Cricket

New Zealand's bowlers wrapped up Sri Lanka's innings for 305 on the second morning of the first Test in Galle, with Will O'Rourke claiming a five-wicket haul.Resuming on 302 for 7, Sri Lanka added just three runs before being dismissed. O'Rourke trapped Ramesh Mendis lbw for 14 and then bowled Asitha Fernando for 0 to complete his five-for. Ajaz Patel also picked up a wicket, dismissing Prabath Jayasuriya for 10.O'Rourke's 5 for 55 was his second five-wicket haul in four Test innings, while Ajaz and Glenn Phillips finished with two wickets each.Rain interrupted the morning session, delaying the start of New Zealand's innings. Only one over was possible before rain intervened again, forcing the players off the field.Lunch was taken after just 15 minutes of play, with New Zealand trailing by 300 runs. More rain is forecast for the day, but an extended post-lunch session and a longer third session have been scheduled to make up for lost time.

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand: Hosts Opt to Bat First in Galle TestThe first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand commenced in Galle, with the hosts winning the toss and electing to bat first. The pitch, according to pitchside analyst Farvez Maharoof, offers ample grass cover, promising early assistance for the pacers.New Zealand captain Tim Southee expressed his preference for batting first in these conditions, highlighting the presence of spinners in their lineup. Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva echoed similar sentiments, stating that they would bat first to avoid the challenges of the fourth innings.The Sri Lankan openers, Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka, faced the opening spell from Tim Southee. Nissanka was initially troubled by the extra bounce and movement, but managed to survive the early onslaught.Southee's opening over yielded a leg bye, while Nissanka collected a boundary off an inside edge. However, the New Zealand bowlers maintained a tight line and length, restricting the Sri Lankan batsmen to cautious play.The pitch report suggests that the surface will favor the pacers in the initial stages, but as the match progresses, the spinners are expected to come into play. Both teams have included two spinners in their lineups, with Sri Lanka opting for Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis, while New Zealand has Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel.The match is poised for an intriguing contest between the two sides, with New Zealand seeking to capitalize on the early conditions and Sri Lanka aiming to build a solid foundation for the innings.

New Zealand Embarks on Sri Lanka Tour with Echoes of 2019As New Zealand prepares to tour Sri Lanka, parallels to their previous visit in 2019 emerge. Back then, the world was on the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic, while Sri Lanka was recovering from Rangana Herath's retirement. Today, the pandemic has subsided, and Herath returns as New Zealand's spin-bowling coach.However, similarities abound. Sri Lanka enters the series buoyed by a historic Test win in England, mirroring their 2019 triumph in South Africa. Both tours also coincide with presidential election years.New Zealand's squad remains largely unchanged, with a few retirements and new faces. Despite their third-place ranking in the World Test Championship, they face a daunting task with two Tests in spin-friendly Galle, where they have never won.Sri Lanka has experienced a rollercoaster year, with strong performances against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, followed by a disappointing T20 World Cup and a series win against India. Their recent victory in England has boosted their confidence ahead of this home series.Key Players to Watch:* Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka): The left-arm spinner has an exceptional record at Galle, with 53 wickets in 12 innings.* Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand): The all-rounder has shown promise in white-ball cricket and is expected to play a crucial role in the subcontinent.Team News:Sri Lanka is likely to retain their winning combination, with Kusal Mendis taking the gloves and Dinesh Chandimal moving up the order. Ramesh Mendis will provide support to Jayasuriya in the spin department.New Zealand's playing XI is largely settled, with Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel leading the spin attack. The only question mark is the second seam option alongside Tim Southee.Pitch and Conditions:Rain is expected throughout the Test, making winning the toss and batting first crucial. The Galle surface typically deteriorates by days four and five.Stats and Trivia:* Only five teams have opted not to bat first after winning the toss in Galle, with two winning.* Lahiru Kumara is four wickets away from 100 Test wickets.* Henry Nicholls needs 27 runs to reach 3,000 Test runs.* New Zealand has lost all four Tests they have played in Galle.* Tim Southee has taken the most wickets (64) against Sri Lanka among active players.Quotes:"Chandimal took up the gloves and played in the middle order for the sake of the team, but he won't be keeping in this Test, which means he will move up to number three." - Sri Lanka interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya"Having just his experience and knowledge of conditions here in this part of the world, and particularly a ground that he had a lot of success on, has been great." - New Zealand captain Tim Southee on Rangana Herath's expertise.

