Sports
We were shocked after being bowled out for 42 – Chandimal
Rex Clementine
in Durban
Sri Lanka’s former captain, Dinesh Chandimal, didn’t mince his words after his team was skittled out for a paltry 42 runs in their first innings of the Durban Test—a performance that will haunt them like a bad dream. Sri Lanka’s lowest-ever Test total came in just 13.5 overs, leaving the tourists in dire straits in their pursuit of a spot in the World Test Championship final.
Having entered the series perched at third on the table, Sri Lanka’s hopes now hang by a thread. The crushing 233-run defeat has shoved them down to fifth, and they face a Herculean task in Port Elizabeth to keep their Lord’s dream alive.
“We couldn’t believe it when we were shot out for 42,” Chandimal admitted, speaking to reporters after the humbling defeat. “Over the last few years, we’ve been consistent with the bat in Test cricket, so this was a bolt from the blue. But cricket is a funny game, and these things can happen. What’s important now is to learn from these mistakes and post a big first-innings total in Port Elizabeth.”
Despite the dark cloud of defeat, Chandimal himself was a silver lining. Pushed to the pivotal No. 3 spot, he showcased grit and resilience in the second innings, scoring a defiant 83 while occupying the crease for over five hours.
“We’re a good team, and we’ll bounce back,” Chandimal said with quiet determination. “Chasing nearly 300 in the fourth innings is never easy, but the fight we showed is something to build on.”
While the batters floundered, Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers gave the Proteas a run for their money. Lahiru Kumara, in particular, bowled with fire, troubling the South African batters with raw pace and precision.
“If you can put 300 runs on the board in South Africa in the first innings, you’re in the game,” Chandimal explained. “Our fast-bowling unit is second to none, and if we give them enough runs to play with, they’ll deliver the goods. The bowlers were fantastic in Durban, restricting South Africa to under 200, but we let them down with the bat.”
The batting collapse, Chandimal noted, was a result of panic under pressure. The players found themselves caught between two stools—unsure whether to attack or defend. With South Africa a bowler short following Wiaan Mulder’s injury, seeing off the first hour would have been the better option.
“Our first four wickets fell because we were in two minds,” Chandimal explained. “Some of us were overcautious, while others were dismissed trying to counter-attack. It was chaos. Getting bowled out in less than 14 overs was a bitter pill to swallow, but the past is the past. We need to dust ourselves off and come back stronger.”
Sri Lanka’s batters had faced similar struggles earlier this year in England but eventually found their rhythm, culminating in a historic Test win—their first in England in a decade.
“This situation isn’t new to us,” Chandimal reminded. “We had a shaky start in England but turned it around. It’s worth noting that the Durban Test was our first outing on a center wicket on this tour since we didn’t have a warm-up game. We’re mentally tough, and despite this collapse, we’ll rise from the ashes.”
For Chandimal, Durban holds a special place in his heart. It was here, as a 22-year-old, that he made his Test debut, scoring fifties in both innings and playing a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s first Test victory on South African soil.
“That was a special moment, and it feels good to be back here,” Chandimal reflected. “This time, I would’ve traded my runs for us batting out the day. It’s frustrating. Probably this is my last tour to South Africa, and I’m determined to make it count. We’ve got one more game, and I want to leave my mark.”
The ICC has decided to send officials to Dhaka this weekend to meet the BCB’s top brass in a bid to resolve the impasse over Bangladesh travelling to India for the T20 World Cup that starts in three weeks.
The ICC’s team is expected to provide the BCB with security details including an independent assessment as part of the discussions. The development comes days after the BCB reiterated its stance of not sending Bangladesh to play in co-hosts India’s venues owing to “security concerns.” So far meetings and discussions have taken place via video conference; this will be the first time the two parties will meet in person.
During the January 13 virtual meeting, the BCB asked the ICC to move Bangladesh, who are placed in Group C, outside India. However, the ICC said it would not tweak the original schedule, with the tournament start date – February 7 – less than a month away. Bangladesh are scheduled to play on that opening day, against West Indies, in Kolkata.
With relations between India and Bangladesh tense in recent times, the BCB sent a letter to ICC on January 4 stating it would not be safe for Bangladesh to travel to India for the World Cup where its four group matches are scheduled. That was in response to the BCCI “authorising” Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh left arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman. No specific reason was given for that decision.
A Risk Assessment report for the World Cup, compiled by an independent security agency, and accessed by ESPNcricinfo, says the threat to teams playing in India is in the moderate-high band but there is “no information to indicate a direct threat against participating teams.”
