Sri Lanka Cricket

Sri Lanka clinched their first win of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy on Thursday after beating India by seven wickets to level things out in the Group B standings as all four nations sit on two points apiece.

Kusal Mendis was named man-of-the-match for his 89 off 93 balls, although the bowlers were deserving of praise after restricting to 321 runs in the one-day international (ODI) meeting.

Shikhar Dahwan's 125 off 128 was overshadowed by Sri Lanka's win at the Oval in London, a result that means the Group B standings are on tenterhooks leading into the final fixtures of the pool phase.

The focus will turn back to Group A matters on Friday as New Zealand prepare to take on Bangladesh, with both teams having seen their first matches rained off—each against Australia.

Bet365 provided a breakdown of the latest standings following Thursday's result:

ICC Champions Trophy group B standings:

India - 2pts
South Africa - 2pts
Sri Lanka - 2pts
Pakistan - 2pts

One match left to play. 😍 pic.twitter.com/xVuHJXtFgv

— bet365 (@bet365) June 8, 2017

     

India vs. Sri Lanka

India (Dhawan 125, Malinga 2/70) beat Sri Lanka (Mendis 89, Kumar 1/54) by seven wickets.

Sri Lanka came into Thursday's matchup with India knowing defeat would likely spell the end of their ICC campaign, having lost to South Africa by 96 runs in their opener and sitting two points off all their peers.

One player who was under particular pressure to perform was Lasith Malinga, who only recently returned from a 19-month layoff and also was the only bowler on the day to notch two wickets, via the official ICC Twitter account:

🎥🇱🇰 See all of the India wickets fall here, with @OfficialSLC bowlers sharing the spoils earlier in the day #INDvSL #CT17 pic.twitter.com/tu14tXfkdQ

— ICC (@ICC) June 8, 2017

Fortunately, Sri Lanka's stars rose to the occasion en masse, in both batting and bowling, and fit-again star Angelo Mathews praised both aspects of the team following a potential tournament-turner, per ESPNCricinfo.com:

"It's one of the top wins, to beat India. It was a fantastic wicket. The bowlers did brilliantly to restrict India to 321. it's a very chaseable target. 

"I tried to hit as many balls in the nets as possible, it makes you feel good and that helped me come back from injury. Wasn't easy for Gunathilaka to walk into the side and bat like how he did. Kusal is a great player, and Kusal Perera also batted really well. Those partnerships were crucial. It's a must-win game for all of us in the group. Not many people expected us to win and that took a lot of pressure off us. [Turning point?] I thought the second-wicket partnership. They set us the platform."

As well as Mendis' 89, Danushka Gunathilaka (76), Mathews (52) and Kusal Perera (47) also contributed well to the scoreline in a Sri Lanka display that made former international Kumar Sangakkara pleased for his countrymen:

Amazing. It mean a lot to the team. So proud watching from the com box. Captain fantastic+army man+young genius+injury sub=victory

— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) June 8, 2017

It was suggested by BBC Sport's Azzam Ameen that perhaps Mendis' titanic performance wasn't just a coincidence, too, with Sangakkara possibly having some outward influence on procedures:

"Kusal Mendis went to meet Kumar Sangakkara 2 days before the match to get some batting tips" @Angelo69Mathews #CT17 #lka

— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) June 8, 2017

Dhawan may be somewhat dismayed his score of 125 wasn't enough to yield two more points for India, who now face an uncertain pool decider against second-place South Africa on Sunday.

Had more team-mates been able to match his standards on Thursday, India may have come away with a different result, although neutrals won't complain after the competition stakes opened up all the more.

It took them a little longer than they would have hoped, but India came out victorious in Colombo over Sri Lanka by 117 runs in the third Test.

The away side started the day needing seven wickets to win, and after a strong partnership between Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera they looked unlikely to secure victory.

However, when Perera was out, the home side folded relatively quickly, and handed India their first away win in a Test series since 2011.

It marked a good end to the tour for India and a disappointing one for the home side, who have plenty of questions, especially about their batting.

With the game over, let’s take a look back at some notable moments from the fifth day.

Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera put on big resistance

Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera came together at 107-5, and for a time it looked as though they would not only hold India at bay but take Sri Lanka to an unlikely win.

Chasing 386, the pair both looked in good touch and frustrated the visitors, who appeared clueless as to how to remove them.

In the end, it was not quite enough, but Mathews did well to score 110 before being trapped LBW by Ishant Sharma.

On debut, Perera looked assured as he made 70 from 106 balls in a partnership worth 135 that helped Sri Lanka recover from another wobble in the top order.

Perera’s dismissal sparks another collapse

However, their efforts were in vain, as when Perera was out, the rest of the batting crumbled once again.

It was not the best way to be dismissed, either, as Perera went for a reverse sweep just before tea off Ravichandran Ashwin and was caught at point by Rohit Sharma.

After the tea interval, Mathews soon went and was followed by Rangana Herath, Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep in the space of just four overs.

Ashwin was the chief destroyer, while Amit Mishra got the last wicket of Pradeep to spark scenes of jubilation among the visiting players.

The tail failed to wag, but Sri Lanka were again let down by their top six, as two players were dismissed for nought, three in double figures and only Mathews made a big innings.

Big series win for India

The win means that India won the series 2-1 in what was an impressive all-round display in Colombo.

Ishant Sharma and Ashwin looked especially handy with the ball, while Cheteshwar Pujara’s 145 batting in the first innings was a vital contribution.

India soon will welcome South Africa for a home tour before heading to Australia, so there will be plenty of stern tests to come for this team.

However, their series victory will give them a great deal of confidence, especially as it came away from home.

Having lost a great deal of the opening two days to rain, the third Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo moved on apace on the third day.

The visitors reached 312 all out, then had the home side 47-6 and seemingly in trouble in their first innings.

However, Sri Lanka recovered and reached 201, still behind by 111 but in a much-improved position from where they were.

Then, the hosts came roaring back with the ball to leave India 21-3 at the close, ahead by 132 but having seen their top order largely disintegrate.

It was a day of high drama, and here are some takeaways from the play in Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s top order crumbles again

Having dismissed India for 312 early in the day, Sri Lanka would have wanted to make a good fist of their reply in the first innings, but they struggled initially.

Of their top six, only Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal made double figures, while the other batsmen could manage only eight runs between them.

All the top six were out to seam bowlers, with Ishant Sharma looking especially effective and backed up well by Stuart Binny and Umesh Yadav.

At 47-6, things looked terrible for the Sri Lankans, and got even worse as Dhammika Prasad was forced from the crease with what looked like a hand injury.

He returned and was the last man out, but it capped a terrible start for a home side desperate to get close to India’s total in the first innings.

Hosts bailed out by lower order

However, Sri Lanka did come back thanks to their lower order and tailenders, as the last four wickets put on a staggering 154 runs.

Kusal Perera led the way with 55, while Rangana Herath showed he still has something to offer with the bat as he made 49.

Prasad recovered from his hand ailment to make 27 from 23 balls, and Tharindu Kaushal even got in on the act with 16 of his own.

The terrible start by Sri Lanka’s batsmen meant that the efforts of their lower order did not really take them close to India’s first innings total, but they did well to recover.

The hosts’ final total of 201 was a vast recovery from 47-6, even if they still trailed by 111 runs.

India’s charge held back

India had a tricky session to negotiate with the bat at the end of the day, but with a lead of 111 even before they got started, they looked strong.

However, Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept up the momentum they gathered with the bat as they reduced the away side to 21-3 at the close, with their top three all gone.

First-innings centurion Cheteshwar Pujara went for a duck in the first over, bowled by Prasad, then Lokesh Rahul followed soon after as he was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep.

Ajinkya Rahane then completed a miserable match as Pradeep trapped him LBW for four, to leave India 7-3.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma led the recovery effort, but at stumps with the score on 21-3, Sri Lanka still have a fighting chance of winning.

They need to take quick wickets and still need their brittle batting lineup to impress, but the home side have kept themselves in the game.

The first day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo promised much, but was ruined by incessant rain.

The visitors batted first but could reach only 50-2 from just 15 overs, as the rain forced an early lunch, then prevented any further play.

