Cricket

Joe Root's gritty half-century guided England to a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford. Root, known for his free-flowing batting, adopted a more cautious approach, channeling his "inner Nasser Hussain" to anchor England's chase of 164 on a challenging wicket.Despite the slow outfield and low bounce, Root remained composed, accumulating runs patiently and forming crucial partnerships with Harry Brook and Jamie Smith. His 62 not out from 128 balls proved invaluable as England overcame a spirited Sri Lankan bowling attack led by Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya.Root acknowledged the difficulty of the conditions, noting that the wicket was "as close to Sri Lankan conditions" as England offers. He also praised the adaptability of his team, emphasizing that "sometimes it's good to win ugly."The victory marked the first of Ollie Pope's captaincy career. Despite his struggles with the bat, Root commended Pope's leadership, particularly his tactical decisions during Sri Lanka's fourth-morning partnership between Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal.Root also lauded Jamie Smith, who followed up his first-innings century with a crucial 39 in the second innings. Smith's all-round performance, including his exceptional glovework, earned him the player of the match award.Root believes Smith's composure and maturity have contributed to his success. He praised the environment created within the England team, which allows young players to thrive.Despite the departure from their usual "Bazball" approach, Root remains confident in the team's principles. He hopes to see a return to their more aggressive style in the remaining two Tests of the series.

Mohammad Rizwan's stunning one-handed catch on Day 3 of the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh has left fans and experts in awe. The wicketkeeper's brilliance dismissed Zakir Hasan, providing Pakistan with a crucial breakthrough.Bangladesh openers Hasan and Shadman Islam had added just four runs on Day 3 before Naseem Shah's delivery found Hasan's outside edge. Rizwan, alert behind the stumps, dived to his left and completed a spectacular one-handed catch.The catch was a testament to Rizwan's exceptional reflexes and athleticism. It also highlighted the importance of wicketkeeping in Test cricket, where every dismissal can turn the tide of the match.Meanwhile, Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam fought valiantly, scoring a half-century to lead his team to 134-2 at lunch on Day 3. The left-hander, along with Mominul Haque, defied Pakistan's pace attack on a Rawalpindi pitch that had slowed down considerably.The visitors still trail Pakistan's first innings total of 448-6 by 314 runs with eight wickets intact. However, the unbroken third-wicket stand between Islam and Haque has given Bangladesh hope of a comeback.Pakistan employed all four pacers but missed the services of a frontline spinner. Part-time slow bowler Agha Salman has made little impact so far.The match resumed at 27-0, with Bangladesh losing Zakir Hasan to Rizwan's catch in Naseem Shah's fifth over. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was also dismissed for 16, leaving the visitors on 53-2.Haque has batted with confidence, hitting four boundaries. Islam, on the other hand, reached his third Test half-century with a boundary off Naseem Shah's last delivery before the interval.The match is evenly poised, with both teams having their chances. Pakistan will be looking to build on their first innings lead, while Bangladesh will aim to continue their recovery and set a challenging target for the hosts.

The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India promises to be a thrilling contest, with runs expected to be at a premium. Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden believes that the team that can score the most runs will have a significant advantage."I sense that it is going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference," Hayden said. "So the best need to stand up in this series; runs are going to be at a premium."Hayden also noted that the fact that Australia has not defeated India in a Test series on home soil in almost 10 years will be playing on the minds of the Australian players."We have not had it in our hands for two series in Australia, which is kind of the coveted grounds," Hayden said. "So there is always, and this is why I think it is such a special series, there is always this fantastic opportunity for the number one and the number two side on the World Test Championship table to go head-to-head, especially abroad, in each other's camps, and see who really has those kind of final rights to claim not only the possibility of playing the Test Championship but also who is the very best of the best, which you judge on how you tour, not so much how you play at home."The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will commence with the first Test at Perth Stadium from November 22 to November 26. The second Test will be a day-night match at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. The third Test will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 14 to 18. The fourth Test will be the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30. The fifth and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7.