Sri Lanka's historic Test victory over England at The Oval has propelled six of their players to new career-high ratings on the ICC Men's Test Rankings. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, and Pathum Nissanka led the charge with impressive batting performances.De Silva's stylish 69 in the first innings earned him a three-place jump to 13th overall, making him Sri Lanka's highest-ranked batter. Mendis gained six places to 19th after a half-century, while Nissanka soared 42 spots to 39th following his innings of 64 and 127*.England's Joe Root remains the world's top-ranked Test batter despite modest scores at The Oval. However, his rating has dropped, allowing New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell, and Australia's Steve Smith to close the gap. Harry Brook fell seven places to 12th after disappointing performances.On the positive side for England, Ollie Pope gained seven places to equal 27th after a century in the first innings, and Jamie Smith jumped six spots to equal 30th after a quickfire half-century in the second innings.Sri Lanka's bowlers also made significant gains on the Test bowler rankings. Vishwa Fernando rose 13 places to equal 31st after taking five wickets, while Lahiru Kumara (up 10 places to 32nd) and Milan Rathnayake (up 26 places to equal 84th) also improved. England's Olly Stone gained 13 places to 74th after his three wickets in the first innings.In the T20I rankings, Australia's Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis climbed the ladder for batters after their series sweep over Scotland. Spinner Adam Zampa moved up one place to seventh on the T20I bowler rankings. Scotland's Bradley Currie made a significant jump of 20 places to 49th on the same list.

England's Joe Root, widely regarded as the heir apparent to Sachin Tendulkar's Test run-scoring throne, has downplayed his team's recent loss to Sri Lanka with a witty analogy.After England's eight-wicket defeat in the final Test of the three-match series, Root, who was named England's Player of the Series and the 'Player of the Summer,' drew a comparison to the popular rock band Coldplay."We are not always going to get it right all of the time," Root said. "For 90% of the summer, we have. We have shown what a good team we can be. I don't think we played our best cricket this week, and that is going to happen from time to time. Coldplay can't be number one every week."Despite the loss, Root finished the series with 375 runs, adding to his 291 runs against the West Indies earlier in the summer. At 33, Root is arguably playing the best cricket of his red-ball career.Root praised the England Test team's performance throughout the summer. "We are constantly learning and evolving as a group, and it is nice to contribute to that," he said. "It is important we are authentic to what we are as a team and what brings out the best in our individual players."With 10,354 Test runs to his name, Root is the only active cricketer with more than 10,000 Test runs. He is also the closest active player to Tendulkar's record of 15,921 Test runs.If Root continues to perform at his current level, he could potentially challenge Tendulkar's record in the coming years. However, Root remains humble about his chances of surpassing the Indian legend."It's a long way away," Root said. "I'm just trying to focus on the next game and the next series. I'm not looking too far ahead."

The World Test Championship (WTC) is heating up as teams vie for a spot in the Lord's final. With 12 series remaining, the race for the top two positions is intensifying.Sri Lanka:Sri Lanka's victory at The Oval has boosted their chances of a top-two finish. If they win all six remaining matches, they will reach 69.23%, likely securing their place in the final. Five wins would still keep them in contention with 61.54%.England:England's defeat to Sri Lanka has dashed their hopes of reaching 60%. Their maximum achievable percentage is now 57.95%, which could be enough if other results favor them. However, they will need help from other teams to finish second.India:India remains atop the standings with 68.52%. To maintain their percentage above 60%, they need 63 more points, which they can achieve with five wins and a draw. Six wins would increase their percentage to 64.03%, while seven wins would match their current score of 69.3%.Australia:Australia, currently in second place, needs 47 more points from their remaining seven Tests to stay above 60%. They can achieve this with four wins or three wins and three draws. Their final standing will largely depend on their performance in the five-Test home series against India.Bangladesh:Bangladesh's series win in Pakistan has propelled them to fourth place. If they win all six remaining Tests, they will reach 72.92%, while four wins would keep them at 56.25%.Pakistan:Pakistan's loss to Bangladesh and slow over-rate penalties have dropped their percentage to 19.05%. Their maximum achievable percentage is 59.52%, which requires them to win all seven remaining Tests.New Zealand:New Zealand has played only six of their 14 Tests. They need at least 65 points from their remaining eight Tests to reach 60%. However, three of those Tests will be in India, making it a challenging task.South Africa:South Africa can reach 69.44% if they win all six remaining Tests. They have home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but a two-Test series in Bangladesh could prove tricky.West Indies:West Indies have only scored 20 points from four series. Even if they win their last four Tests, they can only finish on 43.59%.