The ICC shared that security assessment report with the BCB in their last call, which indicated no specific or heightened threat to the Bangladesh cricket team in India. The assessment was shared with the BCB’s security team and concluded there was no overall threat to the side, but pointed to low to moderate risks in some venues and low to nil in others – standard ICC categorisations around the world that do not ordinarily constitute sufficient reason to move games.
[Cricinfo]
Steven Hogan’s century, which included a 186-run stand with Nitesh Samuel, helped Australia brush aside Ireland for an eight wicket win in Windhoek.
After being put in to bat, Ireland openers James West and Freddie Ogillby were off to a slow start, before John James struck to remove West for 11. Sebastian Dijkstra was the next one to go, with Charles Lachmund pinning him in front in the 18th over. That brought Rob O’Brien to the crease, who then slowly rebuilt the innings in Ogilby’s company to put up a 43-run stand.
Offspinner Will Malajczuk, however, denied Ogilby his half-century, having him caught behind for 49 in the 29th over. O’Brien continued to build steadily and found the boundaries occasionally, before departing for a 98-ball 79 in the 49th over, helping push Ireland’s total to 235.
Australia got off to a strong start in the chase, with Malajczuk hitting a four and six in the first over. After he fell in the third over, Samuel and Hogan continued to build towards the target, scoring their half-centuries off 62 balls and 50 balls respectively. Their 100-run stand came up in the 21st over, and Hogan continued to find boundaries, bringing up his ton off 97 balls in the 32nd over.
Medium-pacer Luke Murray provided the breakthrough in the 36th over, having Hogan caught behind for 115. In his 111-ball stay, Hogan hit 11 fours and a six. By then, Australia needed only another 20 runs to win. Ollie Peake then joined Samuel, who finished unbeaten on 77, and together they completed the chase with 62 balls remaining to get Australia off to a rollicking start.
Brief scores:
Australia Under 19s 237 for 2 in 37.2 overs (Steven Hogan 115, Nitesh Samuel 77*; Luke Murray 1-46) beat Ireland Under 19s 235 for 7 in 50 overs (Freddie Ogilby 49, Rob O’Brien 79; Charles Lachmund 3-41) by eight wickets
[Cricinfo]
England Under 19s 210 in 46.5 overs (Ben Dawkins 33, Caleb Falconer 66; Ali Raza 2-36, Ahmed Hussain 3-38, Abdul Subhan 2-24, Momin Qmar 2-45) beat Pakistan Under 19s 173 in 46.3 overs (Farhan Yousaf 65; Alex Green 2-21, James Minto 2-23, Ralphie Albert 2-23) by 37 runs
Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf lacked support even as he fought back from 85 for 6 in their chase of 211 against England. Yousaf scored 65 off 86 deliveries, but the next highest score from Pakistan was Momin Qamar’s 18*. Eventually, they were bowled out for 173 as England started with a 37 run win after themselves being rescued by Caleb Falconer.
England’s No. 5 arrived at 67 for 3 in the 16th over, which soon became 90 for 4 after 19 on a slow pitch where the ball kept low. But Falconer then added 80 for the fifth wicket with Ralphie Albert, and dominated that partnership. He scored 50 of those runs, and on the way, brought up a run-a-ball half-century in the 29th over.
Four overs later, Ahmed Hussain broke that partnership by bowling Albert for 25, and finished with 3 for 38 off his ten overs. Falconer fell for 66 off 73 deliveries soon after, and England’s tail folded quickly.
In the chase, Alex Green and James Minto reduced Pakistan to 28 for 3 in the ninth over. There were only brief recoveries thereafter: Hussain and Yousaf added 26, while Yousaf and Huzaifa Ahsan had a stand of 23. Batting with the tail, Yousaf kept Pakistan’s faint hopes alive. But once he was caught off Minto, Pakistan needed another 67 to win with two wickets remaining. That turned out to be too much for their tailenders.
Brief scores:
England Under 19s 210 in 46.5 overs (Ben Dawkins 33, Caleb Falconer 66; Ali Raza 2-36, Ahmed Hussain 3-38, Abdul Subhan 2-24, Momin Qmar 2-45) beat Pakistan Under 19s 173 in 46.3 overs (Farhan Yousaf 65; Alex Green 2-21, James Minto 2-23, Ralphie Albert 2-23) by 37 runs
[Cricinfo]
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