A first innings lead in the vicinity of 150 runs would put Sri Lanka in firm control of the first Test against India, reckons explosive Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Five Sri Lankan cricketers plus the assistant coach were wounded when around a dozen gunmen attacked their bus as it drove under police escort on Tuesday to the Gadaffi stadium in Lahore.
Sri Lanka has named its 15-member squad for the five-match ODI series against India next month, with notable omissions being former T20 captain Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne.
Sri Lankan off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake has signed up with English county team Worcestershire, replacing Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal for the upcoming season.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene and vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara were left out of Sri Lanka's 15-man squad on Tuesday for the Twenty20 match against India next week. Tillakaratne Dilshan will lead the side, with Chamara Kapugedera serving as his deputy.
Even as Sri Lanka sweats over pacer Lasith Malinga's injury, skipper Angelo Mathews hopes to inspire his young team to defend its WT20 title.
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori made a crucial breakthrough as he clean bowled Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene for a brave 77.
Tillakaratne Dilshan's blistering century was instrumental in Sri Lanka kicking-off their campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy on a winning note at the Centurion on Tuesday. The dashing opener scored 106 off 92 deliveries as Sri Lanka beat No 1-ranked South Africa by 55 runs in a rain-affected opening Group B match.
India's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli on Sunday credited his bowlers for the series clinching six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third ODI, and said the home team's bowling unit dished out a 'brilliant performance' to restrict the visitors to 242 in Hyderabad.
A composed 71 not out by veteran Mahela Jayawardene helped Sri Lanka beat India by four wickets in the final of the Idea Cup tri-series in Mirpur on Wednesday. Chasing a modest target of 245, Sri Lanka romped to 249 for six, with nine balls to spare, and exacted revenge for the Compaq Cup loss at the hands of India last year.
Indian opener Gautam Gambhir capped a memorable 2009 by ending the year as the No 1 Test batsman in the ICC rankings issued on Thursday.
Sri Lanka are deriving a significant benefit because of three things: (a) Sri Lanka play Test series with relatively fewer matches, (b) they have lately played a lot of cricket at home and (c) they have only encountered weak away opposition recently.
Sri Lanka were 183 for three at the close on the fourth day of the third and final Test against Pakistan needing another 309 runs for victory.
Images from the fourth day's play in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Ahemdabad, on Thursday.
Having put Sri Lanka in the driver's seat with a double century, Mahela Jayawardene said his side can now utilise the advantage and press for a win in the first Test against India in Ahmedabad.
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene on Wednesday attributed his team's immediate reaction in taking cover when terrorists attacked their team bus in Lahore to the situation in his country. Jayawardene feels the attack on the team could have happened anywhere and it would be unfair to blacklist Pakistan.
In a fitting tribute to Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews spoke of Don Bradman and the retiring great in the same breath, calling him the most "consistent batsman he has ever seen".
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and elected to bat in the fifth one-day international against India in Colombo on Sunday. Spinner Pragyan Ojha and pacer Praveen Kumar made way for debutant Ravindra Jadeja and Laxmipathy Balaji.
'We have a quality group of players and we need to be smart about how we use them against opposition. I thought we played a very good game given the fact that what they had to offer. But definitely (Harbhajan was) not dropped in the way that you want me to say it. Just that it was a tactical decision'
The turning point of the match has Kumar Sangakkara's wicket.
As we head to the head to the business end of the tournament, that involves three former champions, a look at the players who flattered to deceive, faltering under the weight of expectations, hurting their respective teams.
In contrast to 'Made for T20' players wielding heavy wood, the Sri Lankan batsman applies traditional skills in the modern context but, while clearly proud of his style, he refuses to criticise more unorthodox batsmen.
Andrew Symond's blazing half-century went in vain as Kings XI Punjab pipped Deccan Chargers by three wickets in the Indian Premier League in Kimberley on Saturday. Chasing 169 for victory, Punjab sneaked home in a close finish with just one delivery to spare. Their magnificent run chase was set up by a scintillating 28-ball 43 from Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene.
Mahela Jayawardene ended his poor scoring run with a crucial half-century to lead Kings XI Punjab to a thrilling six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. Jayawardene was unbeaten on 52 from 41 deliveries, inclusive of seven boundaries, while Simon Katich scored a brisk 34 from 28 deliveries as the Punjab side escaped to victory off the final delivery of the match.
India captain Anil Kumble won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Galle on Thursday. Both the teams have fielded unchanged sides, that played in the first Test in Colombo.
Centuries from Malinda Warnapura, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Samaraweera guided Sri Lanka to 422 for 4 on the second day of the first Test against India.
Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a century as Sri Lanka set New Zealand an improbable 413-run target on the fourth day of the first Test on Friday.
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by seven wickets on the third day of the second Test in Colombo on Tuesday. The hosts chased their victory target of 171 runs in 31.5 overs for the loss of just three wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
South African Graham Ford will take over as the chief coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team for his second stint replacing Marvan Atapattu, who had stepped down five months back. Ford is expected to join the side in February before the three-match T20 International series against India. The news was announced in Surrey county's website as they confirmed their current coach Ford's decision to leave for international assignment. Ford had earlier coached Sri Lanka for two years starting from 2012.
Reader Dr.Yadunandan T V sent us these pictures from Colombo.
Sri Lanka vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara said all his team members are safe and out of danger following the attack by gunmen on the team's bus near the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore on Tuesday morning. 'There are a few injuries but everyone is safe and all the players are out of danger,' Sangakkara said.
Mahela Jayawardene (240) and Thilan Samaraweera (231) set a fourth-wicket Test record stand of 437 runs as Sri Lanka piled up 644 for seven declared on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan in Karachi on Sunday. Pakistan were 44 for one in reply, opener Salman Butt (23) edging Muttiah Muralitharan to Jayawardene at first slip after Sri Lanka had declared in the final session.
Mahela Jayawardene, batting with three stitches in his left hand, ignored the pain to complete his 32nd Test hundred and put Sri Lanka firmly in the driving seat in the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai on Thursday.
'We didn't get wickets (initially) but Hardik came and picked up those wickets and I thought Krunal (Pandya) bowled brilliantly to keep the pressure on and it was a good combination'
Mahendra Dhoni's men will be eyeing a seventh consecutive victory when they taken on Sri Lanka in the second ODI of the five-match series in Colombo on Saturday.
Their play-off chances hanging by a thread, Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Mumbai Indians with a prayer on their lips in a must-win Indian Premier League game for them on Sunday.
India lost in-form opener Virender Sehwag due to an ankle injury and his place was taken by the uncapped Virat Kohli, who was the under-19 captain.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene smashed his 24th Test century and shared two century stands with Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera to help Sri Lanka stretch their lead over Bangladesh to 406 in the opening Test on Sunday.
Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan claimed three wickets as Bangladesh left Sri Lanka stuttering at 172 for six before bad light stopped play early on the opening day of the first Test on Friday.
India captain Anil Kumble won the toss and opted to bat in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday. Lanka called up uncapped pace bowler Dammika Prasad in place of Nuwan Kulasekera. India replaced wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik with Parthiv Patel.
