Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar joined a host of former greats in congratulating India's cricket team on the historic series triumph over Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
The protests brought home the fact that the Sri Lankan public is in no mood for halfway measures, as voices against Rajapaksa 'family rule' and 'securitisation' of the civilian administration began sidestepping the more critical economic crisis, affecting the nation and afflicting the individual, observes Sri Lanka watcher N Sathiya Moorthy.
Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock feels Virat Kohli sees a bit of himself in Hardik Pandya and predicted a long run for the all-rounder in the Indian team.
Pandya is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a lower-back injury during the Asia Cup in Dubai.
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan has said that the decision to call back Moin Khan from the World Cup and later sack him as chief selector was taken to keep his prestige and reputation intact after the Casino incident.
Sirisena's sacking of Wickremesinghe was the culmination of an year of bitter relations between them on several policy matters. The president has been critical of the prime minister and his policies, especially on economy and security.
The 34-year-old replaced Iftikhar Ahmed, who managed only 44 runs in four innings in the recent tour of Australia where Pakistan lost both Tests.
A few proven, but currently out-of-form, cricketers are likely to get the nod when the national selectors draw up a list of 30 Indian probables for the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in Mumbai on Thursday.
Delhi finds itself between the rock and hard place in the coming Sri Lankan election, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Dr Anil Jasinghe, Director General of the Health Services, said the larger death toll was released as a result of a calculation error.
Jesse Ryder's blistering return to form may not be enough to get him rushed back into the international game, according to New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum.
There will be no let-up in intensity as a ruthless India look to inch closer to yet another series whitewash when they take on a beleaguered Australia in the fourth One-day International in Bengalurg, on Thursday.
'Virat, as a captain, is very positive and will back an attacking bowler. He will possibly believe that Kuldeep has more to offer than Ashwin or Jadeja, and then that's the route Virat will take. And then the wrist spinner has to perform, and replicate with the red ball what he has done with the white ball. We won't know until he is given a go'
He is open to the idea of discussing Sri Lanka's transitional issues with their coach Nic Pothas, but India skipper Virat Kohli will only do it once he is done with the ongoing limited overs series.
South Africa captain Hashim Amla remained unbeaten after his 22nd Test hundred but off-spinner Dilruwan Perera's career best figures gave Sri Lanka a big first innings lead at the end of the third day of the second Test on Saturday.
County cricket teaches you a lot and helps you grow as a cricketer, says Cheteshwar Pujara as the Indian batsman emphasised the benefits of playing in England's domestic competition after scoring his 12th Test century.
Kusal Mendis led a strong Sri Lankan second innings effort but the West Indies still held the advantage at stumps on day four of the first Test at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Saturday. Set a daunting target of 453 when the hosts declared their second innings at 223 for seven just after lunch, the visitors reached 176 for three by the close with Mendis unbeaten on 94.
Gota has to decide if he could order elder brother Mahinda's arrest as the agent provocateur of Monday's violence. Then he has to prepare for an interim government, in which no one would now want to become a cabinet minister leave alone prime minister, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
India's premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed the the demoralising effect former opener Virender Sehwag's swashbuckling batting had on him when the two practiced together.
'Sirisena will keep both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe on tenterhooks till the next general election due in 2020,' says Aditi Phadnis.
Questioning the ICC's new rules on chucking, the off-spinner says, 'If they put Harbhajan through a proper bowling assessment test now, I can safely tell you he will exceed the 15 degrees limit'
Xi Jinping is winning the war without firing a shot in Sri Lanka, observes Colonel R Hariharan (retd).
Virat Kohli has literally made the 22-yard strip his own kingdom and is in no mood to "compete with anyone" for any specific "tag", like best batsman in world cricket.
'Rajapaksa's victory poses a serious foreign policy challenge for the Modi government,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
An unbeaten 136 from Mohammad Hafeez laid the platform for Pakistan as they beat Zimbabwe by 90 runs in the second one-day international in Harare on Thursday.
Three Sri Lanka players and India's Ishant Sharma were found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct in two separate incidents during the penultimate day's play in the third Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
India opener Lokesh Rahul says the thumping 278-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test will help the players regain confidence going into the third and final Test of the series, starting in Colombo on Friday.
'In the leadership of Ganguly and a foreign coach, a much brighter phase of Indian cricket began.' 'India played the way I had wished throughout my playing career.' 'Dhoni brought calmness into Indian cricket.' 'Under Dhoni India started winning tight games, with the captain himself leading by example.'
Ahmed Shehzad smashed 95 off 90 balls as Pakistan thrashed below-par Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the fourth one-day match in Colombo on Wednesday to clinch the five-match series.
'The past few weeks in England will be remembered as much for Kohli's skilled conquest of his English demons as they will be for his dreadful reading of pitches, curious selection choices, sporadic tactical lapses, and overall inability to help his side cross the finish line,' notes Dhruv Munjal.
Virat Kohli and his predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni's demand for a pay hike for the team was on Thursday accepted by the Committee of Administrators, which also took their inputs on the issue of cramped scheduling.
'Ashwin doesn't really need to be as attacking as Bhajji. His role within this side is well-defined by a slightly better fast bowling attack (as support cast) than what my generation was facing' 'Kohli would have done fine against Glenn McGrath'
President Maithripala Sirisena's government in Colombo has clearly decided to restore some balance in its diplomatic outreach, which presents a great opportunity for India.
A fit-again Irfan Pathan feels that he is close to bowling at his best and it's just a matter of time before he is again back in contention for the seam bowling all-rounder's slot in the Indian cricket team that has been up for grabs for some time.
The hosts have hit nadir in both form and confidence, and, after a lop-sided 3-0 Test series victory, the script did not change much in the opening ODI, where India steamrolled the opposition by nine wickets.
With the pitch showing no signs of aiding the bowlers, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is pinning his hopes on the second new ball to give India breakthroughs on the fourth day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
Hashim Amla's 13th One-day International century and a clinical performance in the field carried South Africa to a comfortable 75 run victory in the opener of their three-match series against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
'We have five to six bowlers and everyone is different from each other.' 'Someone has got pace, someone has got swing, someone has got seam... we complement each other well.'
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