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India overcome nerves to clinch series
A measured partnership between Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel helped India overcome nerves on the fourth day to clinch the Ranchi Test. With that, the hosts have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead to inflict the first Test series loss on the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era.
India, resuming from 40/0, began in fine fashion on the fourth morning. Rohit Sharma smacked James Anderson over wide long-on for a terrific six whereas Yashasvi Jaiswal slowly got into his groove and brought out a wide range of strokes like he has done throughout the series. The openers put India firmly in control of this Test at one point, adding 84 for the first wicket before Jaiswal lost concentration and tried to take on Joe Root, only to mistime to backward point.
That wicket gave England an opening to capitalise on. Rohit, who went past 50, didn’t last long and appeared to have been stumped off Tom Hartley but the replays suggested that he had in fact edged it behind as well. Rajat Patidar, already under pressure, was dismissed for a duck by Shoaib Bashir as India went from 84/0 to 100/3. Gill and Ravindra Jadeja then came out of a nervy period before lunch unscathed but had a huge task ahead of them post resumption.
However, the hosts were handed an early blow post the break when Jadeja gifted his wicket to the opposition. He chipped a juicy full toss straight to the fielder stationed at midwicket and stood in disbelief. England then put themselves in a great position when Bashir struck again off the very next ball. Sarfaraz Khan, who had hit twin fifties on debut, inside-edged one to get caught at short leg. A 30-over dry spell without a boundary finally came to an end when Jurel drove one through the covers to bring the local crowd alive.
Both Jurel and Gill consistently managed to play the spinners well and rotate strike to eat into the target. Gill in particular showcased tremendous maturity despite consistently losing partners at the other end prior to this partnership. And with India just 20 runs away from a win at one point, Gill finally hit his first boundary off his 120th delivery when he stepped down the track twice in the span of three deliveries to clear the ropes, eventually bringing up his fifty as well. Jurel, who led India’s comeback in this Test with a brilliant 90 in the first innings, finished the job in the following over to cap off an excellent Test match.
Brief scores:
England 353 (Joe Root 122*; Ravindra Jadeja 4/67) and 145 (Zak Crawley 60; Ravichandran Ashwin 5/51) lost to India 307 (Dhruv Jurel 90; Shoaib Bashir 5/119) and 192/5 (Rohit Sharma 55, Shubman Gill 52*; Shoaib Bashir 3/79) by 5 wickets
(Cricbuzz)
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a torpedo attack by a US submarine last week in the Indian Ocean are due to be flown home on Friday, Sri Lanka’s defence ministry has said.
The seamen were among 130 thought to be aboard the Iranian warship, the Iris Dena, when it was sunk on 4 March about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka’s southern coastline.
A police escort transferred bodies to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on Friday morning for the repatriation to Iran, after they were stored in two freezers at Galle National Hospital.
Sri Lanka said 32 sailors rescued by its navy after the torpedo attack “will remain in Sri Lanka”, according to news agency AFP.
A magistrate in the Sri Lankan city of Galle ordered that the 84 bodies should be released to the Iranian embassy.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said shortly after the sinking that the Iranian warship had died a “quiet death”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US had “perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores”, adding that “the US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set”.
Video released by the US Department of Defense after the incident showed a ship being struck, causing the stern to rise up before exploding.
The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.
Its sinking in international waters came during the current US-Israeli war with Iran and marked a dramatic widening of the conflict.
Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East – targeting Gulf countries allied with the US.
Four of six members of a US military refueling aircraft’s crew have been confirmed dead after it crashed in western Iraq, US Central Command (Centcom) says.
Rescue efforts continue after the loss of the KC-135, it said, having earlier said neither hostile nor friendly fire were involved in the downing of the aircraft.
The tanker had been involved in ongoing US operations against Iran and was one of two aircraft involved in the incident. The second landed safely.
The Boeing-manufactured aircraft are capable of refueling planes midair and typically play a major role in US military operations. They were used extensively in the first Gulf War to extend the range of fighter jets and bombers.
Centcom said the incident occurred around 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT) on Thursday and that the circumstances of the crash were now under investigation.
The US military command unit added that the identities of the personnel who had been killed were being withheld for 24 hours so their next of kin could be notified.
The KC-135 usually has a crew of at least a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for controlling the refuelling arm of the aircraft.
Centcom earlier described the crash as happening over friendly airspace – but this is a region of Iraq where pro-Iranian militias operate. Iran’s military claimed on state TV that an allied group had targeted the plane with a missile.
Thursday’s crash brings the official US military death toll in the US-Israel war with Iran, which began a fortnight ago, to 11.
The US military has now lost at least four aircraft during the current war.
Earlier this month, three F15s were shot down in “an apparent friendly fire incident” over Kuwait, officials said. All six crew members were able to safely eject.
Boeing manufactured the KC-135 Stratotanker for the US military in the 1950s and early 1960s.
It has been a backbone to the US military’s air refuelling fleet, and allow combat aircraft to carry out longer missions without needing to land.
[BBC]
Latest News
Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated as the Chief Guest in the special event organized to commemorate International Mother Languages Day 2026 on 13 March 2026 at the New Arts Theatre of the University of Colombo. The event was held under the theme ’Languages Unite: Diverse Voices, Shared Humanity’.
The event was jointly organized by the High Commission of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka with the support of the United Nations, the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.
Certificates and awards were presented to school winners of the painting, essay, and short video creation competitions organized in conjunction with the celebration of International Mother Language Day 2026.
Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
“International Mother Language Day stands as a powerful reminder of the profound connection between language, identity, and dignity.
This global observance owes its origins to the visionary initiative of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s advocacy transformed a national commemoration into a global movement one that celebrates the rich mosaic of humanity’s linguistic heritage.
Sri Lanka’s language diversity reflects the richness of our pluralistic heritage. This diversity should not be seen as a challenge to be managed, but as a strength to be valued and cherished.
When we protect language rights, we nurture social harmony. When we promote multilingual education, we empower future generations. And when we listen to one another in our own languages, we affirm each other’s humanity. At a time when divisions can easily take root, respect for linguistic diversity can instead serve as a bridge of empathy and cooperation.
In an increasingly digital age, we must also reflect on the importance of preserving linguistic diversity in cyberspace. Thousands of languages around the world remain vulnerable. Without conscious efforts in education, technology, and policy, many risk fading into silence. Safeguarding linguistic heritage is therefore not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world”.
The Prime Minister remarked that the partnership between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh continues to grow in friendship and cooperation with the shared commitment to multilateralism, cultural understanding, and people-to-people engagement strengthens the bonds between the two nations.
The event was attended by the Bangladesh High Commissioner, Andalib Elias, Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, FAO Country Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives Vimlendra Sharan, Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association Dr. Kushantha Herath, diplomatic crops, members of the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association and students.
[Prime Minister’s media division]
Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in US torpedo strike to be repatriated
Four crew members killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq
Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
This is not an ordinary scholarship programme. It defines the future vision of our country – PM
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