Cricket

Sri Lanka's resilience was on display at the Oval on Saturday as Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis forged an unbroken century partnership to frustrate England on the second day of the third Test.After a shaky start that saw them collapse to 93 for 5 before tea, the tourists rallied to finish the day at 211-5, trailing England's first-innings total of 325 by 114 runs.De Silva, the Sri Lankan captain, remained unbeaten on 64, while Mendis contributed 54 not out in an unbroken stand of 118. Mendis, in particular, has been in exceptional form, boasting a Test batting average of over 85 and passing 50 for the seventh time in six matches.Sri Lanka's recovery was aided by a stroke of luck when De Silva was dropped on 23 by Test debutant Josh Hull at mid-on. The ball went through Hull's hands after a miscue off spinner Shoaib Bashir.Earlier, an unfortunate mix-up cost Sri Lanka their first wicket as Dimuth Karunaratne was run out for nine due to Olly Stone's direct hit from short cover following Pathum Nissanka's ill-advised dash for a single.Nissanka went on to score an impressive fifty, highlighted by seven boundaries from 40 balls, but the middle-order wobbled soon after. Stone, returning for his second Test in three years, made a significant impact, taking the wicket of veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews for just three runs.Hull's first Test wicket, removing a set Nissanka for 64, marked a significant moment in the third Test. England gained momentum, reducing Sri Lanka to 91-4 and subsequently 93-5 after Stone trapped Dinesh Chandimal lbw for zero.Kamindu Mendis, batting at No. 7, displayed composure during a precarious situation as dark clouds loomed. To counter potential bad light after tea, England deployed spinners from both ends, with Bashir and part-timer Dan Lawrence bowling in tandem.De Silva responded by late-cutting Lawrence for four to reach his half-century off 81 balls, while Kamindu Mendis reached his fifty in just 60 balls. Joe Root also bowled briefly with his occasional off-breaks before bad light halted play for the day.By then, Sri Lanka had added 69 runs without losing a wicket in 17 overs of all-spin bowling post-tea.Earlier in the day, England saw a collapse, losing six wickets for 35 runs after starting at 221-3. Pope, who resumed on 103 not out, had struggled in previous innings. The Sri Lankan pace attack, initially lacking precision, found their rhythm, with fast bowler Milan Rathnayake ending with figures of 3-56 from 13.1 overs.Left-arm quick Vishwa Fernando dismissed Pope, who scored 126 off 156 balls, including 19 fours and two sixes. Despite his dismissal, Pope's first-class average on his Surrey home ground remained above 84.England are aiming for a clean sweep -- their first since 2004.

Sri Lanka's bowlers staged a remarkable comeback on the second morning of the first Test against England at The Oval, bowling out the hosts for 325 and reducing their deficit to 324 runs.Resuming at 221 for 3, England collapsed to 6 for 35 in 56 balls, with poor shot selection and falling into Sri Lanka's traps. Ollie Pope, who had scored a dazzling 103 not out overnight, pushed his score to 154 before being dismissed by Vishwa Fernando.Harry Brook, who looked streaky on 8, added just four runs before skying a catch to Asitha Fernando. Vishwa Fernando also dismissed Jamie Smith, while Dhananjaya de Silva removed Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson.Pope brought up his 150 in just 151 balls, but Vishwa ended his knock with a short ball that Pope hooked to deep square leg. Debutant Josh Hull and Shoaib Bashir were the last two wickets to fall, giving Sri Lanka eight wickets in the morning session.Sri Lanka's fast-bowling coach, Aaqib Javed, had suggested his charges would "rest and come up with something better than this" after a dire opening day. The bowlers responded with greater patience and probing lines, making the ball swing and setting traps for the England batters.By lunch on the second day, Sri Lanka had one run on the board for no loss after batting just one over before the break. The tourists will be hoping to continue their improved performance and make further inroads into England's lead in the afternoon session.

Sri Lanka's decision to bowl first in the third and final Test against England at The Kia Oval was met with mixed reactions. The match, played under heavy skies and with floodlights blazing, marked the Test debut of 20-year-old left-arm quick Josh Hull.England, seeking a clean sweep of the series, opted for a point of difference with Hull's inclusion. The young pacer received his cap from Andrew Flintoff, who joined the team as an assistant coach. England's stand-in captain, Ollie Pope, expressed excitement over Hull's call-up, emphasizing the opportunity for him to showcase his skills.Sri Lanka, too, made unconventional choices, fielding a four-pronged pace attack and leaving out spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Vishwa Fernando replaced Jayasuriya, while Kusal Mendis returned to the side at No. 3, pushing Nishan Madushka down the order.The match began with complete cloud cover and no sign of rain. England's openers, Ben Duckett and Dan Lawrence, faced the challenge of Sri Lanka's pace attack, led by Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando.Sri Lanka's decision to bowl first was based on the overcast conditions and the possibility of swing. However, England's batsmen showed resilience, with Duckett and Lawrence forming a solid partnership.As the match progressed, the weather conditions remained overcast, providing assistance to the bowlers. Both teams fought hard, with England seeking to extend their dominance and Sri Lanka determined to salvage a win.The match is poised for an exciting finish, with England looking to complete a clean sweep and Sri Lanka aiming to end the series on a high note.

