B Sai Sudarshan strengthened his case to retain the No.3 spot for the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka, with his 168 for India A against Sri Lanka A in Galle. Sudharsan converted his overnight 104 not out into his career-best score for India A, helping his side stretch their lead to 175 by the end of the third day’s play. India A closed out the day on 541 for 8 in response to Sri Lanka A’s 366.

Devdutt Padikkal failed to add to his overnight 94 and Ruturaj Gaikwad retired hurt on 13, but India A zoomed ahead thanks to Sai Sudharsan, captain Dhruv Jurel  (53), Shaik Rasheed (45) and Saransh Jain (68*).

Jurel’s innings was cut short when he was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera, who also claimed the wicket of Sai Sudharsan. Allrounder Keshara Nuwantha, meanwhile, claimed the wickets of Padikkal and Shaik Rasheed, and Gurnoor Brar late in the day. Overall, he had figures of 4 for 158 in 50 overs.

Sri Lanka A toiled away, using as many as eight bowlers, but only Sudeera and Nuwantha were among the wickets until captain Sahan Arachchige struck late in the day.

India A’s bowling allrounders Saransh and Auqib Nabi (30) combined for an 81-run stand to take the visitors past 500.

Scores:

India A 541 for 8 in 142 overs  (B Sai Sudharsan 168, Devdutt Padikkal 94, Druv Jurel 53,  Saransh Jain  68*, Shaik Rasheed 45; Keshara  Nuwantha 4-158,  Dilum Sudeera 3-101) lead Sri Lanka A 366 in 110 overs (Sahan Arachchige 127;  Gurnoor Brar 4-77, Saransh Jain 4-92)  by 175 runs

(Cricinfo)

Vaobhav Sooriyavanshi at just 15 years and 99 days, has become the second youngest cricketer to play for a Full Member men’s team*, making his debut against England in Manchester. He enters a list of other precocious talents who had burst on to – and sometimes, gone away – from the international stage in their teenage years.

Hasan Raza (Pakistan), 14y 227d

Hasan Raza was a wonderful timer of the ball. He took the field against Zimbabwe before turning 15 in October 1996, and batted once, scoring 27 off 48 deliveries  from No. 5.

Doubts, however, later emerged about his age, and the PCB withdrew the claim that Raza was the youngest men’s Test debutant in the history of the game.

Jhon Arias scored the only goal as Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 in sweltering conditions in Kansas ⁠City on Friday to reach ⁠the World Cup round of 16, continuing a quietly impressive campaign that has established them as dangerous outsiders.

Arias struck in the 14th minute, guiding home a cross from substitute Luis Suarez, and ⁠Colombia’s disciplined defence did the rest as Nestor Lorenzo’s side extended their unbeaten run and booked a meeting with Switzerland in the next round.

Colombia had largely flown under the radar at the tournament, despite going undefeated against Portugal, ⁠Uzbekistan and DR Congo to top Group K.

Their breakthrough on Friday came from two players who had not been expected to combine, as Suarez, thrust into action after Jhon Cordoba was forced off with an apparent groin injury in the eighth minute, delivered a pinpoint cross to the back post where Arias had somehow drifted unmarked.

With time and space to pick ‌his spot, Arias calmly guided the ball into the bottom corner to hand his side a deserved lead.

The stadium felt more like Barranquilla than Kansas City as tens of thousands of Colombia supporters turned the clash with Ghana – a team ranked 60 places behind them – into a de facto home game, giving the South Americans a level of support rarely seen so far from home.

The stands were a writhing, dancing sea of yellow jerseys, twirling scarves and black-and-white sombrero vueltiao hats, that many used to fan their faces in the oppressive ⁠30-degree Celsius (86-degree Fahrenheit) heat.

They bounced in unison, roared their team forward with every ⁠attack, and regularly broke into chants of “Vamos Colombia! Esta noche tenemos que ganar!” (Spanish for ‘Let’s go Colombia, tonight we have to win!’).

They need not have worried. Colombia were the better team by some distance.

Luis Diaz had numerous scoring chances. He fired into the side netting in the first half, ⁠then celebrated what he thought was the game’s second goal early in the second half when he slotted home Arias’s cross, but it was disallowed for offside.

Lorenzo’s men ⁠continued to push for a second goal, and Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, ⁠who was excellent all night, made one terrific save after another in the dying minutes as Colombia’s fans cheered every one of their team’s touches of the ball.

Antoine Semenyo was Ghana’s biggest attacking threat, yet Colombia’s disciplined defence denied him a clear sight of goal.

Colombia became the fourth ‌South American team to reach the last 16, joining surprise package Paraguay, who stunned Germany, along with Brazil and Argentina,  both of whom survived scares of their own.

Colombia – whose best finish was reaching the quarterfinals in 2014 – play the Swiss on Tuesday in Vancouver.

[Aljazeera]