With so much time lost already, a draw now looks a more likely result from the game, although there are still four days remaining.

And with rain forecast in the coming days, it could be a frustrating end to a series perfectly poised at 1-1.

Even with just 15 overs of play possible, there were still some interesting talking points, especially given the selections made by India for this game.

Cheteshwar Pujara gets his chance in Tests again

With Murali Vijay injured once again and out of this game, it fell to Cheteshwar Pujara to step in as an opener and try and stake his claim for a permanent place.

With six Test centuries already, Pujara’s class is without question, although he lost his place in 2014 after a poor run of form where he only passed 50 twice.

Perhaps this game is just the chance he needs to prove he belongs in Test cricket, although he will want to get back out there on Day 2 and hope the rain stays away.

At the end of Day 1, he was unbeaten on 19 from 42 balls, having shown the application necessary on a pitch and in weather conditions offering plenty to the bowlers.

Defensive play the order of the day

Against a Sri Lanka team who won the toss and chose to field on a green pitch, batsmen were required to eliminate risk from their shots and apply themselves.

It meant that run rates would be slow, and that one or two big partnerships might swing the balance in favor of whichever batting team can take advantage.

It was not easy for India, who saw Lokesh Rahul bowled in the first over, as he left a ball alone that seamed in tremendously from outside off stump.

Then in just the fourth over, Ajinkya Rahane was trapped leg before wicket by Nuwan Pradeep to leave the visitors in trouble at 14-2.

In their place, Pujara and Virat Kohli put on a stand of 36 careful runs before the rains came and showed what needs to be done in this game.

If they can build on that partnership tomorrow, India will be in a good position.

Rain ruins what could have been an intriguing day’s play

The game was interestingly poised when it was washed out, with India 50-2 having recovered from a dreadful start and seemingly looking to assert themselves.

With the series locked at 1-1, this first day could have been very important to see which team was most likely to take the overall victory, but it was not to be.

The next four days will likely be long as the teams look to make up the time lost today, and the onus will be on them to attack if they want to force a result.

However, having lost the vast majority of a day’s play, it will take an extraordinary effort for one of these teams to finish victorious.

It did not take them long, and in the end, it was easy for India as they bowled out Sri Lanka for 134 in Colombo and won the second Test by 278 runs.

India's win evened the series at 1-1 with one game to play. The away side have taken charge of the game and not let up in their pursuit of victory.

India were indebted to the efforts of Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 5-42, and a supporting role from Amit Mishra who took 3-29.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled for the second time in the match to speak perhaps of a broader problem within their team.

The series will stay in Colombo for the third Test, but before it moves on, let’s take a look back at the fifth and final day of the second Test.

Sri Lanka’s batting crumbles again

Sri Lanka resumed on 72-2, with Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews at the crease and seemingly well placed to get big scores.

However, things fell apart rapidly as the hosts scored just 62 runs for the loss of eight wickets and slid to a poor defeat.

It was the second time in the game their batting had crumbled, having lost their last seven wickets for 65 in the first innings too.

Once Mathews was dismissed, there was little resistance from the remaining batsmen, with Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne the only others to reach double figures on Monday.

With star batsman Kumar Sangakkara set to retire, it is a worrying trend.

The Sri Lankans will need to determine why their batting is failing in such a way and fix it quickly, or else they will succumb to even more embarrassing defeats in the future.

Ravichandran Ashwin the chief destroyer

India were led to victory by Ashwin, who took 5-42 in the second innings to hustle Sri Lanka to defeat.

On a slow pitch offering plenty for the spinners, Ashwin removed the key man Karunaratne as well as Thirimanne, who hit a massive six and looked in ominous form.

However, he was not the only bowler to impress, as Mishra also looked in good form, finishing with 3-29 from just 9.4 overs.

Mishra mopped up the tail-enders late on but also dismissed Chandimal, who has shown an ability to counter-attack and make life difficult for India.

It was a strong effort from both players, who took advantage of their side’s dominance with the bat and earned them a commanding victory.

India level series; set up intriguing final Test

With India’s victory, the series is level at 1-1 with one Test to play, which begins later this week in Colombo.