Indian Batters' Struggle Against Spin: Sehwag Points Out ReasonsThe Indian cricket team's recent struggles against spin bowling in the ODI series against Sri Lanka have raised concerns about the team's ability to handle quality spin. Former India opener Virender Sehwag has identified several reasons for this failure.One key factor, according to Sehwag, is the proliferation of white-ball cricket. In T20 cricket, bowlers are less likely to flight the ball, which limits their ability to develop the skills necessary to dismiss batsmen. Additionally, Indian players are playing less domestic cricket, where they would face more spin bowling.Sehwag also highlighted the lack of quality spinners in India. "I think there are no quality spinners in India right now whom I see who can fly well and take wickets," he said.In contrast, Sehwag pointed out that during his playing days, Indian batsmen played a significant amount of domestic cricket, which exposed them to a variety of spin bowlers. This experience helped them develop the skills to handle spin effectively.Sehwag's analysis suggests that the Indian team needs to address these issues if they want to improve their performance against spin bowling. This may involve increasing the amount of domestic cricket played by Indian players and developing more quality spinners within the country.

Joe Root's exceptional batting performance in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka has left the hosts scratching their heads for a solution. With scores of 42, 62 not out, 143, and 103, Root has been the cornerstone of England's dominance.Root's mastery against Sri Lanka is evident in his impressive average of 67.55 against them. In his previous series against the same opposition, he notched up scores of 186 and 228, showcasing his ability to dominate on Sri Lankan pitches.His technical prowess is evident in his skillful sweeps and reverse-sweeps, as well as his proactive approach against seamers. When he chooses to defend, Root's technique is considered one of the best in the game.Sri Lanka's team discussions have been dominated by the question of how to dismiss Root. Senior batter Dimuth Karunaratne revealed that they have tried various plans but have been unsuccessful due to Root's consistent excellence."We've tried a few things against Joe but they were always unsuccessful," Karunaratne said. "I think the turning points in the matches have been those Joe Root innings."Karunaratne believes that Sri Lanka may need to adopt a less aggressive approach against Root. "Maybe sometimes we attack him too much and he takes advantage of that," he said. "Some players don't like it when we ask them to be less aggressive. Sometimes boring batters out can also be a tactic."However, Sri Lanka's problems extend beyond Root's dominance. Their senior batters have failed to make significant contributions, with only six fifties in 16 combined innings. Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dhananjaya de Silva have all had fifty-plus scores but have not made a lasting impact."The seniors have talked a lot about how to perform and ease the pressure on the juniors," Karunaratne said. "The juniors have been doing well, especially Kamindu Mendis. Some people adapt very fast to conditions and some struggle."Karunaratne emphasized the difficulty of batting in Sri Lanka, citing the struggles of England's openers and No. 3 batter. "In England the conditions are tough for batters, and we saw that even their openers struggled, as well as their No. 3," he said. "Apart from Joe Root the others also struggled despite this being home conditions for them."

