Sri Lanka – Page 3

Sri Lanka beats India by 63 runs

August 15, 2015 by Nasheman

Galle: Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed seven wickets to bowl out India, chasing 176 in the second innings, for 112, to give Sri Lanka a 63-run win in the first Test match here on Saturday.

Herath (7-48) wrecked the Indian batting line-up on the fourth day of the match. For the Indian batting line-up that suffered a new low, middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane (36) was the top scorer at the Galle International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.

Herath was well supported in his efforts by fellow spinner Tharindu Kaushal 3-47, as the visitors succumbed under pressure chasing a small total of 176.

With the win, the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series. The second Test begins on August 20 in Colombo.

Resuming the fourth day’s play on a sunny morning, the Sri Lankans were in an attacking mode as Herath and Kaushal gave the hosts early breakthroughs.

Nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (10) didn’t last long as he was adjudged leg before wicket off the bowling of Herath in the seventh over of the day.

India suffered two successive massive blows thereafter in the space of three overs as Rohit Sharma (4) and skipper Virat Kohli (3) were also sent back to the pavilion by the Lankan spin duo. India was in trouble at 45/4.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (28) tried to wage a lone battle for India but he too fell quickly, followed by Wriddhiman Saha (2) and Harbhajan Singh (1) to leave India tottering at 67/7 at lunch and staring at a humiliating defeat.

Coming into field after lunch, the Sri Lankan spinners pounced on the Indian tail-enders to take the last three wickets 34 runs.

Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin (3) and Amit Mishra (15) all fell in a heap to give the hosts 1-0 lead. Varun Aaron (1) remained unbeaten.

India had ended the third day’s play at 23/1 after Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal’s unbeaten 162 helped the hosts avoid an innings defeat and take their second innings score to 367.

Sri Lanka were bundled out for 183 in th first innings on the first day while India scored 375 in their first innings to take a 192-run first innings lead.

(Agencies)

India need 153 runs to win first Test

August 14, 2015 by Nasheman

India’s Shikhar Dhawan watches the ball as he plays a shot during the third day of their first cricket test match against Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Galle: India reached 23/1 in pursuit of 176 runs after they bowled out Sri Lanka for 367 runs in their second innings despite Dinesh Chandimal’s unbeaten 162 on the third day of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium here on Friday.

After conceding a 192-run first innings lead, the Sri Lankan top order failed to rise to the occasion. But young Chandimal registered his fourth century in Test cricket to bail the team out of trouble. Chandimal hit 19 fours and four sixes from 169 deliveries.

The right-hander forged a 125-run stand with Lahiru Thirimanne (44) when the hosts were 92/5 and it helped them overcome the innings deficit. Chandimal was also involved with another healthy partnership of 82 runs with Jehan Mubarak (49) for the sixth wicket to ensure that the Sri Lankans get a 100-run lead.

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (4-114) completed a 10-wicket haul in the match and he was ably supported by leg-spinner Amit Mishra (3-61). Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron bagged a wicket each.

At the end of the day, India lost Lokesh Rahul (5) to Rangana Herath. Shikhar Dhawan (not out 13) and nightwatchman Ishant (5 not out) were at the crease as India look in command to get another 153 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Earlier, starting the day at five for two, Sri Lanka lost Dhammika Prasad (3) to the first ball of the day as the nightwatchman failed to fend off a well directed bouncer from pacer Aaron and edged to Ajinkya Rahane at gully.

Skipper Angelo Mathews (39) joined former captain Kumar Sangakkara (40), who is playing in his penultimate international match. The left-right combination showed some resilience even though the Indian bowlers kept troubling them.

They forged a 87-run stand for the fourth wicket to bring the deficit down to 100 runs. However, left-hander Sangakkara nudged an Ashwin delivery that took a sharp turn away from him only to see a diving Rahane pouch a brilliant catch at slip in the 25th over.

Sangakkara, considered one of the greatest batsmen, walked back to a standing ovation from the Galle crowd.

In the very next over, Mathews fell to a bouncing ball from leg-spinner Mishra. Mathews played the ball on to his pads and it went to Lokesh Rahul at silly point.

