Galle Spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each to help India thrash Sri Lanka by 304 runs in the opening Test and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at the Galle International Stadium here on Saturday.

Chasing an improbable 550, Sri Lanka, reduced to nine men after skipper Rangana Herath and Asela Gunaratne were ruled out, failed to put up a fight before being bundled out for 245 in their second innings.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne and stumper Niroshan Dickwella provided some resistance by scoring 97 and 67 respectively but Ashwin (3/65) and Jadeja (3/71) dominated with the ball to clinically dismantle the hosts on the penultimate day itself.

Joining forces in the post-lunch session after the quick dismissals of Kusal Mendis (36) and Angelo Mathews (2), Karunaratne and Dickwella steadied the Sri Lankan ship to take them to 192/4 by tea.

Karunaratne’s gritty 208-ball knock proved to be the stumbling block for the Indians as he along with Dickwella added 101 runs for the fifth wicket before Ashwin, playing his career’s 50th Test, ended the stumper’s 94-ball vigil.

Ashwin struck again with the key wicket of the left-handed opener, who dragged a bottom-edge onto his stumps when he was in sight of a sixth Test hundred.

Tailenders Nuwan Pradeep (0) and Lahiru Kumara (0) failed to provide any support to Dilruwan Perera (21 not out) and were dismissed in quick succession by Ashwin and Jadeja respectively.

Earlier, after India declared their second innings at 240/3, the new ball duo of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav dealt two quick blows in the form of Upul Tharanga (10) and Danushka Gunathilaka (2) respectively to reduce the home side to 85/2 at the lunch break.

Having got an attacking 64 in the first innings, Tharanga failed to cash on the advantage when Kohli dropped him at first slip, to be bowled off an inside edge in the next ball from Shami.

Gunathilaka also gifted his wicket by flicking Yadav’s delivery straight to square leg fielder Cheteshwar Pujara before Mendis and Karunaratne joined forces.

Resuming the day at 189/3, India skipper Virat Kohli (103 not out) went on to complete his 17th Test century, as the visitors stretched their second innings lead to 549 runs. Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane (23 not out) added a quickfire 51-run fourth wicket stand in 6.3 overs.

The India captain, who went unbeaten on 76 at stumps on the third evening, started tapping for singles and doubles, before latching on a Dilruwan Perera delivery to clobber over midwicket for six to move to 89.

He completed his hundred with a single to midwicket, reaching the landmark in 133 balls and thereby surpassed former India skipper Sourav Ganguly’s tally of 16 Test tons.

The 28-year-old has now equalled Indian stalwarts V.V.S. Laxman and Dilip Vengsarkar’s tally of 17 and is only behind Mohammad Azharuddin (22), Virender Sehwag (23), Sunil Gavaskar (34), Rahul Dravid (36) and Sachin Tendulkar (51).

This was also Kohli’s first century after a gap of seven innings, since his 204 against Bangladesh earlier this year.

In their first innings, India posted a massive total of 600, thanks to centuries from Shikhar Dhawan (190) and Cheteshwar Pujara (153) before skitling the Lankans out for 291.

With the win, India have now taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and will now head to Colombo for the second Test, starting August 3.

(IANS)

Photo Credit: BCCI

Galle: Pacer Mohammed Shami’s twin strikes in a single over put India in the driver’s seat in the opening cricket Test as Sri Lanka lost five quick wickets to totter at 154/5 at stumps on the second day at the Galle International Stadium here on Thursday.

The home side lost three wickets in quick succession to find themselves trailing by 446 runs in their first innings, with former skipper Angelo Mathews (54) and Dilruwan Perera (6) unbeaten at stumps.

Shami dealt crucial blows to register figures of 2/30 while fellow pacer Umesh Yadav and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged a wicket each. India opener Abhinav Mukund made things worse for the hosts by effecting the run-out of in-form Upul Tharanga.

Reduced to 10 men after the loss of all-rounder Asela Gunaratne, who was ruled out with a broken thumb on Wednesday, the hosts were off to a shaky start, losing opener Dimuth Karunaratne (2), debutant Danushka Gunathilaka (16) and Kusal Mendis (0) in the first 15 overs.

Karunaratne was trapped leg before by Umesh while Gunathilaka and Mendis were sent back in the same over by Shami.

Tharanga (64) and Mathews then steadied the ship with a 57-run stand for the fourth-wicket before Mukund’s brilliant throw sent back the newly-appointed Sri Lanka One-Day International (ODI) skipper.

Mukund’s throw from silly point to stumper Wriddhiman Saha resulted in Tharanga’s run-out, who reached the crease but his bat bounced while making the ground.