England's Gus Atkinson continued his remarkable Lord's legacy, claiming five wickets as the hosts thrashed Sri Lanka by 190 runs in the second Test on Sunday. This emphatic victory secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Sri Lanka faced an insurmountable task of chasing down a record-breaking 483 in the fourth innings. Despite valiant efforts from Dinesh Chandimal (58), Dimuth Karunaratne (55), and captain Dhananjaya de Silva (50), they were dismissed for 292 after tea on the fourth day.Atkinson, who had earlier scored his maiden first-class century in England's first innings, led the bowling attack with an impressive 5-62. His performance earned him a fifth mention on the Lord's dressing room honors boards in just his second Test at the iconic venue.Atkinson's heroics made him only the third England cricketer after Tony Greig and Ian Botham to score a century and take five wickets in an innings of the same Test. He also joined India's Vinoo Mankad and Botham as the only players to achieve this feat at Lord's.The 26-year-old Surrey paceman's latest impressive return helped England seal a seventh successive win over Sri Lanka. This victory followed their five-wicket success in the first Test at Old Trafford."To get on both honors boards is incredible," Atkinson said after the match. "It will take a while to sink in."This game was also a personal triumph for England captain Joe Root. For the first time in his 145 Test matches, Root scored centuries in both innings (143 and 103), setting a new record of 34 Test centuries by an England batsman.Sri Lanka have little time to regroup before the third Test at The Oval, which starts on Friday. De Silva admitted that he had made a mistake in opting to field on a good batting pitch after winning the toss."Definitely. I got it wrong," he told the BBC. "We have got to improve on the first innings whether we bat or bowl first, that's what I will be telling my boys is that we've got to start better."Sri Lanka resumed Sunday on 53-2, with the odds stacked against them. However, Root dropped a tough chance to dismiss Karunaratne, who went on to score a half-century.Olly Stone, in his first Test for three years, dismissed Karunaratne shortly before lunch. Chandimal counter-attacked with a quickfire fifty, but Atkinson had him caught at short leg.Kamindu Mendis, who had scored a century in the first Test, fell for just four on Sunday. De Silva and Milan Rathnayake were also dismissed by Atkinson, who completed his five-wicket haul.Chris Woakes had the final say when Lahiru Kumara holed out to Stone at mid-on.

England's dominance continued on the third morning at Lord's as they extended their lead over Sri Lanka to a commanding 390 runs. Joe Root, the lynchpin of England's batting, remained unbeaten on 45, while Jamie Smith contributed 23 not out.Root and Harry Brook forged a brisk 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket, putting Sri Lanka's bowlers under pressure. Brook, who was dropped on 9, played aggressively, hitting boundaries off Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara. However, he eventually fell to Prabath Jayasuriya for 37.Sri Lanka had earlier made early inroads, dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. Duckett was caught in an unfortunate mix-up between slip and gully, while Pope fell to a bouncer from Fernando.Despite these setbacks, England remained in control. Root, who has scored three consecutive half-centuries in the series, played with composure and guided his team towards a declaration.Jayasuriya, who conceded 61 runs from his 10-over spell, was the most expensive of Sri Lanka's bowlers. He did, however, remove Brook, but England's lead continued to grow.Smith, who came to the crease after Brook's dismissal, played with confidence, hitting boundaries off Jayasuriya and Kumara.As lunch approached, England had passed 150 for 4, with Root and Smith looking to extend their lead even further. Sri Lanka's hopes of keeping the chase within reach were fading as England's batting prowess proved too much to handle.

Sri Lanka's Batting Woes Continue as England Dominate at Lord'sOn the second day of the second Test at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, Sri Lanka's batting woes continued as they fell well short of England's imposing first innings total. The hosts, led by a commanding performance from their seam attack, set a daunting target of 427 for the visitors.Sri Lanka's response was lackluster, with only Kamindu Mendis providing any significant resistance. The left-handed batsman, who carried his strong form from the first Test, compiled a well-crafted 74, showcasing his ability to counter England's attack. However, he lacked support from his teammates, with no other batsman surpassing 23 runs.England's seam attack shared the wickets evenly, highlighting their collective strength and depth. Matthew Potts, known for his accuracy and movement, proved economical, taking 2-19 in 11 overs. Chris Woakes, a seasoned campaigner, also claimed 2-21, utilizing his experience and variations to keep the Sri Lankan batsmen in check.Despite the significant lead and ample time remaining in the day, England captain Ollie Pope, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes, chose not to enforce the follow-on. This decision suggests a strategic approach, potentially prioritizing player management and long-term goals over immediate gains.Sri Lanka's batting collapse has put them in a precarious position, with England firmly in control of the match. The visitors will need to produce a much-improved performance in their second innings if they hope to salvage a draw or even an unlikely victory.

England's Gus Atkinson has etched his name into the annals of Lord's history by becoming only the second player to achieve both a Test century and a 10-wicket haul at the iconic venue in the same season.Atkinson, 26, followed up his match-winning 118 with the bat on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a five-wicket haul on Day 3. He is now part of an exclusive club that includes Gubby Allen, Keith Miller, Ian Botham, Stuart Broad, and Chris Woakes.Atkinson's bowling performance was as impressive as his batting. He bowled with great accuracy and control, consistently finding the right line and length to trouble the Sri Lankan batsmen. He dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, and Asitha Fernando to put England in a commanding position.Sri Lanka's only resistance came from Angelo Mathews, who scored a gritty 52. However, Atkinson's relentless pressure eventually proved too much, and he was caught behind off the bowling of Chris Woakes.Atkinson's heroics have put England on the verge of a series victory. They need just four more wickets to secure a 2-0 lead and retain the Pataudi Trophy.