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India in the box seat after 23-wicket day

Published

2 years ago

2024/01/4

Priyan

India were in the driver's seat the the end of a 23-wicket Day 1 at Newlands (Cricbuzz)

If the Centurion Test was a quick finish, the Cape Town encounter looks primed for a much shorter span as India took control of the opening day which saw 23 wickets fall on a mean and spicy pitch. Mohammed Siraj’s sensational spell of seam bowling (6-15) was the clear showstopper as the pacer picked all his wickets in his opening nine-over burst to send South Africa crashing to 55 all out in the opening session.

Dean Elgar opted to bat, perhaps expecting to surface to worsen as the game went on, but things couldn’t have been more disastrous for his side from the get-go. Siraj began with a beauty to dismantle Aiden Markram before getting Elgar to chop one on to the stumps. With extravagant seam movement and variable bounce on offer, batting was a lottery whenever the pacers hit the right lengths. Unfortunately for South Africa, the frequency of India’s bowlers led by Siraj getting it right was far too often and the hosts had no answers. Only two batters got to double figures in what was a sorry batting display from the Proteas. Siraj was unplayable for most parts.

With the pitch playing all sorts of tricks, India sensed the need to bat with high intent, given that survival was a game of chance. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill both got away to quick starts after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s early dismissal but neither batter could go on to bigger things. Or perhaps, that was just the nature of the pitch as it was the kind of track where a batter could never feel set at the crease.

Virat Kohli started off in streaky fashion but soon found his groove with some noteworthy shots with a ravishing pull against Kagiso Rabada being the pick of the lot. While the scoring rate was good, South Africa stayed in the hunt during the second session thanks to Nandre Burger who bowled his heart out to strike thrice. Those breakthroughs ensured that India weren’t running away with the game. However, the most freak phase of the day was yet to come.

At the end of 33 overs, India were 153/4 with Kohli set and KL Rahul trying to dig in. The lead was inching towards 100 and on this pitch, it was a position of immense strength. Just 11 deliveries later, India were bowled out without a single run added thereafter. It was the most unreal passages of play you’d see and it started with Lungi Ngidi’s triple-wicket maiden.

The pacer had bowled way below his best for a major part of the innings but sprung to life with a magical spell (3-30) to stun India. Kagiso Rabada (3-38) followed it up in the next over to send India packing for 153. Both pacers pounded away on that hard length and got extra bounce to leave India’s batters in strife. Even with the incredible nature of South Africa’s first innings performance, this implosion from India was astounding.

Nevertheless, the lead of 98 meant a mountain to climb for South Africa on this increasingly challenging deck. Elgar and Markram started off steadily but the former’s dismissal allowed India to add a couple more strikes late in the day. Mukesh Kumar excelled for the visitors while Jasprit Bumrah was his usual menacing self.

With a deficit of 36 runs and seven wickets left, South Africa will hope for a stronger effort from the remaining batters. Four full days remain and it’ll be interesting to see if the game will stretch into day three.

Brief scores:
South Africa 55 in 23.2 overs (Kyle Verreynne 15; Mohammed Siraj 6-15, Jasprit Bumrah 2-25, Mukesh Kumar 2-00) and 62/3 in 17 overs (Aiden Markram 36*; Mukesh Kumar 2-25) trail India 153 in 34.5 overs (Virat Kohli 46, Rohit Sharma 39, Shubman Gill 36; Lungi Ngidi 3-30, Kagiso Rabada 3-38, Nandre Burger 3-42) by 36 runs.

(Cricbuzz)

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Jacks out with illness as Sri Lanka bat against England

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/22

Priyan

Charith Asalanka and Harry Brook with the series trophy

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first in the opening ODI in Colombo, a venue that has historically been difficult for chasing teams. England captain Harry Brook said his team would have batted first as well.

England made one change to the XI they had named on the eve of the match, with allrounder Will Jacks having taken ill overnight. Jacks, an offspin-bowling allrounder, has been replaced in the XI by legspinning allrounder Rehan Ahmed.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have opted for a young attack, perhaps with a view to resting the more experienced bowlers for the T20Is coming up. There is no Wanindu Hasaranga or Maheesh Theekshana in the XI. Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay will lead the spin attack instead, with the likes of Dhananjaya de Silva and Charith Asalanka also able to bowl.

Asitha Fernando and Pramod Madushan are the frontline seamers.

