Cricket

Debutants Krishnan Shrijith and Yashovardhan Parantap played pivotal roles as Karnataka tightened their grip on Uttar Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.Shrijith, resuming on 68, played a composed innings, reaching his maiden century off 125 balls. He was ably supported by Parantap, who contributed a gritty 118-ball half-century. The duo's partnership of 61 for the seventh wicket helped Karnataka extend their first-innings lead to 186 runs.Uttar Pradesh's bowlers struggled to contain the lower order, with three defiant partnerships contributing to Karnataka's total. Skipper Aryan Juyal and Madhav Kaushik led the hosts' fightback in the second innings, but Karnataka's bowlers kept them in check.Shrijith's century was a testament to his patience and determination. He weathered a barrage of short balls from Shivam Mavi and Aaqib Khan, and played with a solid technique. Parantap, on the other hand, showed maturity beyond his years, exhibiting a precocious grit that belied his 20 years.The match is poised for an exciting finish, with Uttar Pradesh needing to bat aggressively to chase down a challenging target. Karnataka, on the other hand, will be looking to capitalize on their advantage and secure a crucial victory.

New Zealand's recent ODI loss to Sri Lanka in Dambulla may have been a setback, but it provided valuable lessons for the young Kiwi squad. With three debutants in the lineup, the match offered an opportunity to observe and learn from the hosts' mastery of unfamiliar conditions.Michael Bracewell, one of the debutants, emphasized the importance of adapting to the unique challenges of playing in Sri Lanka. "The conditions here are very different from what we face back home," he said. "We need to bank these experiences and learn from them to become better players."Sri Lanka's openers, Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando, showcased their expertise on a sluggish pitch, amassing a 206-run partnership that set the tone for the match. Bracewell acknowledged the significance of partnerships, noting that the Mendis-Fernando duo's contribution "changed the game."Despite a promising start from New Zealand's openers, Will Young and Tim Robinson, the chase faltered after their dismissals. Bracewell, who remained unbeaten on 34, expressed regret over not taking the game on earlier. "I could have taken the game on a little bit earlier," he said. "We didn't quite time the chase very well."The match highlighted the challenges of batting on Sri Lankan wickets, where spin is often dominant. However, Bracewell emphasized that batters can still succeed on such surfaces. "The batters played really well," he said. "We'll have to keep coming up with different answers and throwing different things at the Sri Lankan batters throughout the series."

West Indies captain Shai Hope elected to bowl first after winning the toss in the opening ODI against England in Antigua. The match marked the international debuts of John Turner and Dan Mousley for England, along with 50-over debuts for Jamie Overton and Jordan Cox.Liam Livingstone, standing in for the injured Jos Buttler, made his captaincy debut for England. Despite missing key players like Harry Brook due to upcoming Test tours, Livingstone expressed excitement for the young team's opportunities.Turner's selection came after impressing in the 2023 Men's Hundred, while Mousley's inclusion provided England with four allrounder spin options alongside Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, and Livingstone. Cox was slated to bat at No. 3, while Overton would be available to bowl after playing as a batter in his T20I debut against Australia.West Indies, returning from their Sri Lanka tour, made one change to their lineup, with Shimron Hetmyer replacing Jewel Andrew in the middle order.

India's young cricket team suffered a disappointing 13-run defeat to an inexperienced Zimbabwe side in the first T20I of the five-match series in Harare on July 6.Led by debutant captain Shubman Gill, India opted to field first and restricted Zimbabwe to 115/9 in 20 overs. Wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi claimed a career-best 4 for 13, while off-spin-allrounder Washington Sundar snapped 2 for 11.However, India's batting lineup faltered in pursuit of the modest target. Despite handing debuts to Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel, the young Indian batters failed to shine. Eight of the Indian batsmen were dismissed for single-digit scores, leaving Washington Sundar (27 off 34 balls) as the only batsman to offer any resistance.Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza led from the front with his tidy 3/25 from his spin bowling, while Tendai Chatara bagged 3/16 from 3.1 overs.This defeat marks India's first loss in the T20I format in 2024. It also highlights the challenges facing the young Indian team as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.