Incoming batsman Niroshan Dickwella (8) was caught brilliantly by Mukund at silly point after he failed to block the ball and managed only to get the outside edge off a delivery by tweaker Ashwin.

Earlier, a 62-run ninth-wicket stand between debutant Hardik Pandya (50) and Shami (30) helped India post 600 in their first essay.

Pandya’s half-century was laced with five boundaries and three sixes while Shami slammed three sixes in his cameo with a strike rate of 100.00.

Resuming the day at 399/3, the overnight duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane batted cautiously with the Saurashtra right-hander crossing the 150-run mark while Rahane too got to his half-century.

But the tide was destined to turn soon. Pujara was the first to go when pacer Nuwan Pradeep produced an excellent delivery which moved slightly away after pitching at a perfect length on the off-stump.

Pujara was totally outfoxed as the ball took the outer edge on its way into the gloves of Lankan wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella.

Rahane was the next to go. The Mumbai batsman mistimed an attempted drive off Lahiru Kumara only to see the ball take the outer edge and Dimuth Karunaratne pull of a superb diving effort at first slip.

The visitors plunged into further trouble when Wriddhiman Saha (16) and Ashwin (47) also went back in successive overs.

For the hosts, Pradeep (6/132) emerged the pick of the bowlers while fellow pacer Lahiru Kumara took 3/131 and skipper Herath bagged a wicket.

(IANS)

Centuries from opener Shikhar Dhawan (190) and one-down Cheteshwar Pujara (144 not out) helped India reach 399/3 at stumps on the opening day of the first of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium here on Wednesday.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, India rode on a 253-run second wicket effort between Dhawan and Pujara to surpass the highest ever first day’s total of 351 runs in Sri Lanka.

Later, Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane (39 not out) put on an undefeated 113-run fourth-wicket stand to take the visitors to their second ever highest opening day’s total.

(IANS)

London: The Indian women’s cricket team let slip a historic title triumph with nerves getting the better of it in a tense summit clash against England, leaving Mithali Raj’s giant-slaying side with the runners-up tag for a second time in the ICC World Cup.

It was an anti-climactic result for India since they were well on course for a memorable triumph, sitting pretty at 191 for three in 42.5 before a batting collapse saw them bowled out for 219 in 48.4 overs.

Needing just 38 runs off 43 balls, the Indian lower middle order lost seven wickets for 28 runs in 6.5 overs.

Opener Punam Raut (86) and Harmanpreet Kaur’s (51) steady half centuries had set the platform but once they departed it was far from a smooth ride as England’s consistent strikes turned it into a cliff-hanger.

Veda Krishnamurthy (35 off 34 balls), Sushma Verma’s (0) and Jhulan Goswami (0) were dismissed in space of nine balls.

Krishnamurthy had raised hopes with a cameo but her sloppy shot selection off Anya Shrubsole in the 45th over changed the script as it exposed the tailenders to a pressure situation which they could not cope with.

Nevertheless, Indian women team emerged as a force in world cricket with some inpsiring peformances such as Harmanpreet Kaur’s fearless strokeplay.

However, it was one last chance for captain Mithali Raj and veteran Jhulan Goswami to have a World title in their cupboards. India were making their second appearance in a World Cup final. They lost their previous final, against Australia in Centurion, by 98 runs in 2005.

A proven performer for far too long, Jhulan delivered with three wickets in the most widely watched game in the history of women’s cricket as India restricted the hosts to 228 for seven.

Smriti Mandhana (0) must have been desperate to break her run-less streak but a four-ball duck ended her campaign in the tournament as Anya Shrubsole crashed through her defence in the second over of the Indian innings.

Mithali Raj (17 off 31) and Punam Raut added 38 runs for the second wicket before the captain trudged back to pavilion following a lazy run out. Surprisingly, Raj gave up half way after Raut called her for a run.

India were steady, going little under four an over, but England were fielding well to ensure there were no freebies.

Harmanpreet came to the crease with a bag of burden on her shoulder and batted with maturity.

In company of Raut, she kept the scoreboard ticking and twice lofted left-arm spinner Alex Hartley over the ropes, signalling that things were very much under control.

India reached 100 in the 27th over and Raut raised her half-century with a single off Shrubsole. Harmanpreet too got to the milestone soon when she glanced Brunt to fine leg.

With two batswomen going about their business untroubled, India had a firm control over the proceedings. But England got exactly what India did not want to lose at that time: Harmanpreet’s wicket.

The Moga girl swept Hartley straight to Beaumont at deep square leg when even England had not expected a wicket and that too of the most dangerous batter in Indian line-up.