Although conditions were warm and fair at the toss, there is a chance showers could roll through later.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt.), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Ratnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando

[Cricinfo]

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New integrated framework to bring all stakeholders together to safeguard and rebuild Central highlands – President

Published

8 hours ago

2026/01/22

Priyan

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the isolated functioning of institutions responsible for construction and land management, agriculture, livestock and environmental conservation has posed challenges in restoring the Central Highlands, which were devastated by Cyclone Ditwah. The President further noted that efforts are underway to establish a new integrated framework, bringing together all relevant parties to swiftly safeguard and rebuild the Central Highlands

The President made these remarks during a discussion held on Wednesday (21) at the Presidential Secretariat with representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and relevant government and private sector institutions, focusing on securing the Central Highlands and restoring forest plantations.

It was emphasized that nearly 4,000 landslides have occurred in the Central Highlands due to Cyclone Ditwa and that prolonged unauthorized construction, cultivation activities and lack of proper maintenance have contributed to this situation. The discussion also stressed the urgent need for a national policy to secure the Central Highlands and ensure its preservation for future generations.

The discussion also addressed the need for an Authority empowered under the relevant legislation to oversee these activities and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed officials to expedite the implementation.

Representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) emphasized the necessity of maintaining a dedicated financial fund for these initiatives and confirmed their full support to Sri Lanka for the restoration of the Central Highlands.

Representatives who attended included Country Operations Head, ADB Sri Lanka Resident Mission, Cholpon Mambetova, Senior Agricultural and Natural Resources Specialist at the ADB Sumith Pokhrel and Assistant Project Officer Krishanthi Dabare, UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Azusa Kubota and programme representatives Wageesha Gunasekara and Sugandhi Samarasinghe.

Also participating were Commissioner-General of Essential Services and Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, Engineer L. Kumudu Lal Bogahawatta along with senior officials from the relevant Ministries and heads of other government and private institutions.

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ICC T20 World Cup Trophy tour in Sri Lanka launched under President’s patronage

Published

8 hours ago

2026/01/22

Priyan

The official tour showcasing the ICC T20 World Cup trophy, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026, was formally inaugurated on Wednesday (21) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The trophy will be displayed in several major cities across the island from Wednesday 21st until Saturday 24th, over a period of four days. Cricket fans will have the opportunity to see the golden trophy up close during the Sri Lanka vs England One-Day International match at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo.

Subsequently, plans are in place to take the trophy to the cities of Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna, providing cricket enthusiasts in those regions as well with the opportunity to take commemorative photographs with the World Cup trophy and view it. The primary aim of this tour is to generate excitement and build spectator interest in the lead-up to hosting a World Cup tournament in the country.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held from 7th February to 8th March 2026 co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India. This World Cup is the largest tournament Sri Lanka will host since the T20 World Cup held in 2012.

The tournament schedule was revealed on 25th November 2025 in India, where the International Cricket Council (ICC) selected the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, the Pallekele International Stadium and the Colombo SSC Ground as the venues for matches in Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, 8 matches are scheduled at the R. Premadasa International Stadium, 5 matches at the Colombo SSC Ground and 7 matches at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Twenty countries are set to participate in this tournament. Twenty matches of the tournament are scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, with all matches involving the Pakistan team to be played in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, a special feature is that if the Pakistan team qualifies for the semi-finals and the final, Sri Lanka will also host those two matches.

In that event, the final will be held at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, increasing the number of matches scheduled for Sri Lanka to 22.

Apart from the host nations Sri Lanka and India, Test-playing nations England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will be represented in this tournament. Additionally, the United States of America, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are the other contributing countries.

The T20 World Cup to be held in Sri Lanka at the beginning of 2026 can be considered an excellent opportunity to deliver effective value to the country’s economy, tourism industry, sports development, international promotion and society.

In particular, the arrival of teams, media groups and thousands of spectators, including foreign tourists, will generate significant foreign exchange earnings for the country. It is also expected to create short and long-term employment opportunities in various sectors including hotel and food & beverage businesses, transport services and technical and operational services.

By Sri Lanka hosting this tournament, long-term benefits such as increased opportunities for new investments as Sri Lanka is recognised worldwide as a tourist destination, the identification of Sri Lanka as a year-round sports tourism hub and the strengthening of Sri Lanka’s international profile leading to an enhancement of the country’s value, will be attained.

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Gamage, Deputy Minister of Sports, Sugath Tilakaratne, Director General of Sports, S. Achchudan, Sri Lanka Cricket President, Shammi Silva along with the Executive Committee and a group including Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team captain Dasun Shanaka and Head Coach, Sanath Jayasuriya were also present at the occasion.