End of chopping and changing has brought stability to white ball tea, says Pakistan captain Sarfraz
If veteran Sri Lankan allrounder Angelo Mathews is to believed, the key to India's success in the T20 format has been identifying the core group of players and then forming a winning combination with it.
World champions India have consolidated their top rank on the ICC ODI Team Rankings after sweeping the series against Sri Lanka, which concluded in Ranchi on Sunday.
Clinical India notched up another resounding win to humble a hapless Sri Lankan side by six wickets and clinch the five-match series in the third One-Day International in Hyderabad.
Images from the World Cup Pool A match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Dunedin on Sunday
Refusing to blame the players for the debacle in the ongoing One-Day series in India, former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga said the country's administrators are responsible for the fiasco which has also disturbed the team's World Cup preparations.
The fourth one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was abandoned after just nine overs of the hosts' innings after rain intervened for the final time at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Saturday.
Perera scored a valiant unbeaten 92 and together with Angelo Mathews (83) had put on 62 runs for the sixth wicket to keep Sri Lanka afloat in their first innings. They eventually folded up at 291 runs.
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal also acknowledged Mendis and Mathews had saved the game for his side, who were dominated by New Zealand over the first three days.
Tom Latham finished 264 not out -- a world's best for an opener carrying their bat through a completed innings -- as New Zealand were bowled out for 578, and holding a 296-run first innings lead.
Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 30 runs in the first Twenty20 International on Monday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series and extend the visitors' losing streak.
Earlier, resuming on 3-0 and with an overall lead of 99, England lost Keaton Jennings leg before wicket for one off the first delivery of the day from Dilruwan Perera (5-88), which seemed to unhinge their top order.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews blamed his butterfingered fielders for the three-wicket loss against Pakistan which ended their campaign at the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff on Monday.
A young Sri Lanka team must play with arrogance if they are to upset holders India in Thursday's ICC Champions Trophy match at the Oval in London, former captain Kumar Sangakkara said.
Pooran says the team is targeting the home series against India next month to restore pride.
Big gains for Chahal and Kuldeep in bowler rankings
With just one win, Sri Lanka are currently at the sixth spot with four points and will have to win rest of their four matches to stay in contention for the semi-final.
Yuvraj Singh and Hashim Amla will be the star attractions in the Indian Premier League 8 auction, which will see quite a few Indian and international players go under the hammer in Bengaluru on Monday.
Sri Lanka have not played a match at the World Cup since June 4, forced to split points with Bangladesh and Pakistan following two washed out games.
Kohli promoting Pandya ahead of Dhoni is an indication that the skipper is looking to use his former captain more as an accumulator -- in Javed Miandad mould who would rotate strike, frustrate bowlers and launch a furious counter-attack after getting his eye in.
Persistent rain washed out the third One-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday after less than 30 overs of the hosts' innings.
The Sri Lankan supporters and players present at the Galle International stadium gave a fitting farewell to Kumar Sangakkara.
India have not lost a series at home since the defeat to South Africa in October 2015.
With Shikar Dhawan back in the squad, it is indeed a happy problem for skipper Virat Kohli, who has to choose two quality openers among three.
An England record opening partnership of 256 between Alex Hales and Jason Roy led their side to a crushing 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international.
Chasing 268 to go 1-0 up in the two-Test series, Karunaratne's 161-run opening stand with Lahiru Thirimanne (64) set the tone for a successful chase at the Galle International Stadium.
Sri Lanka require 153 runs for a series-levelling victory after Pakistan rode Azhar Ali's obdurate century before being all out for 329 on day four of the second Test on Sunday.
Sri Lanka's openers confidently negotiated an awkward session at the end of a rain-interrupted fourth day at Lord's on Sunday, setting up the prospect of a fascinating finish to the third and final Test against England.
India may have slipped to fourth in the Test rankings following the drawn Test in Fatullah, but its openers, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, achieved career-best rankings for batsmen.
Malinga stressed that partnerships are an important aspect in T20 cricket, which his team failed to form.
In an extraordinary twist to the game, India on Saturday capitulated to an embarassing 63-run defeat in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka opener Kaushal Silva has recovered from a blow to the head he suffered while fielding last weekend to be named in the test squad for next month's tour of England.
In the bowlers list, Bumrah achieved a career-high ranking of 28 while fellow teammate Mohammad Shami moved two places to 24th.
India bulldozed Sri Lanka by 168 runs in the fourth one-day international on Thursday after skipper Virat Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma smashed blistering hundreds to put the tourists 4-0 up in the five-match series.
A patient half-century by opening batsman Hashim Amla guided South Africa to a consolation 8-wicket victory over struggling Sri Lanka in the Group A encounter at New Delhi on Monday. Chasing a modest target of 121 runs, Amla scored 56 runs off 52 balls to help his team chase down the target with 14 balls remaining. Skipper Faf du Plessis also scored 32 runs off 36 balls, while AB de Villiers hit a brisk 20 off 12 balls.
South Africa need six more wickets with two days still to play to win the second Test against Sri Lanka, who closed the third day at Newlands on Wednesday on 130 for four, still 377 runs behind the mammoth target set them. Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada both took two wickets in the Sri Lankan second innings as the home team closed in on victory and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. South Africa have ample time to whittle away the rest of the Sri Lankan batting while the visitors, set 507 runs to win, must survive six more sessions if they are to force a most improbable outcome.
Sri Lanka need to win their final two games, and hope for favourable outcomes in England and Pakistan's next fixtures.
Sri Lanka, the 1996 winners, kick-started their bid for a place in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup semi-finals in dramatic fashion with a 20-run win against hosts England at Headingley. It took them to six points and off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva insists they can still finish in the top four of the group despite suffering a pair of washouts in Bristol.
Sri Lanka stunned tournament hosts England by completing a 20-run victory at Headingley. Lasith Malinga was player of the match after taking 4/43 to rip through England's batting attack.
A resurgent Delhi Daredevils squad will look to continue with their winning momentum when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the team's fifth match of the Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi on Monday.
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