On the surface, the away side have the momentum going into the game, having won so decisively in the second Test.

However, with both Wriddhiman Saha and Murali Vijay unavailable through injury for the last game, their charge has been dented somewhat.

Naman Ojha and Karun Nair will join up with the squad for the third Test, and Sri Lanka may well get a boost from seeing their opponents weakened somewhat.

Either way, the final Test promises to be a good one, especially after India’s win in the second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd9gq4QjzJw

Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara gave an emotional farewell speech after playing his final game as an international cricketer.

Sangakkara fought back tears as he reflected on his prolific career, which saw him score more than 28,000 runs, per ESPN Cricinfo:

To all my past captains, to Sri Lanka Cricket, to all my team-mates, thank you very much for everything that you've done for me. The support that I received, the inspiration, the drive and the commitment you have shown, not just to the game but also to each other and to me, I value all very, very highly.

The former captain scored 12,400 runs in 134 Tests and 14,234 runs in 404 one-day internationals before hanging up his gloves after the second Test in Colombo.

The tributes poured in during a special farewell ceremony for Sangakkara, with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena offering him the role of high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

[YouTube, ESPN Cricinfo]

Another enthralling day of cricket in Colombo saw India take a slight advantage over Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test, as they lead by 157 runs.

Initially, it looked as though the Sri Lankans would be well on top as they lost only three wickets in passing 200.

However, the visitors came roaring back and precipitated a dramatic batting collapse to take a lead of 87 runs into the second innings, having looked likely to concede the lead.

Now, with two days left, India have the perfect opportunity to build on their good position and reach a target that should be out of reach for the hosts.

With the third day now over, let’s examine some takeaways from Saturday's play, starting with the strong performances of Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne for Sri Lanka.

Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne build strong stand

Mathews and Thirimanne resumed the day on 19 and 28, respectively, and immediately set about building a big partnership that could have taken Sri Lanka into the lead.

India did not take a wicket in the morning session as the pair dominated and took the home side past 200 with few alarms.

Mathews ended up as the top scorer in the entire innings with a well-made 102, while Thirimanne offered good support with 62.

Their partnership was worth 127, and even when Thirimanne was out with the score on 241, Sri Lanka would have been hopeful of building a big lead.

Sri Lanka waste good position

Unfortunately, the good work of Thirimanne and Mathews was wasted by their team-mates, as only two players below them reached double figures in a dramatic collapse.

Dinesh Chandimal could make only 11, while Jehan Mubarak reached 22, and the tail enders could not apply themselves at the crease.

The home side lost seven wickets for 65 runs and could reach only 306 all out—meaning they conceded a lead of 87 runs to India.

Having looked so strong, the hosts would have fancied their chances of moving past 400.

However, they could not manage it and instead were forced to go into the second innings knowing they had missed a golden opportunity.

India on top after three days

Having taken a decent lead from the first innings, India would have been determined not to waste their good position and managed to make good progress.

They got to stumps on 70 for one, having lost Lokesh Rahul early but seen Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane build a decent partnership.

With the visitors now ahead by 157 and two days left to play on a deteriorating wicket that will favour the bowlers, India are in poll position to take the win.

They need to bat well tomorrow, build up enough of a lead and then leave themselves enough time to bowl out Sri Lanka, all of which they are capable of.

After two days of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India, the teams are about even after the visitors made 393 and the hosts reached 140-3 at the close.

It was an intriguing day’s play between the two sides. The Sri Lankans set themselves up well to take the lead tomorrow with wickets in hand.

However, India will feel they too are in a good spot, having nearly reached 400 and having taken some crucial wickets at key moments.

That means Day 3 will be crucial, as either one of these teams could take charge and both will be desperate to avoid getting dominated.

Before we get to that, here are some takeaways from the second day of the second Test.

India fail to reach 400 again

After their overnight score of 319-6, India might be somewhat disappointed to be bowled out for 393, especially with some capable batsmen left at the crease.

Even with Rohit Sharma gone yesterday evening, Wriddhiman Saha remained, and alongside him the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra were decent with the bat.

