In another tweet, Akhtar said they expect reciprocation from Sri Lanka.
A win would move Sri Lanka level with fourth-placed England on eight points and leave both teams with two matches to play -- in the case of the Lankans, ties against West Indies and India
Chasing 164 to win, opener Zak Crawley was dismissed in the second session before Dom Sibley and Jos Buttler took the hosts to victory.
Feedback from telecom members indicated a 10 per cent increase in traffic, but no fears of choked networks. Telcos currently use 65-70 per cent of the network capacity. In other words, they have enough additional capacity to handle the new pressure without clogging the system.
Joe Root scored a breezy, unbeaten 67 and will resume on the third morning with Jonny Bairstow, who has 24.
The 72-year-old attacker told Tomy Kalathoor Mathew that because he was Indian, he must be a Hindu or a Muslim and therefore unqualified to say mass.
Trent Boult and Neil Wagner quickly wrapped up Sri Lanka's second innings on Sunday as New Zealand clinched the series 1-0 with a dominant 423-run victory in the second Test.
Iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar did not find a place in Kumar Sangakkara's list of all-time XI while Rahul Dravid was the lone Indian in the team selected by the former Sri Lankan skipper.
Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) president T C Mathew on Thursday said he is planning to take up the matter of banned pacer S Sreesanth with senior Board of Control for Cricket in India official Arun Jaitley.
There was disaster for the visitors when captain Joe Root (1), who scored a superb 228 in the first innings, was run out by a direct his from wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella to leave England teetering at 14 for three.
Opening the batting, Rahul struck a quick 61 off 48 balls before leg-spinner Chahal (4/23) triggered Sri Lanka's collapse to register the convincing win in the first T20 International of the three-match series.
India opener Shikhar Dhawan said the players will miss playing in front of huge crowds if international matches are held behind closed doors in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Indian Premier League was slated to begin from March 29, however, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19.
'I am not a future guy.' 'I just owe it to my audience here.' 'I never want them to wonder why this guy did this role.' 'Even for my bad films, I want them to think that he was trying at least.'
Dom Bess claimed five wickets as England dismissed hosts Sri Lanka for 135
The FIFA 2022 World Cup will kick-off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20. Here is a list of the 26-man squads playing in the quadrennial global football extravaganza.
'Modi's ascent to the highest executive office in India is a matter of concern for all who value human rights and religious freedom,' declares Coalition Against Genocide, which has campaigned against the US granting a visa to the Indian leader.
Sri Lanka batting coach Thilan Samaraweera said the bowlers let the team down in the second ODI against India where they conceded 50-60 runs too many.
Pakistan will meet Group A toppers England in the first semi-final on Wednesday at the same venue.
Tim Southee rescued New Zealand with the bat then dragged his side back into the match
Kumar Sangakkara laid the foundation before Angelo Mathews completed a nervy chase as Sri Lanka beat England by six wickets in the fourth One-Day International.
Trent Boult took two wickets in one over and broke a partnership that had threatened to take the game out of New Zealand's reach as Sri Lanka reached 264 for seven by the end of a rain-shortened first day of the second Test on Friday.
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal will miss next week's first Test against India after being diagnosed with pneumonia, dealing a big blow to the hosts ahead of the three-match home series against their neighbours.
Sri Lanka will look towards veteran Lasith Malinga to deliver with the ball and get them back on the winning path after their horror showing in the three-Test series.
As Fahadh Faasil turns 39 on August 8, Subhash K Jha looks back at his favourite films featuring the brilliant actor.
Sri Lanka salvaged some pride after battering Pakistan by 165 runs in the fifth and final One-dayer at Hambantota on Sunday.
Images from Day 4 of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, on Sunday.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has warned that his team cannot lower their guard against the Indians despite captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni being rested for the first three ODIs.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India in Galle, on Friday.
England edged past Sri Lanka by 10 runs to reach the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi, on Saturday.
Rediff readers sent us these photographs of India from their travels.
Take your pick from these four releases.
Cricketers like Mahela Jayawardene come around very rarely and younger players in the team have a lot to learn from his fighting attitude, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said.
Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has opted out of the Indian Premier League for the second successive season even as his teammates Glenn Maxwell and Chris Lynn are among seven players listed for the players' auction, on December 19 in Kolkata.
Chasing an improbable target of 490 to level the series, the tourists finished day three on 139-5, their highest total in the spin-dominated series, at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
The recent protests by employees of Urban Company and the case of a a Zomato delivery executive who died in a road accident point to the severely straitened condition of gig workers during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Budget 2021 had promised several measures to help the cause of gig economy workers, but most of them are yet to see the light of day. Even after a year, the country's gig workers continue to be without any social security cover or a minimum wage guarantee. "In Budget 2021, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the government is looking toward including migrant and gig workers for social security benefits," says Srinivas Kotni, managing partner, Lexport, a consulting firm. Parliament had passed the Code on Wages in 2019 and Code on Industrial Relations, Social Security and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions in 2020.
The Kerala high court on Wednesday reduced to 10 years, the 20 year jail term awarded by a lower court to a defrocked priest convicted in the Kottiyoor rape case.
A 'tiny, bird-like nun' from India has emerged as an integral part of police raids on brothels in the United Kingdon run by human traffickers.
Contrary to the picture of a mother looking fondly at the child in her arms, experts stress that many women go through severe anger, insomnia, self-loathing and even suicidal thoughts after giving birth.
