India look to snap five-year trophy-less streak against Theekshana-less Lanka
But Pant took the game away from the Lankans by going after the bowling as soon as he walked to the crease, bringing up his fifty with seven fours and two sixes.
Moeen Ali scored a majestic century as England amassed an impressive first-innings total by lunch on Day Two of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham.
Australia opener David Warner became the fifth batsman at the World Cup to get an unexpected reprieve after he dragged a ball on to his stump but the impact failed to dislodge the zing bails in Sunday's match against India.
South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs
'Playing for India was my dream and when I get tired, I always remind myself of this. That's where the smile is from.'
South Africa have slipped to number six in the world, behind fifth-placed Sri Lanka, and have a host of questions to answer, not least around a brittle top six and the balance of the side.
Ajinkya Rahane has signed for Hampshire in the English County Championship. He will feature in matches throughout May, June and the start of July, subject to visa clearance. He becomes the first overseas player from India to sign for the county.
England took charge of the first Test after James Anderson and Stuart Broad took nine wickets between them in favourable conditions for seam bowling to shoot out Sri Lanka for 91 after Jonny Bairstow's excellent knock at Headingley on Friday.
India captain Rohit Sharma was all praise for Shreyas Iyer, saying the promising batter had big shoes to fill following the axing of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane and grabbed the opportunity with both hands in the just-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka.
In the first Test in Kolkata, Herath bowled only eight overs in seaming conditions, but was required to send down 39 overs in the only innings that India batted in Nagpur, after which he complained of back pain.
'Lot of credit to the guys, they bowled very well in tandem, kept the pressure and never made it easier for the Sri Lanka batsmen. We just ensured we applied pressure from both ends.'
New Zealand skittled Sri Lanka out for 122 on Monday to secure a series-levelling victory by an innings and 65 runs on the final day of a rain-hit second and final Test in Colombo.
Dinesh Chandimal smashed a maiden double hundred and Prabath Jayasuriya claimed 12 wickets in a dream debut to script Sri Lanka's series-levelling victory by an innings and 39 runs in the second Test against Australia in Galle on Monday.
Mathews has taken 253 balls on his way to what he hopes will be a 10th Test century and first in over a year
Images from the Asia Cup Super 4 match between India and Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday, September 12.
Images from Day 2 of the 3rd Test played between India and Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Sunday
Chasing an elusive dream of winning their first cricket Test in India, Sri Lanka will begin their gruelling tour with a two-day tour fixture against a depleted Board President's XI, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
India captain and batting mainstay Virat Kohli was named skipper of the International Cricket Council's Test and ODI teams of the year, following a remarkable run in 2018.
An untidy shot prevented captain Alastair Cook from grabbing a place in cricketing history on Friday when he was caught at slip for 15 as England reached 83-2 at lunch on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka, who won the tournament in 1996 before making consecutive finals in 2007 and 2011, enter the 2019 edition on a difficult recent run of form.
After a record opening stand, the visitors falter in the final two sessions of the first day of the Kandy Test.
Pakistan's cricket authorities remained on tenterhooks on Thursday awaiting word from Cricket Sri Lanka on the upcoming ODI and T20 Internationals series.
SLC said in a statement that it had received the warning from the Prime Minister's Office.
Seamer Wiaan Mulder, brought belatedly into the home attack, took three wickets in 11 balls to see Sri Lanka slump to 80-4, after which Nortje bagged regular victims to complete a second test five-wicket haul.
South Africa's spin frailties were laid bare once again as the tourists collapsed for 124 to concede a first innings lead of 214 runs at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
Afghanistan fared only slightly better against defending champions Australia in their opener, losing by seven wickets, but Malinga is not taking them lightly.
Pakistan's Yasir Shah claimed seven second innings wickets in a spectacular display of leg-spin bowling to destroy Sri Lanka.
India would be desperate for the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni to find some form ahead of the semi-final when they take on Sri Lanka in their last preliminary World Cup clash, in Leeds, on Saturday.
Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara added another milestone to his already storied career when he broke the world record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in One-Day Internationals against New Zealand in Wellington on Thursday.
After a decade as Test nomads, Pakistan were unsure how to exploit their home advantage.
Rain and bad light did not allow full play on any of the previous four days since Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat but Pakistan's Abid became the only male cricketer to hit a century on his debut in both the Test and ODIs.
IMAGES from the World Cup match between India and Sri Lanka played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Thursday
Sri Lanka all-rounder and former skipper Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi next week with a calf injury, but the uncapped Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva and Lahiru Gamage are in the squad.
Sri Lankan cricket and the island's once-powerful side arrive at the World Cup struggling for form under a newly appointed captain who has played a single One-day international since 2015.
Joe Root continued with his purple patch during the first Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston, bringing up his 30th Test century.
South Africa remained on course for victory at the close at Kingsmead on Friday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still hopeful of hosting Sri Lanka for a limited-overs tour this month despite alleged terrorist threats.
The ICC Awards will comprise a total of 13 individual recognitions in all, as well as five Team of the Year announcements for each format across both men's and women's cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin produced another magical spell to scalp five wickets as India notched up a series-levelling 278-run victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka, denying the legendary Kumar Sangakkara a fairytale farewell from the game.
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