Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Sri Lanka's new leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday and expressed his hope for strengthening cooperation between the two countries under his Belt and Road infrastructure initiative (BRI). The new Sri Lankan leader has vowed to restore public faith in politics as the country works to recover from an economic collapse partly attributed to Chinese mega-projects under the BRI. Xi stated his commitment to promoting bilateral cooperation and creating more benefits for the people of both countries through the BRI.
Sri Lanka clinched a 63-run victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Galle thanks to Prabath Jayasuriya's five-wicket haul. Set a target of 275 runs, the Black Caps struggled against the spinning conditions, with Rachin Ravindra's 92 being the only highlight for the visitors. Jayasuriya, who was named man-of-the-match, credited his success to sticking to the basics and bowling with consistency on the helpful pitch in Galle.
England's Ollie Pope made headlines with his blistering knock of 150, the fastest at The Oval, before being dismissed for 325 on day two of the third Test against Sri Lanka. Debutant Josh Hull also left his mark by claiming his first Test wicket, while bad light and the contentious issue of players being called off the field due to darkness continued to frustrate both teams. Despite a late comeback by Sri Lanka's captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis, England still holds a first-innings lead but their lower-order collapse in the final six wickets brought some fight from Sri Lanka's side.
According to reports, former Sri Lankan captain and current Rajasthan Royals director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, may part ways with the franchise and join Kolkata Knight Riders as their mentor. This comes after the departure of Gautam Gambhir, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Abhishek Nayar from the KKR coaching staff. RR have seen good results under Sangakkara's guidance and KKR may be looking to bring in his expertise for their upcoming season. Stay tuned for updates on this potential move.
England's stand-in captain, Ollie Pope, achieved a remarkable feat on Day 1 of the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Oval. Pope, who was leading the team in the absence of injured Ben Stokes, scored an unbeaten century and became the first player in Test cricket to score his first seven centuries against seven different teams. The 26-year-old batsman's first Test century came against South Africa in 2020, and since then, he has scored six more against New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, India, and West Indies.
The former Indian opener did not hold back in his criticism of Babar Azam's captaincy during Pakistan's Super Four defeat to Sri Lanka. Despite valiant contributions from Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan fell short in their pursuit, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. Gambhir's remarks have sparked discussions regarding Babar Azam's leadership skills and decision-making as Pakistan reflects on their performance in the Asia Cup.
In his first innings as captain against Sri Lanka, Ollie Pope returned to form with a dominating performance, scoring a run-a-ball 103 not out during England's well-placed 221-3 on the opening day of the third Test. This was his seventh Test century and a historic one as each of his first seven centuries came against different opponents. Despite a strong start, England's opener Ben Duckett was unable to make the most of his innings, giving away his wicket on 86. Duckett praised Pope's ability to ignore the noise and criticism around his leadership and batting, proving his critics wrong with a stellar performance.
After a run of low scores, England captain Ollie Pope made a stunning return to form with a dominant unbeaten 103 in the third and final test against Sri Lanka at The Oval. Along with Ben Duckett's fluent 86, their partnership led England to a strong position of 221-3, making Sri Lanka regret their decision to bowl first in overcast conditions.
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has written a column for The Telegraph addressing the issue of bad light in test matches. He argues that with advancements in technology and investment in floodlights, the ICC should take action to ensure that spectators are able to watch a full day's play without interruptions due to bad light. Vaughan's column comes as another day of cricket is disrupted due to gloomy conditions, leaving spectators frustrated and potentially missing out on refunds for their tickets.
England batsman Joe Root is chasing Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15,921 Test runs. With 12,377 runs in his bag, Root is only 3,544 runs behind the Indian legend. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan believes Root has at least three years of cricket left in him and his current form and passion for the game makes him a strong contender to surpass Tendulkar's record. However, Vaughan predicts that the BCCI will do everything possible to ensure that an Indian player eventually overtakes Tendulkar's record, if Root fails to do so.