Sports
Sri Lanka to target Tamim in second Test
Rex Clementine at Pallekele
He did not score a hundred in the first Test last week, but it was Tamim Iqbal, who took the game away from the Sri Lankans. With an array of attacking strokes, Tamim punished the bowlers and was batting as if he was featuring in a T-20. Not necessarily the bowlers had to err, like in the case of Dhananjaya de Silva, against whom he came down the track and hoisted for three sixes in the second innings.
Such was his dominance, when Tamim reached his half-century on Sunday, Bangladesh’s total was 52. It was like Sanath Jayasuriya reborn. He followed up his first innings 90 with an unbeaten 74 in the second innings. If not for rain, that washed out the final session’s play on Sunday, Tamim could have posted his hundred.
Sri Lanka will be looking to dismiss him early in the second Test that gets underway at Pallekele today.
Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne admitted that Tamim featured heavily in his team’s plans. “He plays the anchor role for their team. He will try and unsettle our bowlers. We will try and restrict his big shots and send him on a defensive mode. When we attack him, he counter attacks and that backfires. If you analyze the last few series, he has not done well against off-spin so that’s probably the option to take a wicket. Suranga Lakmal has a chance with the new ball as well to dismiss him cheaply. We will think of a plan and need to execute it,” Karunaratne told journalists yesterday.
The wicket for the first Test was disappointing and it remains to be seen what the teams will be presented with for the second Test.
Sri Lanka have drafted in Lakshan Sandakan into the squad and with his wicket taking abilities, he might get a game while seamer Asitha Fernando is also in contention.
Bangladesh could make one change leaving out seamer Abu Jayed for Shoriful Hossain.
“We did well to draw the first Test. Coming into the series after a heavy defeat at the hands of West Indies, we were happy with our effort to draw the first Test and we look forward for the second Test,” Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque said.
Sri Lanka:
(Probable XI) Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Niroshan Dickwella (Wicketkeeper), Suranga Lakmal, Lakshan Sandakan, Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando.
Bangladesh:
(Probable XI) Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Shanto, Mominul Haque (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (Wicketkeeper), Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Ebadat Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Hossain
Umpires:
Kumar Dharmasena and Ruchira Palliyaguruge
Third Umpire:
Ravindra Wimalasiri
Match Referee:
Ranjan Madugalle
India capped off a dominant tri-series campaign in Colombo with a resounding win over Sri Lanka, posting their highest-ever women’s ODI total on Sri Lankan soil—344 for five —before bowling the hosts out for 245.
Smriti Mandhana led the charge with a superb 11th ODI hundred—her first against Sri Lanka—anchoring partnerships of 70 with Pratika Rawal and 120 with Harleen Deol.
Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues chipped in with brisk 40s, while India smashed 90 runs in the last 10 overs.
Despite a spirited effort, Sri Lanka’s daunting chase faltered. Chamari Atapattu’s 50 and a few half-century stands weren’t enough to close the gap. Seamer Amanjot Kaur struck early, removing two of the top three, while offspinner Sneh Rana starred with four for 38, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.
India’s batting wasn’t without drama—Rawal survived an early chance, and Mandhana was twice let off before unleashing her full range of strokes. She was especially brutal on Atapattu, sweeping her repeatedly through square leg and cover en route to a 92-ball century.
Amanjot’s return in the middle overs derailed the chase further, bowling Gunaratne and setting up Rana’s match-turning spell. Atapattu, despite reaching her 19th ODI fifty, was undone by Rana, who later removed three more to slam the door shut.
Late resistance from Sanjeewani and Kumari delayed the inevitable, but a run-out and two quick Rana strikes wrapped up the win.
India’s comprehensive display sent a strong message ahead of the Women’s World Cup, reaffirming their title credentials.
Brief scores:
India
342 for seven (Mandhana 116, Rodrigues 44, Kumari 2-59) beat Sri Lanka 245 (Atapattu 51, Rana 4-38, Amanjot 3-54) by 97 runs.
Apna Perera and Dinara de Silvaemerged as the men’s and women’s singles champions respectively at the 110th Colombo Championships continued at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts.
In the men’s singles final, Apna beat Ashen Silva 7-6, 6-1. Dinara registered convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over Venuli Jayasinghe in the women’s final.
In the boys’ Under 18 semi-finals, Ashlin de Silva beat Nethmika Wickramasinghe 6-2, 6-1 while Mayooran Kubheran beat Aahil Kaleel 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
National champion Chamod Yodasinghe secured a creditable second place rank for an impressive performace of 10.27 seconds as he out did a strong field in the 100 metres at the Dubai Grand Prix on Friday.
Yodasinghe who was entered only for the 4x100m relay received a golden opportunity in Dubai when his request to run the 100 metres there was granted by the organisers. The athlete trained by sprint coach Sanjeewa Weerakkody equalled his personal best (10.27 seconds) in winning his race.
Incidentally, his winning time was second only to the winner of the first race where top ranked athletes including Yupun Abeykoon competed.
Oman’s Ali Al Balooshi was the fastest as he clocked 10.19 seconds while Abeykoon finished fifth with a time of 10.39 seconds.
Abeykoon who was making his first 100 metres appearance of the year was ranked sixth overall.
In the 4×100 metres relay Sri Lanka’s quartet finished third in a time of 39.41 seconds.
Yodasinghe will next compete at the Asian Athletics Championships later this month.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s 4×400 metres mixed relay team finished last in their heat at the World Relays in China yesterday.
by Reemus Fernando
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