Sri Lanka

Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay will make his Test debut as Sri Lanka have picked three specialist spinners in their line-up after winning the toss and electing to bat in the opening Test of their two-match series with Australia in Galle. Vandersay, 32, bowled impressively in the ODI series taking 3 for 49 and 2 for 40

Big picture Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka has already had an impact following the special scenes in Colombo of locals dressed in yellow to thank the visitors for touring during a desperate time in their country’s history. Sri Lanka winning the ODI series provided moments of joy for the home supporters, but there is a

How much will it reverse?Reverse swing proved Australia’s key weapon on the docile pitches in Pakistan, with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc able to do decisive damage in key moments in Karachi and Lahore to put Australia in the ascendency in both Tests. Starc took 10 wickets in the last Test Australia played in Galle

Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay has broken into Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Australia on the back of his performances in the ODIs. Having missed the Bangladesh Tests through injury, opener Pathum Nissanka also returns to the Test fold, and is expected to slot back into the starting XI. Allrounders Kamindu Mendis and

India 127 for 5 (Mandhana 39, Harmanpreet 31*) beat Sri Lanka 125 for 7 (Gunaratne 45, Athapaththu 43) by five wickets When it started to look like Sri Lanka would post a strong total after their brisk 87-run opening stand and make India work hard to win the second match of the series, the hosts

The Commonwealth Games are a little over a month away, and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu is under no illusions as to how important the upcoming limited-overs series against India is in terms of preparation, especially for a side that is high on potential, but rather light on experience. “We have to play the Commonwealth

Mendis retired hurt on 87 off 85 balls in Sri Lanka’s win on Sunday, having put on a match-defining 170-run stand with centurion Pathum Nissanka. But he left the field because of “meuromuscular cramps,” SLC’s chief medical officer Dr Daminda Attanayake told ESPNcricinfo, and as such, will be fit for Tuesday. Nissanka, who was also

ESPNcricinfo understands that Hasaranga has been ruled out of at least the second match in Pallekele with a groin strain with medical staff yet to determine the length of his lay-off. He starred with bat and ball in the opening game, almost carrying Sri Lanka to victory, and will be a significant loss. Australia were

Big picture Welcome back to the five-match ODI series, although, maybe, for the last time? Not since before the 2019 World Cup has there been a bilateral contest of this length in the format. For Sri Lanka and Australia, it’s an extended opportunity to work on their games ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup,

The third edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will take place from July 31 to August 21, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed. The registration of international players for the player draft “will commence shortly,” added an SLC media release. Despite speculation that this year’s tournament might see the addition of a sixth team,

Several familiar faces, as well as a couple of new ones – most notably the highly-rated Sri Lanka Under-19 captain Dunith Wellalage – have been included in Sri Lanka’s 21-man squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia. Dasun Shanaka will lead the side. Making way are fast-bowling trio Nuwan Pradeep, Chamika Gunasekera and Shiran

Our bowling is alright, but the batting needs to catch up before the World Cup. Wanindu Hasaranga, easily the most high-profile cricketer in Sri Lanka’s T20 side now, took four wickets in the second match against Australia and brought his team back into the match. But in the end, the target was too meagre. Australia

Green, showing his trademark strength down the ground, and Alex Carey, who unfurled his array of sweeps, then added 116 for the fourth wicket to complete the chase with 14 balls to spare. The duo had been brought across from Australia’s ODI squad which will play the five-match series starting next week.

Galle Cricket Club 30 for 9 (Siriwardena 5-5) tied Kalutara Town Club 30 for 9 (Buddila 3-7)6 overs a side Two Sri Lankan clubs have combined to accomplish a truly unique feat during the ongoing Major Clubs T20 tournament, setting a record for the lowest total for a tied match in a T20, or indeed

Malinga served as bowling mentor of Mumbai Indians, back in IPL 2018, and more recently, was Rajasthan Royals’ fast-bowling coach, in 2022. The Sanju Samson-led Royals reached the final of the tournament for the first time since winning the trophy in 2008 but lost to Gujarat Titans by seven wickets. Through the course of the