With the skipper’s wicket, Sri Lanka reeled at 95/5 when young batsmen Chandimal and Thirimanne joined hands.

Starting the second session at 108 for five and his team still trailing by 84 runs, unbeaten Chandimal felt that attack was the best mode of defence and showed his intentions early.

Ashwin picked his third wicket of the innings as left-hander Thirimanne edged one to Rahane at slip. It was Tamil Nadu’s Ashwin’s ninth wicket of the five-day match.

Chandimal was joined by Mubarak and they were going strong till Harbhajan induced an edge off the latter that was caught at slip by Rahane to reduce the hosts to 302/7.

Mishra removed Herath as the batsman edged it to slip fielder Rahane, who created a world record by taking eight catches in a single Test match.

Ishant accounted for Tharindu Kaushal (7) while Ashwin rattled the stumps of 11th man Nuwan Pradeep (3) as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 367, leaving India 176 runs to win the match.

Virat Kohli-captained India reached 23/1 with only the loss of Rahul, who was trapped in front of the stumps by left-arm spinner Herath.

(IANS)

Dhawan, Kohli centuries put India on top

August 13, 2015 by Nasheman

Galle: India skipper Virat Kohli struck an impressive century while opener Shikhar Dhawan scored 134 to help India extend their first innings lead to 121 runs at tea on Day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

Kohli (103) and Dhawan both looked settled for even bigger knocks but both fell in the second session, thus ending their 227-run third-wicket partnership.

Wriddhiman Saha (23 not out) and Harbhajan Singh (0 not out) remained unbeaten as India reached 304/6 in 91 overs at tea after Sri Lanka were bowled out for 183 on Day One itself, thanks to an impressive six-wicket haul by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Resuming the second day’s play at 128/2 on a sunny morning, Indian overnight batsman Kohli and Dhawan found it difficult to score freely as Lankan pacers and spinners bowled in tandem. The visitors hit their first boundary only in the 13th over of the day.

However, as the first hour of play progressed, the batsmen slowly settled down and took a vital 44-run first innings lead when the first session ended.

Coming on to the field after lunch, India played on an aggressive note as skipper Kohli brought up his 10th Test century in style. But he was dismissed soon after his ton, going back to the pavilion with the score at 255/3.

India received a double blow when incoming batsman Ajinkya Rahane was out for a duck on his fifth delivery with India at 257/4.

Set batsman Dhawan and Ashwin (7) also fell soon after to give Sri Lanka something to cheer about before tea was called.

(Agencies)

India reach 128/2 after bowling out Sri Lanka for 183

August 12, 2015 by Nasheman

REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Galle: India posted 128/2 at stumps in reply to hosts Sri Lanka’s 183 in the first innings on Day One of the first Test match at the Galle International Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the inspiration behind India’s impressive performance, claiming a six-wicket haul to bowl out the hosts.

Ashwin (6/46) alongside leg-spinner Amit Mishra (2/21) flummoxed the Sri Lankan batsmen to bowl them out in just 49.4 overs in the second session of the day’s play.

In reply, Shikhar Dhawan (53) and skipper Virat Kohli (45) remained unbeaten to help the visitors reach 128/2 in 34 overs at the end of the day’s play.

(IANS)

3rd Test: Pakistan clinch historic win after extraordinary turnaround

July 7, 2015 by Nasheman

Misbah-ul-Haq with the series trophy. — AFP

by Dawn

Pallekele: Younis Khan steered his team towards a historic victory over Sri Lanka as Pakistan chased down a mammoth 377 on the final day to clinch the third Test and the three-match series on Wednesday.

Pakistan sealed their highest run chase and the second highest in the sub-continent with the win. It was also sixth highest successful chase in history.

Shan Masood fell for 125 but Younis Khan continued from where he left off on the fourth day as Pakistan achieved the target for the loss of just three wickets at the Pallekle International Stadium.

Younis was unbeaten on 171 with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (59) at the other end as the visitors registered a remarkable win.

Off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal drew Masood out of his crease with flight and beat him with turn to have him stumped but not before the opener had added 242 runs with Younis to turn the match on its head.

Even after Masood departed after scoring 125, Younis played with characteristic fluency, hitting 18 boundaries in his unbeaten 271-ball knock.

