It may be Kumar Sangakkara's farewell game but the Indian team is all focused on previous match's centurion Dinesh Chandimal with leg-spinner Amit Mishra vowing not to allow a repeat show by the Sri Lanka batman in the second Test, starting in Colombo on Wednesday.
The sight of a pitch with a fair smattering of grass and premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah putting in hard yards at nets might be the early signs of India sticking to the three pacers theory for the first Test against New Zealand
India's total of 329 is the lowest total to include a double century -- Virender Sehwag (201 not out). Gordon Greenidge had made 214 not out in West Indies' 344 for one against England at Lord's in 1984 and Len Hutton had recorded 202 not out in England's 344 against West Indies at The Oval in 1950.
New Zealand must adapt quickly, says Daryl Mitchell as spin-friendly surface beckons at Pune
France captain Kylian Mbappe suffered a broken nose late on in his side's 1-0 victory Euro 2024 victory over Austria on Monday.
New Zealand, who made 249 in the first innings, were undone by the Sri Lankan spinners in their second spell as well.
Ashwin and Jadeja together have grabbed over 800 Test wickets, and are among the most experienced bowling pairs in world cricket at present.
Statistical highlights of the fifth day of the first cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka in Galle on Thursday.
Statistical highlights on the third day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at Galle on Tuesday.
This crushing defeat is a major wake-up call for Team India. They now face the real possibility of losing a home series for the first time in over a decade, warns Harish Kotian.
Another Sri Lankan batter made his way to the record books with Dimuth Karunaratne...
'The 50th Test is something that has just come about. I cannot retrace how I did it. But I am grateful to having got here and every Test match is a blessing from here on'
Galle chief curator Jayananda Warnaweera has been handed a two-year suspension from all cricket activities by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after the former test player missed two meetings with anti-corruption officials.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India in Galle, on Friday.
The ICC on Friday let off Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with a warning for the poor quality pitch at Galle, which hosted the Island nation's first Test of a three-match series against Australia in August.
Indian batsmen have done their homework and will not allow Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath to wreck them again at Galle, captain Virat Kohli said on the eve of the first Test between the neighbours on Tuesday.
Cricket officials in Sri Lanka have confirmed that the Galle International Stadium will be rebuilt after it was destroyed by last December's tsunami.
rediffGURU Radhika Iyer Talati explains how yoga can help you stay fit and healthy.
Pacer Asitha Fernando has been named as Chameera's replacement.
The biggest challenge for the New Zealand batters on their upcoming Test tour of India will be picking the turning ball and more so the odd one that skids through, reckons former Black Caps opener Martin Guptill.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India in Galle, on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath became the most successful left-arm spinner in Test cricket on Saturday, claiming six for 59 to bowl his team to an emphatic 259-run victory against Bangladesh in the first Test.
Stylish Indian opener Rohit Sharma, who couldn't make it to the Playing XI for the first Test -- he was forced to miss the opening Test due to viral fever -- was seen having an enjoyable time with team-mates while having an intense session of FIFA video games.
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com highlights what Virat Kohli needs to ponder about, after the Galle defeat
India return to place from where journey to glory began.
It is recommended to get rid of gallstones as they are always a nuisance with an attack of gallbladder inflammation waiting to happen, says rediffGURU Dr Hemalata Arora.
England's Ben Foakes made a memorable debut to help the tourists recover from a terrible start and reach 321 for eight wickets on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday.
'Your passion for the game, your sportsmanship and your trademark smile will be missed.'
Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath continued his love affair with the Galle International Cricket Stadium as he took five for 65 to help dismiss New Zealand for 221 on the opening day of the first Test.
India were set a tricky target of 176 runs to win the first Test against Sri Lanka after Dinesh Chandimal produced a counter-attacking unbeaten 162 to lead a spirited fightback for the hosts in Galle.
Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from the second day's proceedings.
'We are an experienced team now, we played good cricket. All bases were covered and I'm really happy with the way things went in this Test'
Ashwin moves into top-10, Dhawan in career-high 32nd spot in the latest ICC Test rankings
India amassed 600 in their first innings and returned to blow away the top half of the Sri Lankan batting order to tighten their grip on the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Thursday.
'Every report I filed for Rediff.com on the professor's incarceration, would leave me wondering for days, at the depth of the State's malevolence towards this disabled professor, and his equally deep capacity to tolerate it,' recalls Jyoti Punwani.' 'No country in the world would do what our country was doing to someone so helpless.'
Rajneesh Gupta presents the numbers from Day 4 of the first Test.
Bad light stopped play on day three with Karunaratne on 27 and Dhananjaya de Silva on 30.
From working in a garment factory, selling bread, and driving an autorickshaw, the 24-year-old fast bowler's path to representing domestic giants Mumbai was anything but easy.
Wickets fell at a steady rate thereafter, with Jayasuriya striking three times, claiming the wickets of Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed to leave Pakistan struggling at 101 for five.
Galle has built a reputation as a spinners' paradise but Australia captain Steve Smith hopes there will be substantial reverse swing at the venue as his top-ranked team bid for a series-levelling win against Sri Lanka in the second test. Sri Lanka inflicted a 106-run defeat on the touring side at Pallekele last week in the opening match of the three-test series with the spinners taking 18 out of 20 Australian wickets to fall.