Top-order batter Nuwanidu Fernando, and right-arm seamer Matheesha Pathirana have broken into Sri Lanka’s T20I squad, for the forthcoming series against Australia. Both have come into the side having impressed overseas – Nuwanidu (22) in England, and Pathirana (19) in the IPL. However, there are no places for allrounder Dhananajaya de Silva, fast bowler Lahiru

Kusal Mendis has been hospitalised in Dhaka after he left the field complaining of chest pain minutes before lunch on the first day of the second Test. Mendis looked in some discomfort as he lay down on the field in the 23rd over, before being tended to by the medical staff. He left the playing

As was the case when Sri Lanka last played a Test match in Dhaka, they have a secret weapon up their sleeve this time too. Back in 2018, it was Chandika Hathurusingha, who switched jobs from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka head coach barely months before the tour. This time, it is Naveed Nawaz, the assistant

By the end of the Chattogram Test where even three innings couldn’t be completed, the once famished batters from both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were wearing a satisfied look. They had spent five days tucking into some much needed comfort food thanks to the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium pitch. Sri Lanka had a rough time

Lunch Sri Lanka 397 and 128 for 4 (Karunaratne 44*, Kusal 48, Oshada 19, Taijul 3-38) lead Bangladesh 465 for 9 dec by 60 runs Two key strikes from Taijul Islam made sure Bangladesh stayed ahead in the game on day five of the first Test, in Chattogram. For the longest time in the morning,

Despite Bangladesh’s strong showing with the bat on the third day of the Chattogram Test, Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood feels that the Chattogram Test is finely poised, but a result will depend on whether the home side “try to push things on” on the fourth morning. “I think it is a very well-balanced game,”

Lunch Bangladesh 157 for 0 (Tamim 89*, Mahmudul 58*) trail Sri Lanka 397 (Mathews 199, Chandimal 66, Nayeem 6-105, Shakib 3-60) by 240 runs Bangladesh hadn’t crafted an opening partnership in excess of 100 for over five years in Test cricket before this innings. Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudul Hasan Joy made sure to correct that

Angelo Mathews at least had the sense of humour to deal with the heartache of getting out on 199 on the second day in Chattogram. He was in good spirits at the end-of-day press conference, speaking candidly about his misjudgment at that tantalising score, and shared a couple of laughs too. Taking it lightly and

Toss Sri Lanka chose to bat vs Bangladesh Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne decided to bat first after winning the toss against Bangladesh in the first Test in Chattogram. He said that he took the decision based on the typically good batting conditions of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, and wanting to make best use

Big picture A new Prime Minister in the country, a new cricket coach and a host of newcomers in the Test side. Sri Lanka, on and off the field, are making a new start, of sorts. They take on a Bangladesh side that is keen to restore some parity in 2022, where they have blown

Sri Lanka have played twice in Chattogram over the past eight years, and on both occasions the matches had petered out to fairly uneventful draws. Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne was a part of both those Tests, and though he only managed to register 46 runs across three innings, the lasting memory is undoubtedly that

Sri Lanka have made just two changes to the squad that emerged victors in the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers in January for their upcoming tour of Pakistan, which is set to kickstart the third edition of the ICC Women’s Championship. The 15-member strong squad otherwise remained unchanged from the side that won the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers.

Chris Silverwood is no stranger to Sri Lanka’s foibles. After all, it was only a little over a year ago that he brought his England side to Lankan shores and swept the home team 2-0 in a Test series. But now, some 15 months later, he’s at the other end, charged with patching up the

Suranga Lakmal, who ended his international career following the tour of India earlier this year, makes way, as do fellow quicks Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera, who is being rested from red-ball cricket until the T20 World Cup later this year. There is also no room for legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, nor batters Pathum Nissanka, Charith

Chennai Super Kings have signed up the Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana as a replacement for the New Zealand quick Adam Milne, who has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2022 with a hamstring injury. Milne suffered the injury during Super Kings’ first match of the season, against Kolkata Knight Riders on