Saha went on to score 56, while Mishra gave him good support with 24 to get India close to 400.

However, the visitors may well lament their tail’s general inability to wag, especially with Ashwin, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav all dismissed for just two runs each.

The psychological boost from reaching 400 might have been something of a boon for the away side, although 393 is still a good score batting first.

Sri Lanka batsmen get starts but get out

In reply, the majority of Sri Lanka’s batsmen so far made starts and looked to be in good form, but were then removed just as they looked set to push on.

Dimuth Karunaratne is the exception to this as he was removed for just one run, trapped leg before wicket by Yadav.

However, Kumar Sangakkara will be disappointed to be removed for 32, once again caught by Ajinkya Rahane off Ashwin when he might have fancied more runs.

Then, Kaushal Silva reached a half-century but was out shortly after, as he was caught by Ashwin off Mishra attempting a sweep shot.

Unbeaten overnight are Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne, who both look set already and will want to push on.

They must learn from the mistakes of their colleagues and take advantage of their decent position, or else India could reclaim a dominant position.

Third day looks set to be crucial

This tight second day has set up a third day that will likely be critical, as either side could easily gain the upper hand.

Sri Lanka will feel they are in a good position to take the lead, with two batsmen unbeaten at the crease overnight and well set.

However, India might think that if they take some early wickets, they can put their hosts under enormous pressure and even come away with a lead from the first innings.

It sets up the third day brilliantly, for what should be an intriguing encounter between two evenly matched teams.

After victory in Galle, Sri Lanka will face India in the second of three Tests in Colombo, with the hosts looking to wrap up a series victory.

Venue: P Sara Oval, Colombo

Date: Thursday, August 20

Start time: 10 a.m. local time, 5:30 a.m. BST

Live on: Sky Sports (UK), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), DD National/DD Sports (India), Fox Sports (Australia), DIRECTV & Willow TV (United States of America), OSN Network (United Arab Emirates), PTV Sports (Pakistan), Ten Sports (Caribbean).

Weather: According to Weather.com, Colombo will be dominated by thunderstorms throughout this game, with temperatures hitting 31 degrees Celsius.

Overview

Sri Lanka came out on top in the first Test by 63 runs, as they managed to defend what appeared on the surface at least to be a very small total in the fourth innings.

The hosts batted first and made just 183, led by captain Angelo Mathews with 64 and Dinesh Chandimal with 59.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers with 6-46 on a wicket that was offering plenty of assistance to the spinners even on Day 1.

In reply, India racked up 375, thanks to centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, with Wriddhiman Saha adding 60.

Tharindu Kaushal took 5-134, but they were expensive wickets, as the visitors looked well on top.

However, after their top order crumbled the second time around, Chandimal counter-attacked with a brilliant 162 to put Sri Lanka in the lead and set India a target of 176 to win.

It may have seemed a reachable total, but the Indians crumbled against Rangana Herath, who took 7-48 and bowled the tourists out for 112, leaving them defeated by 63 runs.

Things got even worse for the away side in recent days, too, as Dhawan has been sent home with a fractured hand, according to ESPN Cricinfo.

Stuart Binny has been called up as cover for a squad struggling with injury problems, although Murali Vijay could be available after some hamstring troubles.

It is all a bit worrying for India, who will face a Sri Lanka team high on confidence and in prime position to secure a series win.

Team News

Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak, Kusal Perera, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Tharindu Kaushal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dhammika Prasad, Vishwa Fernando

India: Virat Kohli (capt), Varun Aaron, Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Umesh Yadav, Lokesh Rahul

Key Players

Rangana Herath

In Sri Lanka’s successful defence of 176, Rangana Herath stood out, as he took 7-48 and spun India to defeat.

The left-armer found a great deal of assistance from the pitch and will likely look for more in this Test in Colombo for further impact.

Virat Kohli

One of the few India batsmen to really shine in the first Test was Virat Kohli, whose 103 in the first innings helped the visitors take a big lead, which they then squandered.

With fellow centurion Dhawan out, the onus is on Kohli to deliver for his country and prevent them from suffering another away defeat.