Sports
Sri Lanka in control after Chandimal hundred
Rex Clementine in Galle
Cricket teaches us good lessons. Yesterday it was about how you don’t have to sweep all the time to score your runs and if you play to your strengths, you can succeed. Sri Lanka had committed hara-kiri in the first Test against Australia sweeping their way to submission to lose the game by ten wickets. But in the second Test, the batsmen trusted ways and means that had brought them success all these years. It worked.Dinesh Chandimal completed his 13th Test hundred and was still there unbeaten on 118 as Sri Lanka reached 431 for six at stumps on day three at Galle yesterday. With a lead of 67 runs and four wickets in hand, if they are able to get a lead of over 100 they could be on their way to square the two match series.
In the third over the morning, when Kusal Mendis departed with the total on 186 and still 178 runs behind, Sri Lanka had a tall order. Angelo Mathews and Chandimal added 83 runs for the fourth wicket to steady the innings but Mathews was dismissed soon after scoring his half-century. Sri Lanka were still not out of the woods and they had some luck going their way.
Dinesh Chandimal was caught behind off Mitchell Starc when he was on 30 but umpire Kumar Dharmasena turned down the appeal much to the bemusement of the Aussies. Partly they were to be blamed as they had burned all their reviews.
There was no stopping Chandimal from thereon. He was involved in a 133 run stand for the fifth wicket with Kamindu Mendis, who scored a half-century on debut.The big occasion didn’t take to Kamindu as his first scoring shot was a boundary. He had played lot of cricket at this ground. He was 14-years-old and the youngest in the team when Richmond College ended a 44 year drought to beat Mahinda in the Big Match in 2014. He was an integral part of the Lovers’ Quarrel having played five Big Matches winning two and captaining one.
The partnership between Chandimal and Kamindu was broken when the latter attempted a slog off Mitchell Swepson and was bowled. He made 61.
Chandimal completed his 13th Test hundred with a sharp single to covers. It was his second against Australia and fourth in Galle.Sri Lanka could have taken the game away from Australia with another big partnership but Dickwella gave it away with a rash shot. It’s been evident that the time is up for him as there have been too many casual dismissals in recent times and his keeping is not what it used to be.Ramesh Mendis hanged in there with Chandimal adding 22 runs for the seventh wicket. Chandimal was unbeaten on 118 having batted for over six hours and faced 232 deliveries. He hit nine fours and a six.
Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and asked South Africa to bat in their World Cup opener in Ahmedabad.
South Africa have opted for a pace-heavy attack. Keshav Maharaj slots in as their only spinner, alongside the speedy quartet of Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Tristan Stubbs also begins the tournament at the No. 6 spot – a position Jason Smith had occupied in their last T20I, while Stubbs had slid down to No. 7. Smith is in the World Cup squad but did not find a spot in South Africa’s starting eleven.
South Africa’s pace is expected to get the most out of a characteristically flat Ahmedabad black-soil pitch. But first, their batters will have a hit in a game they begin as overwhelming favourites against Canada, who are their second World Cup.
Canada’s new captain, Bajwa, will lead the side at a global tournament for the first time. He also slots in at the top of the order, alongside Yuvraj Samra, and their batting power will be key to their hopes of causing a massive upset.
Canada have lost both their warm-up games – to Italy and Nepal – but should their batters come off on a friendly pitch, South Africa will look to have the added insurance of a few more runs in the bank before dew takes over when Canada begin their chase at night.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (capt), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (capt), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
(Cricinfo)
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza decided to field first against Oman in the men’s T20 World Cup match at the SSC in Colombo. Both teams were pleased to arrive in Sri Lanka early to get themselves attuned to the conditions.
Zimbabwe have Blessing Muzarabani back in the squad after he missed the tri-series in Pakistan in November.
Oman, meanwhile, include 44-year-old Aaamir Kaleem the oldest player in the tournament – after he came into the side in place of Hasnain Shah, who was injured after the squad was named.
Zimbabwe return to the tournament after missing out on the previous edition in West Indies and the United States of America. They had made it to the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup but failed to progress through the qualifiers for the 2024 tournament. They completed qualification alongside Namibia; Brian Bennett was the tournament’s top run-scorer, while Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava were among the leading wicket-takers.
Zimbabwe are bolstered by the return of Graeme Cremer, whose November 2025 comeback marked the longest gap between T20I appearances.
Oman are one of three qualifiers from the Asia-Pacific region, alongside Nepal and the UAE. They have previously appeared in the 2016, 2021, and 2024 editions of the T20 World Cup.
Oman: Jatinder Singh (capt), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmad
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
Scotland may have suffered a blip the last time they faced Italy in a T20I but ensured they picked up the first points of their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign after a dominant performance at Eden Gardens. George Munsey’s 54-ball 84, supported by cameos from Brandon McMullen and Michael Leask, followed by Leask’s four-wicket haul helped Scotland spoil Italy’s debut in the tournament. The 73-run win gave Scotland two points after their defeat to West Indies in Kolkata two days ago.
Brief scores:
Scotland 207 for 4 in 20 overs (George Munsey 84, Michael Jones 37, Brandon McMullen 41, Richie Berrington 15, Michael Leask 22*; Ali Hasan 1-21, Grant Stewart 1-44, Thomas Draca 1-37, JJ Smuts 1-38) beat Italy 134 in 16.4 overs (Anthony Mosca 13, JJ Smutts 22, Harry Manenti 52; Michael Leask 4-17, Brad Currie 1-12, Brad Wheal 1-29, Mark Watt 2-24, Oliver Davidson 1-33 ) by 73 runs
(Cricinfo)
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