World T20, 2nd Semi-Final

India vs West Indies

at Mumbai, Mar 31, 2016

West Indies 196/3 beat India 192/2 by 7 wickets

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Sri Lanka Cricket News November 2005

Sri Lanka give Mubarak a chance

Sri Lanka have recalled batsman Jehan Mubarak following an injury to teenager Chamara Kapugedara ahead of the first Test in Madras (Chennai) on Friday. Team manager Michael Tissera said: "Chamara hurt his knee during fielding practice. The physio did not seem to think he will last the entire series. "He has gone back to Sri Lanka. It is a big disappointment for the boy." The 18-year-old Kapugedara, uncapped at international level, had played only one first class game." But he was included for the India tour following his promising efforts for the Sri Lanka under-19 and A teams. Mubarak, 24, is a left-handed batsman who played the last of his four Tests against Pakistan a year ago.

Sri Lanka struggle in tour match

Sri Lanka struggled with both bat and ball in their rain-hit three-day tour match against an Indian Board Presidents XI which ended in a tame draw on Monday. The hosts piled on 317 for four wickets before declaring after lunch and then reduced the tourists to 171 for nine when stand-in captain Chaminda Vaas declared the innings and play was called off as a draw. Rain and a wet pitch had delayed start of play until after lunch on the second day. Sri Lanka, still reeling from their 6-1 one-day series drubbing in India this month, struggled against the Board XIs double spin attack. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, 23, an India prospect, grabbed four wickets for 64 runs and off break bowler Kulamani Parida returned three for 77. Sri Lanka wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with 43, including five fours and a six, before he was caught top-edging a sweep against Mishra. Earlier, Board XI batsmen Sridharan Sriram (61) and skipper Venugopal Rao (46) added 97 runs for the third wicket after resuming on their overnight score of 217-2. Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan were rested for the game. The first match of the three-Test series starts in Chennai on Friday.

Jayasuriya still has Test hopes

Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya says he has not given up hope of a Test recall despite being left out of the squad to face India. Jayasuriya, 36, was dropped for the three-Test series, which starts on Friday, after struggling in the one-day series, which the tourists lost 6-1. "My ultimate goal remains the 2007 World Cup but the first target is to get back into the team," he said. "This setback has made me more determined and increased my hunger." Jayasuriya is recovering from a shoulder injury that he aggravated on a boat ride before the one-day series in India. He has been consulting former Test player Sidath Wettimuny to iron out some technical problems. "The shoulder is on the mend and the physiotherapist says I will be 100% fit in two weeks," said Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka's most capped Test player and highest scorer. "I had some injuries and then form too deserted me but I am keen to work hard on my game and get back in the team. "It's actually a bit difficult to cope with it when you are out of the side but it's a part of the game when you are a professional and I am cool about it."

Sri Lanka fired up for India test

Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu has urged his team to raise their game in the forthcoming Test series in India. Atapattu said he wanted "to put things right" after they were thrashed 6-1 by India in a recent one-day series. The three-match series begins in Madras (Chennai) on 2 December, with the other games set for Delhi and Kanpur. Muttiah Muralitharan will be their main threat with the ball but will have to rely on Sajeeva Weerakoon and Malinga Bandara, who have only one Test cap between them, for spin bowling support. Former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya was left out of the squad because of a shoulder problem and poor recent form. His absence has given 18-year-old Chamara Kapugedara a chance in the senior side, but Atapattu believes Jayasuriya is not yet finished at international level.

Murali pumped for Sachin battle

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said he was looking forward to doing battle with India's Sachin Tendulkar . The three-match Test series gets under way on 2 December and Muralitharan said he would target Sachin. "Sachin is the best batsmen in the world along with Brian Lara and it is always a big task when you play against them," said Muralitharan. "I enjoyed the battle in the one-dayers but the Tests are the ultimate challenge. I am really pumped up." Sri Lanka were thrashed 6-1 in the one-day series with Muralitharan missing the final two matches with a hamstring injury. Muralitharan, Test cricket's second highest Test wicket-taker, added: " "It is unfortunate that we have not played a Test series in India since 1997 and I have not bowled to Sachin in a five-day match since then." But he warned it will be a tough series for his side, who have never won in India. "India used to depend a lot on Sachin but now there are others like Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman who have a proven record and it is going to be a tough series for us," he said. "We have never won a Test in India so our focus is on setting the record straight. Our side has a lot of experience and if we play to potential we can win this time."

Dhoni makes it 6-1 for India

Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced another match-winning innings as India wrapped up a 6-1 one-day series win over Sri Lanka at Baroda. Dhoni, who made an astonishing 183 not out in the third game, hit three sixes and nine fours in his 80 off 73 balls.
He was caught at long-off with just five needed for victory as India eased home on 245-5 with 10.3 overs to spare. Russel Arnold (68) and Marvan Atapattu (59) had earlier shared a stand of 133 as Sri Lanka totalled 244-9. It represented a good recovery after the tourists had been reduced to 85-5, but the eventual outcome was never in doubt after India made 109 off the first 14 overs of their reply. Sachin Tendulkar (39), Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan (both 35) were responsible for India's flying start. Seventh ODI, Baroda: India 245-5 (39.3 overs) beat Sri Lanka 244-9 (50 overs) by five wickets