India A's hopes of securing a victory in the unofficial one-off women's Test against Australia A are dwindling after the visitors faced a batting collapse in their second innings. Resuming on 164 for 7, Australia A managed to post a respectable 260, thanks to an unbeaten 105 from Maddy Darke. However, India A's chase of 289 has been severely hampered by the Australian spinners.Chasing the target, India A openers Priya Punia and Shweta Sehrawat provided a solid start with a 37-run partnership. However, the introduction of spin proved to be India A's undoing. Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, and Lilly Mills wreaked havoc, claiming six wickets between them. Punia (36) and Shubha Satheesh (45) were the only batters to offer some resistance, but their dismissals left India A reeling at 130 for 5.The visitors' hopes were further dented when Parsons dismissed Tejal Hasabnis and Tess Flintoff removed Satheesh. India A skipper Minnu Mani became the fifth wicket to fall, leaving the team in dire straits. Parsons then struck again, dismissing Sajeevan Sajana, as Australia A tightened their grip on the match.At stumps, Raghvi Bist (16) and Uma Chetry (10) were at the crease, with India A still needing 140 runs to win with four wickets in hand. The hosts will be confident of completing a victory on the fourth day, while India A face an uphill task to salvage a draw.

Mark Wood's injury has cast a shadow over England's Test series against Sri Lanka, with the paceman likely to miss the second Test and potentially the remainder of the series.Wood suffered a right thigh muscle injury late on day three of the first Test in Manchester, forcing him to leave the field after bowling just 11 overs. An ECB statement on Saturday confirmed that Wood would not take the field on day four, and he subsequently underwent a scan to determine the extent of the damage.England are hopeful that the injury is a strain rather than a tear, but it seems certain that Wood will miss the upcoming Test match at Lord's, which begins this Thursday. Given his unique standing as the fastest bowler in the world, England may be reluctant to risk Wood for the final Test at the Kia Oval, which gets underway on September 6.Olly Stone, the spare fast bowler in the squad, is likely to replace Wood in the XI. In terms of squad reinforcements, Sam Curran could come into the reckoning. The allrounder is currently playing for Surrey against Lancashire at the Kia Oval and took 1 for 21 in the first innings. Picking Curran would allow England to operate with the allrounder they are lacking after captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the rest of the summer with a torn hamstring.The loss of Wood was apparent as stand-in captain Ollie Pope oversaw a wicket-less start to day four. Sri Lanka batted past drinks and through to a rain interruption shortly before lunch without losing a wicket, as Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal extended the lead to 153.

England's second Test summer has witnessed another ball change that has favored the hosts. During the first Test against Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, the umpires agreed to England's request to replace the worn-out Dukes ball after 41 overs of Sri Lanka's second innings.At the time, Sri Lanka held a slender lead of 24 with Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis at the crease. The introduction of a firmer ball with a more pronounced seam revitalized England's quicks. Mathews, who had reached 59, was dismissed by Chris Woakes in the 10th over with the new ball, ending a 78-run partnership.Despite only taking one more wicket before the close, England created numerous chances with the replacement ball. Mathews and Kamindu were dropped by Joe Root and Gus Atkinson, respectively, while Woakes had two lbw decisions overturned on review.Coincidentally, Woakes was also the beneficiary of a controversial ball change during last season's Ashes Test at the Kia Oval. Australia's Usman Khawaja questioned the switch to a newer, harder ball, which differed from the one used for the previous 37 overs.Sri Lanka, however, expressed no complaints about the ball change. Former England international Ian Bell, Sri Lanka's batting coach, acknowledged the poor condition of the original ball's seam and accepted that the change made batting more challenging. He emphasized the need for consistency in future ball changes.England centurion Jamie Smith praised Woakes for exploiting the conditions with the new ball. Meanwhile, England will provide an update on Mark Wood's fitness on Saturday after he experienced discomfort in his right thigh.