Pakistan entered the final day’s play needing a further 147 runs with eight wickets in hand on a wearing, but easy-paced Pallekele pitch.

It was the first time a visiting team scored more than 300 runs in the fourth innings to win a Test on Sri Lankan soil.

Pakistan’s previous highest successful chase was 314, made against Australia in Karachi in 1994.

Younis has scored 20% of all the 4th-inngs runs scored by Pakistan in the matches he has played – 1333 out of 6554 bat runs (excl extras)

— S Rajesh (@rajeshstats) July 7, 2015

Pakistan won the first Test in Galle by 10 wickets and Sri Lanka took the second in Colombo by seven wickets.

The tourists finally ended a long streak of not winning in Sri Lanka where they lost the last three series in 2009, 2012 and 2014.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 278 and 313; Pakistan 215 and 382/3

Shehzad, Azhar score gritty fifties as Pakistan chop deficit

June 27, 2015 by Nasheman

by Dawn

Colombo: Gritty half-centuries from Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali steered Pakistan to 171 for two against Sri Lanka when bad light ended the third day of the second Test on Saturday.

Shehzad fell for 69 to the first ball after tea having shared a 120-run second-wicket partnership with Ali (64) who was unbeaten after registering his 20th Test fifty.

Veteran Younis Khan was on 23 not out at the close as Pakistan trailed Sri Lanka by six runs with eight wickets in hand at the P Sara Oval.

Earlier, Pakistan had claimed the last Sri Lankan wicket in the morning session to bowl out the hosts for 315 with leg-spinner Yasir Shah (6-96) dismissing Dushmantha Chameera 15 minutes after a rain-delayed start.

Younis held a good running catch to send back Chameera as Sri Lanka, pressing for a series-levelling victory, took a 177-run first-innings lead.

Shot out for 138 in their first innings, Pakistan did not make a great start in their second either as a leaden-footed Mohammad Hafeez (eight) poked at an Angelo Mathews delivery to be caught by Kumar Sangakkara in the slips.

Shehzad and Ali proved there were no demons in the pitch and they frequently used their feet to negate the threat posed by Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.

Shehzad overcame a blow on his helmet by a Chameera bouncer to bring up his fifty in the 35th over.

The opener, however, perished straight after tea when he edged a pull shot against Dhammika Prasad through to keeper Dinesh Chandimal.

Sarfraz counter-attack thwarts Sri Lanka's hopes of lead

June 20, 2015 by Nasheman

Sarfraz Ahmed (R) plays a shot as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal looks on during the fourth day of the opening Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Galle: Sarfraz Ahmed narrowly missed his fourth Test century but his counter-attack put paid to Sri Lanka’s hopes of a sizeable first-innings lead on the fourth day of the opening Test against Pakistan at Galle on Saturday.

The hosts would have hoped for quick wickets when Pakistan resumed in the morning on 118/5 but a sixth-wicket stand of 139 between Sarfraz (96) and Asad Shafiq (64 not out) thwarted them.

Pakistan reduced their first-innings deficit to 41 by the end of the first session, reaching 259/6 with Wahab Riaz (eight) the other unbeaten batsman.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz put Sri Lanka’s disciplined attack in disarray with his innovative batting and hit 13 fours in his 86-ball knock.

A similar unorthodox shot, when he tried to play a sweep against fast bowler Dhammika Prasad, brought about his downfall as the ball took the inside edge and went on to hit the stumps.

The dismissal gave Prasad his third wicket of the innings and Sri Lanka their only success in the session.

Shafiq on the other hand was calm and composed during the partnership and hit three boundaries in his 149-ball stay as he completed his 12th Test half century.

(Reuters)

Cricket World Cup 2015: South Africa ease into semi-finals

March 18, 2015 by Nasheman

by Stephan Shemilt, BBC Sport

South Africa cruised into the World Cup semi-finals with a one-sided thrashing of a sorry Sri Lanka in Sydney.

Off-spinner JP Duminy took a hat-trick and leg-spinner Imran Tahir 4-26 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 133.

The Proteas then eased to their target for the loss of only one wicket in 18 overs, with Quinton de Kock making an unbeaten 78.

