Thrilled to be recalled to the Test squad, leg-spinner Amit Mishra says his good form is enough motivation for him to do well in the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kusal Perera has had all anti-doping charges brought against him dropped by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the Qatar-based laboratory that conducted the test withdrew its initial finding.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews was named Sri Lanka Twenty20 captain on Wednesday for the next 12 months in an appointment, which could lead to him taking over as leader of the Test side.
Sri Lanka's slow bowlers spun a web around South Africa who collapsed for a meagre 126 to concede a significant first innings lead on a spin-dominated second day of the opening Test.
Lost in transition, defending champions Sri Lanka will look to come out of the rut and start well against a spirited Afghanistan in their World Twenty20 Super 10 opener at Eden Gardens on Thursday. The defending champions, who were also runners-up in 2009 and 2012, have managed to win only four of their 14 matches since they beat India to win the 2014 edition in Mirpur. They are in the middle of a transition phase after Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene's exit. The build-up to the tournament was also forgettable with series defeats in New Zealand and India followed by an early ouster in Asia Cup. To add to the misery, their 2014 WT20 winning skipper Lasith Malinga has stepped down as leader of the team, following concern over his slow recovery from a knee injury. Now Test and ODI skipper Angelo Mathews' task is cutout. Having joined the squad on Tuesday, Malinga is a doubtful starter for the match. His presence in the team would impact the team a lot.
Prior to the series, Sri Lanka had not won a game in any format since October but become the first team from Asia to win a Test series in South Africa as they comfortably chased down a victory target of 197 on the third day.
India's captain Virat Kohli staved off the threat of defeat before their fast bowlers ensured the hosts finished on a high in the drawn opening Test against Sri Lanka in an enthralling final day at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday.
West Indies scored a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second Test to tie the two-Test series at 1-1.
India would look to continue their ruthless streak
Kumar Sangakkara remained unbeaten after a sparkling half-century as Sri Lanka responded well to the challenge of scoring 370 runs in four sessions in order to win the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.
Three months after subjecting Sri Lanka to a 9-0 whitewash across all formats, Virat Kohli's men prevailed 1-0 in the latest round of a duel between the neighbours to seal their record-equalling ninth consecutive test series win.
USA name a largely unchanged squad for the T20 World Cup despite board suspension, retaining the core that beat Pakistan and reached the Super Eight last edition.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews has been appointed Sri Lanka's limited-overs skipper six months after relinquishing the captaincy across all three formats.
Atapattu, 36, last played test cricket against India in 2005 before he was sidelined for 18 months with a serious back injury.
Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury, a rare occurrence for the exceptionally fit batsman. The news comes amidst uncertainty over Rohit Sharma's full availability for the series, also due to a hamstring issue, sparking discussions about the future of both senior players in the ODI format.
A look at some of the major controversies in past World Cups.
With the series already in their pocket, India will look to give some of the bench players a chance but there will be no let-up in the intensity as they eye a complete whitewash against Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I in Mumbai on Sunday.
India will tour Ireland for a T20I series in June, preceding their white-ball tour of England. This series is part of Ireland's preparation for the upcoming summer and follows Paul Stirling's decision to step down as T20I captain.
Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera and all-rounder Asela Gunaratne have returned to the one-day international squad for the three-match series against India, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday.
England will be determined to get their act together against defending champions Sri Lanka.
Kumar Sangakkara continued his purple patch against Bangladesh and hit an unbeaten 127 to guide Sri Lanka to 294 for six at close on the second day of the second and final Test on Sunday.
Images from Day 1 of the third and final Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo on Saturday.
South Africa's bowlers needed a little more than an hour of the final day's play to dismiss Sri Lanka for 281 in their second innings and claim a 206-run victory in the first Test in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
Fast bowler Ryan Harris made quick work of dismissing three of Sri Lanka's top batsmen to put Australia in command on the third day of the first Test in Galle and make the home team's task of chasing down 379 runs look even more daunting on Friday.
Kane Williamson and BJ Watling produced a world record sixth wicket partnership of 365 runs to guide New Zealand to 524 for five before captain Brendon McCullum declared their second innings closed after tea on the fourth day of the second Test.
South Africa's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka that was scheduled to take place in June has been postponed due the coronavirus pandemic, officials said on Monday. The teams were due to play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 games, with the 50-over matches South Africa's first in the International Cricket Council's new ODI league.
Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 199 runs with more than a day to spare in the second and final Test to complete a 2-0 series sweep at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Monday.
India will tour the island in July and August to play in three Tests and five One-Day Internationals. The six-week tour will includes two Test matches in Colombo and one at the newly renovated Galle International Stadium.
Kumar Sangakkara scored his first international century in England as Sri Lanka secured a draw when rain brought an early finish to the third and final Test on Monday.
The Australians will reach Lahore on January 28 for the short series.
The three ODIs and two Tests will be telecast live and exclusive.
50-year-old Balendra Jeyakumari's release came days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country.
Photos from Day two's play of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka being played in Galle
Sri Lanka's preparations for the second Test against the West Indies are being hampered by a flu virus that forced four players to miss team practice on Wednesday.
Left-arm pace bowler Mohammad Aamer claimed three wickets in an outstanding post-lunch spell to leave Pakistan chasing just 168 for victory in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Monday. Pakistan bowled out the hosts for 217 and then finished the third day on 71 for two -- just 97 runs shy of their victory target.
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.
New Zealand want to leave nothing to chance in battle to reach T20 World Cup semis
Harbhajan Singh's 6/102 are now the best by an Indian bowler against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, outstripping Venkatash Prasad's 5 for 72 at Kandy in 2001-02.
Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said his players are hoping that retiring spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will bow out of the five-day game with a victory by producing another memorable performance on Thursday, the fifth day of the first Test against India, in Galle.
