Sri Lankan spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis have established the Galle International Cricket Stadium as their formidable stronghold, collectively taking 145 wickets, posing a significant challenge for visiting teams, especially India.
Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando was not considered because of a lower back injury he sustained in April.
The spotlight is on mystery spinners like Varun Chakravarthy and Usman Tariq, who could exploit the Premadasa Stadium's testing pitch during the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with members of the 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lankan cricket team during his official visit to Colombo.
Chandana, who is now a full-time coach, remembered Ranatunga as a shrewd tactician, whose strategic acumen were way ahead of the time.
With six titles -- four more than Pakistan -- and unmatched consistency, Sri Lanka has quietly been the tournament's second-most dominant force.
Sri Lanka announced an unchanged 15-man squad for the second Test against South Africa which starts in Colombo on August 11.
The selectors offered the pair, the most successful bowlers in Sri Lanka's one-day international history, an opportunity to rest because both have niggling injuries.
Sri Lanka also called up Nuwan Zoysa for the first time since June 2002 for the first Test against Australia.
Opener Hamish Marshall's unbeaten 76 and Upul Chandana's four-wicket haul enabled Royal Bengal Tigers score an eight-wicket victory over Lahore Badshahs in the Indian Cricket League T20 encounter at the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday night. Chasing a target of 140, Marshall played a fine innings from the beginning and went on to score 76 runs, including two sixes and nine boundaries off 53 balls.
Sri Lanka's Upul Chandana, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara have been fined for using obscene and abusive language on Sunday.
Hyderabad Heroes beat Royal Bengal Tigers by nine wickets and 29 balls to spare in the ICL Twenty20 Championship at the Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Bengal Tigers, put in to bat, were all out for 111 runs in 19.4 overs.
Hyderabad Heroes beat Royal Bengal Tigers by nine wickets and 29 balls to spare in the ICL Twenty20 Championship at the Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Bengal Tigers, put in to bat, were all out for 111 runs in 19.4 overs.
"They (Sri Lanka) had a guy that finished 94 not out and that was the difference -- we did not have someone who batted all the way through," added Dravid.
The Sri Lankan opener split the webbing between the middle and index fingers on his left hand while fielding during the first day's play.
An fine all-round performance by Sajeeva Weerakon helped Sri Lanka get the better of Ireland by 87 runs in the EurAsia Cup.
Star-studded Bradman XI were bowled out for 104 while chasing 137 by KSCA XI
The Lankans cruised to a 49-run victory in the fifth and final One-Day International.
Mahela Jayawardene piled on 237 runs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 486 on the second day of the first Test against South Africa on Thursday.
India have posted 6 of the 7 600+ totals posted in Test cricket this year!
The tri-series in Australia, India's final ODI engagement before the World Cup, gets underway on January 16, says Chandresh Narayanan, casting a fascinating look at the survivors from earlier World Cups.
Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed bagged five wickets for 28 runs on debut as India were dismissed in 25.3 overs in the second ODI in Mirpur. But the pace combination of Stuart Binny (6-4) and Mohit Sharma (4-22) saved India from humiliation by bundling out the hosts for just 58 in 17.4 overs. Following the Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting statistics.
India have won the Asia Cup on seven occasions, Sri Lanka on five occasions, with Pakistan winning it twice.
India have won the Asia Cup six times, Sri Lanka five, and Pakistan have won it just twice. As the 14th edition of Asia's own trophy gets underway on Saturday, Rajneesh Gupta presents the numbers on the 13 editions so far.