They go on to a last-four meeting with New Zealand or West Indies in Auckland on Tuesday.

South Africa’s first knockout victory in 23 years of playing World Cup cricket takes them to a first semi-final since a famous defeat by Australia in 1999.

In reaching their target with 32 overs to spare, AB de Villiers’ side also completed the fastest successful run chase in a World Cup knockout match as Sri Lanka, finalists in the previous two World Cups, wilted.

Their lacklustre display was not befitting what turned out to be the final international match for Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara’s last ODI. The duo have scored 117 international centuries between them.

After the Proteas’ pace bowlers made early inroads, the spin pair of Duminy and Tahir took advantage of a succession of loose shots, while South Africa were excellent in the field throughout.

Sangakkara, on the back of four successive hundreds, made a painstaking 45 and Lahiru Thirimanne a counter-attacking 41, but no other batsman reached 20.

To cap South Africa’s day, wicketkeeper De Kock, who had managed only 53 runs in his six previous innings, returned to form with a string of cover drives.

Still, their victory was built on a brilliant bowling performance after losing the toss on an excellent pitch.

New-ball pair Kyle Abbott and Dale Steyn took the edges of Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan respectively before Sangakkara and Thirimanne steadied with stand of 65.

While Thirimanne was fluent through the off side, Sangakkara was stodgy, taking 16 balls to get off the mark and, at one point, having six from 42 balls.

When Thirimanne became the first of the seven wickets to fall to spin, Sangakkara was forced to watch from the other end as the middle and lower order fell around him.

With the ball holding in the pitch, Thirimanne patted back to Tahir and Jayawardene lobbed the same bowler to short mid-wicket.

Duminy, filling the fifth bowler slot which has caused South Africa problems during the tournament, then got to work to become the first Proteas player to take a World Cup hat-trick.

Angelo Mathews was caught at mid-on and, in Duminy’s next over, Nuwan Kulasekara feathered behind before debutant Tharindu Kaushal was pinned leg before.

For 19-year-old Kaushal, it was a golden duck on his ODI debut having being added to the Sri Lanka squad on the morning of the match.

Sangakkara was left to play a lone hand, but his attempt at aggression was ended with a slash to third man off Morne Morkel.

He departed with 14,234 runs, a tally second only to Sachin Tendulkar, in 404 matches. This was the 150th one-dayer in which he batted with Jayawardene, who has 12,650 runs.

The ruthless South Africa chase ensured that they will not share another international partnership.

Cricket World Cup 2015: Sangakkara scores fourth successive century

March 11, 2015 by Nasheman

by Adam Williams, BBC Sport

Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara became the first player to score four successive one-day international centuries as his side beat Scotland at the World Cup.

The 37-year-old hit 124 in a total of 363-9 in Hobart, to go with his previous tons in the tournament against Bangladesh, England and Australia.

Sangakkara passed 500 ODI dismissals as Scotland were bowled out for 215.

Captain Preston Mommsen and Freddie Coleman scored half centuries but Sri Lanka finish with four wins in Pool A.

They look set to face South Africa in the first of the quarter-finals in Sydney on Wednesday.

Although they posted their best ever total batting second against a Test-playing nation, a fifth defeat means Scotland remain without a win. They will play co-hosts Australia in their final match on Saturday in Hobart.

On a day of records at Bellerive Oval, left-hander Sangakkara recorded his fifth World Cup century and is now one behind the record of six held by India’s Sachin Tendulkar.

He has now scored 14,189 ODI runs and only Tendulkar (18,426), who retired in 2013, has more runs for their country in the 50-over format.

Sangakkara, who became the first ever player to score four centuries at a World Cup, has previously suggested he will retire from ODI cricket at the end of the tournament.

The wicketkeeper has enjoyed a prolific spell in the last 12-18 months, becoming the fastest player to reach 12,000 Test runs in January in the same match in which he scored his 11th double century, moving him one behind the record held by Australian great Don Bradman.

His 124 against Scotland in Hobart followed earlier scores of 105 not out against Bangladesh, 117 not out against England and 104 against Australia.

Batting first, Sri Lanka’s total owed much to a 195-run partnership for the second-wicket between Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan (104).