She did not set the field on fire like the way she batted against Australia but it was a significant knock, although it did not prove to be enough in the end.

Earlier, the coin landed in the opponents’ favour at the toss was hardly a deterrent as India went about the task in a professional manner.

Leading the show was the redoubtable Goswami, who scythed through the English middle-order.

The highlight of the lanky Bengali’s outing was the back-to-back dismissals of Sarah Taylor and Fran Wilson, which pegged England back.

Taylor is a legend of the women’s game and Sciver entered the marquee match on the back of two centuries, and Jhulan had them caught behind and trapped in front of the wicket.

In what could be her last match, Taylor walked off to an ovation from the almost sell-out Lord’s crowd after scoring 45 off 62 balls. The veteran English batswoman, surprisingly, could not hit a boundary in her innings.

The in-from Sciver struck 51 off 68 balls, hitting five boundaries in the process, before her recovery act was cut short by Jhulan in the first ball of the 38th over.

A former ICC Player of the Year, Jhulan finished her spell with impressive figures of 3/23 in the allotted 10 overs, which included three maidens.

The end of Jhulan’s spell proved to be a boon for England, who rode on Katherine Brunt’s 42-ball 34 and Jenny Gunn’s 25 off 38 balls towards the end to sign off with a respectable total.

After Jhulan, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav was the most impressive bowler, finishing with two 2/36 in her quota of 10 overs.

England were off to a decent start with openers Lauren Winfield (24) and Tammy Beaumont (23) putting on 47 runs in a little over 11 overs. Rajeshwari Gayakwad gave the spirited visitors their first breakthrough when she removed Winfield.

Yadav dismissed the other opener and skipper Knight in a span of two overs to leave England in a spot of bother at 63 for three in the 17th over.

Taylor and Sciver steadied the ship with a partnership before spearhead Jhulan returned and removed Sciver.

The hosts then got some useful runs from the willows of Brunt and Gunn.

(IANS)

New Delhi: The Indian team is in a must-win situation at the ICC Women’s cricket World Cup as back to back losses have put their chances of making the semi-finals in jeopardy.

Seething in pain, the Indians need redemption via a convincing victory against New Zealand on Saturday to seal a berth in the semi-finals of Women’s World Cup 2017at the Derby Cricket ground.

The Indians are in a spot of bother now and have to produce a Houdini’s act to escape elimination from the 11th edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Against the Indians are their current form, past statistics and former women cricketers’ prediction on the match favorites.

In the 10 head-to-head encounters in World Cup, the Kiwis have decimated India on nine occasions. The solitary win emerged in the 2005 WC semi-finals, where Indians comprehensively bulldozed through and reached their first finals of a World Cup.

Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj are the only two survivors from that summer afternoon battle where Indians emerged victorious by 40 runs at Potchefstroom, South Africa. However, former Kiwi cricketer and current coach Haidee Tiffin will look to avenge that.

India and New Zealand have suffered defeats in their previous games against Australian and England respectively. Saturday’s game will be more about performance, swiftness, unpredictable strategy rather than a deft, traditional game.

The Kiwis have a slight edge with all round athleticism led by skipper Suzie Bates. Bates, a former basketball player at the 2008 Beijing Olympics is the only Olympian to play the game of cricket.

A big attraction is 16-year-old Kiwi leg-spinner Amelia Kerr, who could prove to be an unexpected surprise for the Indian eves.

India’s recent performance seems like an inflated balloon, with batting, their main strength letting them down. Without a strong total to defend, the Indian bowlers will not be able to contain the opposition.

However, the Indians have two strengths. Deceptive loop deliveries of the spinners, that bamboozle batters for caught behind or stumping.

The ground, Derby seems to be the home ground for Indians where they had won their initial encounters of the World Cup. Knowing seasoned coach Tushar Arothe, we can see expect change in batting line up, more aggression in batting, innovative field placement and overall body language of Indians.

Mithali became the highest run scorers in One-Day Internationals during the last game, but on Saturday she will need ample support from Jhulan, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav.

(IANS)

PTI Photo by Atul Yadav.

London: Indian stars Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza encountered contrasting fortunes in their respective mixed doubles matches at the Wimbledon tennis tournament here on Wednesday.

Bopanna and his Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski defeated the Croatian pair of Nikola Mektic and Ana Konjuh 7-6, 6-2 in 63 minutes.

The 10th seeded Indo-Canadian pair will meet the unseeded duo of Heather Watson of Britain and Henri Kontinen of Finland in the quarter-finals.

Watson and Kontinen had defeated fourth seeds Sania and her Croatian partner Ivan Dodig 7-6, 6-4 in an hour and 26 minutes.

(IANS)