ambitions. What they share is the commitment and determination required to train, compete, and continue pushing themselves to achieve their goals.

Dialog’s support reflects its wider commitment to creating opportunities for Sri Lankans to pursue their ambitions and represent the country with pride. For 26 years, Dialog has supported Paralympic sport in Sri Lanka, helping athletes compete at national and international level. Its continued support for the Asian Para Games contingent is part of that long-standing commitment to creating opportunities for athletes and recognizing sporting talent.

Among them is javelin thrower Samitha Dulan, a silver medalist at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. Palitha Bandara, another experienced member of the athletics team, has also won medals at both the 2018 Jakarta and 2022 Hangzhou Games.

Nuwan Indika arrives with an impressive record after winning gold in the 100 meters and silver in the long jump at Hangzhou, while Pradeep Somasiri returns as an Asian Para Games champion after winning gold in the 1,500 metres.

Dhananjana Wickramasingha will also be looking to build on her silver medal winning performance in the women’s long jump at Hangzhou, while Madhuranga Subasinghe, who won bronze in the 400 metres, is also back in the squad.

Sri Lanka’s medal winning experience extends beyond athletics. Swimmer Naveed Rasheen won bronze in the 400 metre freestyle at Hangzhou, while Nadin Basnayake claimed silver in the women’s event.

The squad also includes Buddika Indrapala, who won bronze at the 2018 Asian Para Games.

Together, the contingent includes nine athletes who have previously won medals at the Asian Para Games, bringing valuable experience to the 2026 campaign.

by Rex Clementine

It is not often that a Test captain is replaced midway through a World Test Championship cycle. The fact that Dhananjaya de Silva has made way just days before the squad for the tour of Pakistan is announced is a clear indication that the cricket establishment was far from impressed with his leadership. He may now struggle to retain his place as a specialist batter, particularly if the selectors decide to relieve newly appointed Test captain Kusal Mendis of the wicketkeeping gloves.

Previous administrations of Sri Lanka Cricket would have taken the easy way out. They would have allowed the World Test Championship cycle to run its course before ringing in the changes. But when you have someone of Sidath Wettimuny’s calibre heading the Cricket Committee, tough calls are part of the package. Sidath has no favourites. He calls a spade a spade and has the best interests of the game at heart. It is no coincidence that Sri Lankan cricket flourished during his tenure as Chairman of Selectors from 1999 to 2001.

Kusal Mendis now suddenly finds himself captaining Sri Lanka across all three formats. Given his chequered past and bad boy image, there will inevitably be raised eyebrows over whether he deserves to wield so much influence over Sri Lankan cricket. But credit where it is due. Over the last five years, he has largely stayed out of trouble. More importantly, over the last three years, he has knuckled down, worked tirelessly on his game and earned the admiration of both the coaching staff and the cricket establishment.

The turning point came at Lord’s in 2024.

Every cricketer dreams of playing a Test match at the Home of Cricket. But the selectors pricked Kusal’s pride by dropping him for the showpiece occasion. The decision did not win them many admirers, with former captains Duleep Mendis and Aravinda de Silva among those who questioned the wisdom of the move.

But, as it turned out, the setback proved to be a blessing in disguise.

Kusal returned for the third Test at The Oval and produced an innings that was worth considerably more than the 39 runs against his name in the scorebook.

On a seaming surface, where England’s quicks were making life miserable for the Sri Lankan batters, Kusal showed admirable restraint without completely putting away his attacking instincts. His 39 came at less than a run a ball.

So what was so special about a knock that did not even reach fifty?

Plenty, as it turned out.

Kusal’s counterattack forced England to spread the field, taking the sting out of their bowling and allowing Pathum Nissanka to cash in. Pathum deservedly walked away with the plaudits for his magnificent hundred, but Kusal had done much of the groundwork.

It was not an innings that would find its way into cricket’s record books. But it was one that spoke volumes about Kusal’s changing attitude. Here was a player prepared to put the team’s cause ahead of personal milestones.

When Sri Lanka returned home for the Test series against New Zealand, the team management went a step further. They virtually created a position for Kusal, handing him the wicketkeeping gloves in Test cricket. He has remained a permanent fixture in the side ever since.

Since that Oval Test in 2024, Kusal has featured in nine Tests, scoring five half-centuries and a hundred. His work behind the stumps has been equally impressive, with hardly a blemish on his wicketkeeping record.

The maturity Kusal has displayed, both as white ball captain and as a senior member of the side, has impressed successive coaching teams. It is refreshing to see a cricketer learn from his mistakes, turn over a new leaf and allow his performances to do the talking.

Kusal has had his share of run ins with trouble over the years. Now comes the biggest challenge of his career. Leading Sri Lanka across all three formats is no small responsibility and the captaincy will test his temperament as much as his cricketing skills.

The selectors have placed their faith in a man who once struggled to keep himself out of the headlines for the wrong reasons. It is now up to Kusal to ensure that the headlines are about his leadership, his runs and, above all, Sri Lanka’s success.

Matt Renshaw produced a herculean 190 and powered Australia to an unlikely first-innings total before Josh Hazelwood dismissed South Africa opener Ryan Rickelton for a duck late on day two of the first Test in Durban. Australia had their backs to the wall at 124 for 6 in familiar batting woes but Renshaw rescued the innings with his 397-ball marathon effort.