Yuvraj, RP Singh lift India to 7-wkt win

Yuvraj Singh hit an explosive unbeaten 79 as India thrashed Sri Lanka by seven wickets to take a 5-1 series lead.
Yuvraj blasted nine fours and three sixes in an unbroken century stand with Mohammed Kaif to guide India to their target of 197 with 15.1 overs to spare. Earlier, left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh took four wickets as Sri Lanka were bowled out in the 43rd over, Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scoring on 59. Sixth ODI, Rajkot: India 197-3 bt Sri Lanka 196 allout by seven wickets

Dilshan restores Sri Lankan pride

Tillakaratne Dilshan (81) and Russell Arnold (49) put on an unbroken 131 as Sri Lanka beat India by five wickets in the fifth one-dayer in Ahmedabad.
Gautam Gambhir and captain Rahul Dravid both hit 103 as India totalled 285-8, with Farveez Maharoof taking 4-20.
The tourists were struggling on 155-5 but Dilshan and Arnold kept the score ticking along before accelerating to clinch victory with 14 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka now trail 4-1 with the sixth match in Rajkot on November 9. Fifth ODI, Ahmedabad: Sri Lanka 286-5 bt India 285-8 by five wickets

India clinch series with Pune win

Mahendra Dhoni and Suresh Raina put on 82 to guide India to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Pune and a 4-0 lead in the seven-match one-day series.
Captain Marvan Atapattu hit 87 as the tourists were bowled out for 261, with seamer Ajit Agarkar claiming 5-44. India were cruising at 176-3, thanks to 63 from skipper Rahul Dravid , but they then lost three wickets for four runs. Dhoni (45) hit two sixes off Russel Arnold to clinch the series with three games left while Raina contributed 39.
Dravid's decision to put the Lankans in paid off when the in-form Kumar Sangakkara (8) and fellowopener Sanath Jayasuriya (16) were trapped lbw by Agarkar. Forth ODI, Pune: India 262-6 bt Sri Lanka 261 by four wickets

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When all hell broke loose..

Sri Lanka's 952-6d against India

R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium (known prior to June 1994 as the Khetterama Cricket Stadium) was the brainchild of the late Sri Lanka President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who championed the development of this colossal 35,000-seater concrete bowl, the biggest stadium in Sri Lanka. Opened on February 2 1986, this stadium is best remembered for holding the world record for the highest Test total - 952/6 declared by Sri Lanka against India in the first test of the 1997/98 series in which former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya scored 340 and Roshan Mahanama 225, the pair sharing the highest partnership for any wicket in Test cricket with 576 for the second wicket. India in fact, had a great start to the series on Aug 2 1997, scoring 280/3 with Tendulkar 65* Azharuddin 18* on the crease at the close of day one. Siddhu had scored 111 from 200 balls with 13 fours and 2 sixes. On the second day, India declared their innings at 537/8 with Sachin Tendulkar scoring 143 with 20 fours and Azhar 126 with 11 fours. Sri Lanka were 39/1 with Jayasurya on 12 when the day's play ended. NM Kulkarni took the wicket of MS Atapattu (26, fow 39) with his first ball in Test cricket. Day three was a boring affair for the Indians as Jayasuriya 175* and Mahanama 115* batted the whole day to reach 322/1. This was the 12th occasion in Test cricket. Day four proved to be a replay of day three with both the batsman remaining on the crease and adding more runs to the total. At close of play, Sri Lanka were 587/1 with Jayasuriya 326* and Mahanama 211* at the crease. Jayasuriya became the first ever Sri Lankan to score 300 runs in a Test. The West Indian pair of Garry Sobers and Frank Worrell were the only ones before today to bat throughout two consecutive days (against England at Bridgetown in 1959-60). On day five, Kumble got the break through for India, sending Mahanama (225r 753m 561b 27x4 0x6) back (lbw) with the scoreboard reading 615/2! Their partnership of 576 runs was the highest test partnership for any wicket. (previous: 467 MD Crowe and AH Jones, New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Wellington, 1990/91)
Jayasuriya (340r 799m 578b 36x4 2x6) was the next to go, in the very next over, caught Ganguly, bowled Chauhan, with the score reading 615/3. Jayasuriya's marathon and chanceless innings of 340 was the fourth highest in test cricket, after Lara's 375, Garry Sobers' 365 (not out), and Len Hutton's 364. All the Indian fielders ran to congratulate him as he departed with his head held down as he had missed his chance to overtake Lara's record. They applauded him all the way to the pavilion (In Picture) from where he got a standing ovation.
India had to suffer more batting practice by de Silva (126), Ranatunga (86) and Jayawardene (66). There were 58 extras when the innings ended at 952 for 6 wickets declared in 271 overs. The team record 952/6d beat the previous best, 903-7d by England v Australia at The Oval in 1938 and still stands. This total is also the 3rd highest team total in First-class cricket (Highest: 1107, Victoria v New South Wales at Melbourne, 1926/27). Jayasuriya graduated to the captaincy in 1999 and a record of 18 wins in 38 Tests and 37 wins in 60 one-dayers showed him to be a leader worthy of the respect of opposing teams. Result: Match drawn; 2-Test series level 0-0
Toss: India
Test Debuts: DPMD Jayawardene (SL); NM Kulkarni (Ind).
Man of the Match: ST Jayasuriya Brief Scores: India: 537/8 declared (Sidhu 111, Sachin 143, Azhar 126, Dravid 69) drew with Sri Lanka: 952/6 declared (Jayasuriya 340, Mahanama 225, DeSilva 126, Ranatunga 86, Jayawardene 66, Extras 58)