The upcoming Sri Lanka vs New Zealand Test series, commencing on September 18 in Galle, will feature a unique twist: a rest day scheduled to accommodate Sri Lanka's presidential elections on September 21. This marks the first instance of a rest day in a Test match since 2008, when Bangladesh and Sri Lanka accommodated a parliamentary election.The two-Test series forms part of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Sri Lanka last hosted a rest day in a Test match in 2001 against Zimbabwe, due to a full moon being a public holiday in the Buddhist nation.Historically, Sundays were designated as rest days in Test matches in England until the 1990s. However, this practice has since faded into obscurity.New Zealand and Sri Lanka last met in a Test series in early 2023, with New Zealand emerging victorious 2-0 on home soil. New Zealand's last tour of Sri Lanka in 2019 resulted in a 1-1 draw in the Test series and a 2-1 victory for New Zealand in the T20Is.New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka follows a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida. The Black Caps have a busy summer of cricket ahead, with Test series against India and England before Sri Lanka returns to New Zealand in December for three T20Is and three ODIs.

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan etched his name in the annals of Test cricket history on Thursday, becoming the first wicketkeeper-batter from his nation to score 150 or more since Kamran Akmal in 2009. Rizwan's unbeaten 171 against Sri Lanka in the ongoing first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium marked a significant milestone for Pakistan, ending a 15-year wait for such a feat.Rizwan's innings was a testament to his resilience and determination. After Pakistan lost three wickets for just 16 runs on Wednesday, Rizwan and Saud Shakeel steadied the ship with a 98-run partnership. Rizwan then went on to forge a mammoth 240-run stand with Shakeel, who also scored a brilliant 141.Rizwan's knock was a masterclass in batting. He played with patience and precision, accumulating runs steadily while also punishing loose deliveries. His innings included three towering sixes and 11 boundaries, showcasing his power and finesse.Despite Rizwan's heroics, Pakistan captain Shan Masood declared the innings at 448/6 late in the final session, denying Rizwan a double century. However, Rizwan's contribution was pivotal in giving Pakistan a commanding position in the match.Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan negotiated 12 overs of pace without any trouble, leaving Pakistan with work to do on Day 3. The Rawalpindi pitch has not provided much assistance to the bowlers so far, but Pakistan will hope that their bowlers can make inroads into the Bangladesh batting lineup.Rizwan's achievement is a testament to his hard work and dedication. He has established himself as one of the most consistent and reliable wicketkeeper-batters in the world, and his latest feat is a testament to his exceptional talent.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering establishing a dedicated fund of at least USD 15 million to support Test cricket. This initiative aims to increase player match fees and address the migration of talent to lucrative T20 franchise leagues.The proposal, put forward by Cricket Australia (CA), has garnered support from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, who is poised to become the next ICC Chairman, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The fund would enhance the minimum match payment for Test players and cover the expenses of overseas tours.This initiative is particularly crucial for national boards like the West Indies, which face challenges in competing with the salaries offered by global T20 competitions. The fund would ensure a minimum Test payment of USD 10,000 for all players and cover the costs of overseas tours for struggling countries.CA Chairman Mike Baird, who initially proposed the concept, expressed enthusiasm for the momentum behind the Test match fund. He emphasized the need to eliminate barriers and promote Test cricket as the pinnacle of the sport, preserving its history and legacy alongside newer white-ball formats.However, the fund is unlikely to benefit the three wealthiest cricket nations – India, Australia, and England – as they already provide substantial salaries to their players. The availability of funds for Test cricket from the ICC may also be influenced by an ongoing dispute with broadcaster Star, which seeks to renegotiate a 2022 broadcast deal and reduce its value by half.The BCCI has implemented an incentive scheme for India's men's Test cricketers to prioritize the format and reward consistent performances. Players who participate in at least 75% of India's Test matches in a season earn a bonus of Rs 45 lakh per match, in addition to the regular Test match fees of Rs 15 lakh.The ICC's proposed Test cricket fund is a significant step towards preserving the integrity and competitiveness of the longest format of the game. By addressing financial concerns and supporting struggling nations, the fund aims to ensure the continued growth and popularity of Test cricket worldwide.