India's Triumphant 2011 World Cup Victory: A Legacy of Dhoni's LeadershipThe 2011 Cricket World Cup final remains etched in the hearts of Indian cricket fans, a moment of unparalleled triumph that ended a 28-year wait for the coveted trophy. Led by the enigmatic Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India scripted a historic victory against Sri Lanka at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.Despite battling back pain, Dhoni rose to the occasion, guiding India to their second ODI World Cup title. His iconic six over mid-on off Nuwan Kulasekara sealed the victory, sending a nation into raptures.Dhoni's leadership was instrumental in India's success. He had previously led the team to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, signaling the global rise of the shortest format of the game. In 2011, he became the first captain to win both the T20 and ODI World Cups.In the 2011 final, Dhoni promoted himself up the batting order, ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh, to handle the immense pressure. His unbeaten 91 off 79 deliveries showcased his exceptional composure and shot selection.The defining moment came in the 49th over when Dhoni launched a magnificent six off Kulasekara, a shot that has since become legendary in Indian cricket history. The victory sparked wild celebrations across the country, with Dhoni hailed as a national hero.Since that unforgettable evening, India has been unable to recapture the ODI World Cup. Despite reaching the semi-finals in 2015 and 2019, and the final in 2023, the coveted third title has remained elusive.Dhoni's 2011 achievement remains a testament to his leadership and the resilience of the Indian team. He stands alone as the only captain in cricket history to secure all three major ICC trophies: the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy.

Pathum Nissanka's unbeaten half-century has put Sri Lanka in a commanding position to secure a historic victory over England in the third Test at the Oval. By the end of the third day's play, Sri Lanka had reached 94 for 1, needing just 125 more runs to seal the win and end a seven-match losing streak against England.Nissanka has been the cornerstone of Sri Lanka's batting, scoring an impressive 53 not out. He reached his second fifty of the match with a powerful drive through the covers off debutant Josh Hull. Kusal Mendis has also contributed with an unbeaten 30, including four boundaries.Sri Lanka's pursuit of a challenging target of 219 runs was made possible by Jamie Smith's counter-attacking 67. Smith's innings pulled England out of a collapse that saw them lose five wickets for 26 runs.Smith's aggressive approach provided England with a glimmer of hope for a first home Test series clean sweep since 2004. However, his dismissal on the stroke of tea, chipping a ball to short midwicket, ended England's resurgence.Vishwa Fernando played a crucial role in England's collapse, claiming three wickets for 40 runs, including the prized scalp of Joe Root for just 12. Lahiru Kumara also made a significant contribution, taking four wickets for 21 runs in seven overs.Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook have criticized the hosts for their poor batting performance, which saw them collapse from 221-3 to 325 all out in their first innings.As Sri Lanka closes in on a potential victory, Nissanka's role has been pivotal in keeping their hopes alive for a memorable win over England.

Sri Lanka's interim head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, hailed his team's ability to frustrate Harry Brook as a key factor in their fightback on the second day of the Kia Oval Test. England, who had dominated the first day, lost their last seven wickets for 104 runs, with Brook's careless batting setting the tone.Brook, who had been given out to his third ball of the day but successfully overturned the decision, was dropped on 12 and then mocked the Sri Lankan bowlers by taking guard outside off stump. However, his frustration boiled over when he flashed a drive to short cover, triggering a collapse that saw England lose seven wickets for 64 runs."He was frustrated because we bowled well, with the right line and length," Jayasuriya said. "We know their strong areas, and we kept them tight and frustrated."Michael Vaughan, commentating for the BBC, criticized England's unfocused performance, particularly Brook's lack of discipline. "He is a brilliant player, but he needs to be careful," Vaughan said. "There are tougher challenges ahead, and he can't take the mick out of the game."Jayasuriya, who was one of the most attacking batters in Test history, advised Brook to manage his tempo better. "You can't go in top gear all the time," he said. "You need to take less risk and fight hard."Sri Lanka reached the close on 211 for 5, trailing by just 114 runs. Jayasuriya praised his team's resilience and determination. "We go through each and every batsman, like they go through our batsmen," he said. "We know their very strong areas, and where we can keep them tight and frustrated."