Renshaw fell short of what would have been a maiden double ton after being dismissed two balls into the final session, caught at slip off the bowling of offspinner Simon Harmer. His only other Test century was against Pakistan at the SCG in January 2017, when he made 184.

After 137.2 overs in the field, South Africa openers Rickelton and Aiden Markram faced a tough challenge under increasingly gloomy skies. A weary Rickelton did not fare well after edging Hazlewood to third slip in the second over, having attempted a lavish drive to a full delivery.

But Markram and new No. 3 David Bedingham were unruffled, and hit several attractive boundaries before bad light ended the day’s play just 8.4 overs into South Africa’s innings.

Having been on the back foot for much of the opening day, Australia were on top after day two as Renshaw produced the fourth highest score by an Australian in South Africa. Remarkably, he scored 174 of his runs with the last four batters, the most anyone has scored in a Test innings while batting with the tail since 2002.

Renshaw received strong support from the lower order, marked by an 86-run seventh-wicket partnership with Pat Cummins and a 134-run stand with Nathan Lyon, the second-most for the ninth wicket for Australia in their Test history.

Cummins and Lyon faced a combined 190 deliveries – that was 27 more than Australia’s top four batters – although batting became easier on a surface that on day one produced steep bounce and seam movement.

It has been a tough journey for Renshaw, who might have resurrected his Test career after providing a major tonic for Australia’s reshuffled batting order. He reached his century just before the lunch break with a boundary through the leg side, and raised his arms in delight and took off his helmet, showing off a beaming smile.

Highly disciplined but also showing a knack of going through the gears, Renshaw became the first Australia batter to face 300 balls in a Test innings since Usman Khawaja scored 232 against Sri Lanka in Galle in early 2025.

Renshaw has relished moving down to No. 5 after Nic Maddinson’s surprise selection as an opener, along with Cameron Green missing the match through injury. He had only filled the position four times previously – thrice during the 2023 tour of India, and once on the 2017 tour – with modest results, although has enjoyed success with Queensland there.

Renshaw had returned to Test cricket after three-and-a-half years as an opener against Bangladesh in August. While Maddinson’s selection has initially backfired, Renshaw looked at ease in the middle order, and equally untroubled against the seamers and spinners.

Having dominated much of the shortened first day, South Africa were left frustrated with their attack blunted by Renshaw. Seamers Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje took nine wickets between them but struggled to consistently threaten on day two.

Spin duo Harmer and Keshav Maharaj claimed just one wicket from 48.2 overs, with Renshaw negating their influence, although the surface is expected to spin significantly later in the match. It was a disappointment for the sparse crowd in Durban, with the atmosphere rather subdued for Australia’s first Test series in South Africa since the 2018 sandpaper scandal.

Earlier on day two, Australia resumed their first innings on 187 for 6 after just 65.2 overs were bowled on a truncated opening day due to bad light. Renshaw and Cummins aimed to build on their unbeaten 63-run partnership from overnight. It did not take Renshaw long to reach his fourth Test half-century after edging Nortje through third slip and gully as he celebrated the milestone for the first time since March 2017.

Nortje, who played a starring role on day one after a three-and-a-half year exile from Test cricket, once again unfurled vicious short deliveries but occasionally tried to outfox Cummins by pitching up. A focused Cummins was unfazed, and pounced on a rare overpitched delivery with a beautiful square drive to the boundary. He had a fourth Test half-century in his sights – and the first since January 2024 – until, on 43, he edged a good-length delivery from Mulder to second slip.

Renshaw, meanwhile, showcased his much improved play against spin, reverse sweeping Maharaj with good effect to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Much like Cummins, Mitchell Starc was intent on solid defence, and had a slice of luck when he edged Harmer through the hands of Markram at first slip as the ball flew to the boundary. South Africa had no hesitation in taking the second new ball, and Mulder capitalised when he clean bowled Starc with a cracker of a delivery that pitched on middle before crashing into the off stump.

But Renshaw kept South Africa at bay, and put the foot down in the back end of the elongated session. He hogged the strike after lunch as South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma deployed Maharaj and Harmer in tandem. The game went through a lull until the reintroduction of Nortje, who delivered a 143kph thunderbolt that whacked Renshaw on the grill of the helmet.

But Renshaw gave an immediate thumbs up and continued with his indefatigable effort after receiving medical attention. He reached 150 with a reverse sweep off Maharaj – and quite fittingly so, given his mastery of the stroke through the innings.

Lyon appeared set to bat through the entire second session before being trapped plumb lbw by a full delivery from Jansen, who was rewarded for a hostile spell before tea. The session was extended, but Hazlewood held firm with the bat before making an impact with the ball before stumps.

Scores:
South Africa 27 for 1 in 8.4 overs (Aiden Markram 15*, David Bedingham 12*; Josh Hazlewood 1-9) trail Australia 390 in 137.2 overs (Matt Renshaw 190, Pat Cummins 43; Marco Jansen 3-68, Wiaan  Mulder 4-68, Anrich Nortje 2-88 ) by 363 runs

[Cricinfo]