They reached their respective centuries in consecutive balls before being dismissed in the space of two balls by Scotland seamer Josh Davey.

Davey’s figures of 3-63 moved him to the top of the World Cup wicket-takers with 14, one ahead of New Zealand pair Trent Boult and Tim Southee.

A 20-ball half century from Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, which included four successive sixes off the bowling of Matt Machan had put them on course for a score of more than 400.

But a flurry of late wickets and some impressive catching meant Scotland restricted their tail enders.

Scotland’s reply got off to the worst possible start when Kyle Coetzer presented a simple return catch to Lasith Malinga second ball of the innings.

Captain Mommsen (60) and Coleman (70) ensured the chase had respectability with a 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

But once they had departed, only all-rounder Richie Berrington (29) could make a score of any note.

Cricket World Cup 2015: Australia overcome Sri Lanka in Sydney

March 8, 2015 by Nasheman

by Nick Royle, BBC Sport

Glenn Maxwell hit the second-fastest century in World Cup history as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs to advance to the quarter-finals.

Maxwell’s first one-day international ton, reached off 51 balls, inspired Australia’s total of 376-9 in Sydney.

Sri Lanka fell short in a spirited run chase despite a third consecutive World Cup century from Kumar Sangakkara and a quickfire 52 from Dinesh Chandimal.

Australia are likely to meet either Ireland or Pakistan in the last eight.

Michael Clarke’s side, who face Scotland in their final Pool A match in Hobart on 14 March, should finish second behind New Zealand in their group, and would therefore meet the team that finishes third in Pool B.

Sri Lanka, who lie in third place in the group with six points from their five matches, also face Scotland in their final Pool A match in Hobart on 11 March.

Maxwell hit 10 fours and four sixes in an innings of 102 that combined deft placement with power hitting, as the 26-year-old finally reached three figures in his 45th ODI.

He was denied a share of the fastest World Cup century arguably only by his own honesty, after he answered in the negative when asked by umpire Ian Gould whether he had got a touch on a legside glance off Lasith Malinga in the 45th over.

Maxwell bought up his hundred in the next over, off 51 deliveries, one more than it took Ireland batsman Kevin O’Brien to decimate the England attack in Bangalore in 2011. However, it is the fastest ODI century by an Australian, beating James Faulkner’s 57-ball century against India in 2013.

The Victorian received a bear-hug from batting partner Shane Watson, who hit 67 runs in 41 balls on his return to the side after being dropped for the previous match against Afghanistan.

“I didn’t know about the record World Cup century, but I knew about the Australian record because James Faulkner doesn’t shut up about it!” Maxwell said.

Steve Smith (68) and captain Michael Clarke (72) had earlier laid the platform for a huge Australia total with a 134-run stand for the second wicket in 23.1 overs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan set the tone for the Sri Lanka reply by hitting Mitchell Johnson for six consecutive fours off the fifth over, much to the Australia fast bowler’s incredulity, as he and Sangakkara, a batting duo with a combined age of 75, put on 130 for the second wicket.

Sri Lanka were always struggling to keep on top of the rate, particularly after Australia captain Clarke broke a dangerous third-wicket partnership with a direct hit from mid-off to account for Mahela Jayawardene (19) in the 31st over.

Sangakkara completed a third consecutive century in this tournament, a World Cup first, and his sixth hundred in his last 11 ODIs, but his dismissal to James Faulkner in the 34th over left Sri Lanka still needing 176 from 97 balls.

Chandimal hit a lusty 24-ball 52 after Sangakkara’s dismissal to keep Sri Lanka’s slim hopes alive, but his exit retired hurt in the 42nd over effectively spelled the end of the unlikely run chase.

Clarke was pleased that his bowlers did not panic when Dilshan, Sangakkara and then Chandimal began to score freely in the Sri Lanka response.

“If we can hold our nerve like that we give ourselves a chance. Watching players around the world scoring so quickly and freely, teams can chase any score now,” he said.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews believes his side would have been well in the game if his bowlers had been able to check the scoring in the final overs of the Australia innings.

“We conceded 200 runs in the last 16 overs and it was way too much – 340 would have been a real good chase,” he admitted.