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Kuwait Times
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Sri Lanka crush Bangladesh to seal Test series
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's players pose with the trophy after their win at the end of the fourth day of the second Test cricket match against Bangladesh at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) on June 28, 2025. - AFP COLOMBO: Sri Lanka completed a thumping innings and 78-run victory over Bangladesh before lunch on day four of the second Test in Colombo on Saturday, wrapping up the two-match series 1-0. Resuming the day on a precarious 115-6, the visitors still trailed by 97 runs and needed a minor miracle to avoid an innings defeat. Any hopes of a rearguard were dashed almost immediately. Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, under the pump after a wicketless outing in the first innings, struck gold with the fifth ball of the morning as Litton Das edged behind to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis for 14. With that scalp, the last recognized batter was back in the hut and Bangladesh's house of cards came tumbling down soon after, all out for 133. It was a clinical all-round performance by hosts Sri Lanka, who walked away with crucial World Test Championship points. None of the visiting batters managed to cross fifty in the match — a far cry from the first Test in Galle, which ended in a draw when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hit twin centuries. Bangladesh had won the toss on a docile Colombo pitch but squandered the advantage, bundled out for 247. Sri Lanka replied in commanding fashion, piling on 458 to take a hefty 211-run lead. The foundation was laid by a masterclass from opener Pathum Nissanka, who crafted a fluent 158 — his second successive century in the series — while Dinesh Chandimal chipped in with a polished 93. The pair added 194 runs for the second wicket, putting the game firmly in Sri Lanka's control. Bangladesh threatened briefly when the second new ball brought them three quick wickets, but Kusal steadied the ship with a counterattacking 84, ensuring the hosts didn't let the momentum slip. Nissanka, who was declared man of the match, said he was 'very pleased with the effort'. 'It feels good to contribute. I am now the senior opener with Dimuth Karunaratne retired and I try to do my best for the team,' he said. Bangladesh captain Shanto called it a 'very disappointing game'. 'We played really well in Galle but we were not up to the mark here,' he said. 'The way we batted in the first innings is when things went wrong for us. A total of 247 was not good on this pitch. 'No harm with the decision to bat first. But the way we got out was very disappointing. One good thing was the way our bowlers kept fighting. That will be one positive we will take from this series.' The two sides will now shift focus to the limited-overs leg of the tour, with three one-day internationals and three T20s. – AFP
News18
28-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
Dhananjaya After Sri Lanka Beat Bangladesh: 'Every Test Like A Knockout In WTC'
Last Updated: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva emphasised the importance of the WTC after their innings win over Bangladesh, noting the need for points due to their limited Test schedule. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva emphasised the importance of the World Test Championship (WTC) after his team decisively defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), securing their first win of the current cycle. De Silva highlighted that with Sri Lanka playing fewer Tests than most teams, each match feels like a knockout. 'The WTC is like other World Cups — a lot of matches are like knockouts for us," de Silva said after the victory. 'We've talked about how we win when we make the fewest mistakes, and we need those wins to get those extra points. In the last cycle, we made a few mistakes, and that's what cost us. Hopefully, we can correct that this cycle." Sri Lanka, scheduled for only a two-match series in this WTC cycle, depends on the 'percentage of points won" system to stay in contention for a top-two finish. De Silva noted how the WTC has shifted his players' mindset. 'It's become a competitive trophy. We've even started thinking about our run rates in light of what's happening. The Championship is a great thing for Test cricket," he said. 'We saw last time how well South Africa did and how they performed well recently, and they deserved to win it. They hadn't won an ICC trophy, and the Test Championship meant a lot to them. As a country, they can value that highly." Win And Wait For SL 'We only have domestic matches," de Silva said. 'Right now there's a One-day tournament, and after that, there will be a three-day tournament. There's also the National Super League. That's how we'll have to keep our form. Unfortunately, there are no Tests. We've made requests to SLC to play more Tests. I think they are talking about it with other teams. Even if we can play three or four extra Tests, we'll be able to continue the good things we're doing." De Silva also discussed the team's strategic evolution in the series against Bangladesh. Besides scoring quickly, Sri Lanka's bowlers aimed to build pressure by delivering more maiden overs, a specific focus area for the team. 'Whenever we come into a Test series, we have some key performance indicators," he explained. 'One of the things we analysed this time was that our maiden percentage needed to be higher. So that's what we planned to do. We have to keep some pressure on the opposition in Tests, in order to get some wickets at the other end. I think our bowlers did that very well." (With inputs from IANS)
Hans India
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Every Test like a knockout in WTC for Sri Lanka, says Dhananjaya de Silva
Colombo: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva hailed the significance of the World Test Championship (WTC) after his side thumped Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here to secure their first win of the current cycle. De Silva, reflecting on Sri Lanka's position in the global competition, acknowledged that with his team playing fewer Tests than most, every match takes on the feel of a knockout encounter. 'The WTC is like other World Cups — a lot of matches are like knockouts for us,' de Silva said after the victory. 'We've talked about how we win when we make the fewest mistakes, and we need those wins to get those extra points. In the last cycle, we made a few mistakes, and that's what cost us. Hopefully, we can correct that this cycle.' Sri Lanka, who are currently scheduled to play only a two-match series in this WTC cycle, relies heavily on the 'percentage of points won' system that allows teams with fewer matches to remain in contention for a top-two finish. De Silva underlined how the WTC had changed the mindset of his players. 'It's become a competitive trophy. We've even started thinking about our run rates in light of what's happening. The Championship is a great thing for Test cricket,' he said. 'We saw last time how well South Africa did and how they performed well recently, and they deserved to win it. They hadn't won an ICC trophy, and the Test Championship meant a lot to them. As a country, they can value that highly.' But while Sri Lanka's Test ambitions remain high, their schedule paints a stark picture — the team is not slated to play another Test until May 2026. For their red-ball specialists, this presents a unique challenge. 'We only have domestic matches,' de Silva said. 'Right now there's a One-day tournament, and after that, there will be a three-day tournament. There's also the National Super League. That's how we'll have to keep our form. Unfortunately, there are no Tests. We've made requests to SLC to play more Tests. I think they are talking about it with other teams. Even if we can play three or four extra Tests, we'll be able to continue the good things we're doing.' De Silva also shed light on the team's tactical evolution in the series against Bangladesh. Beyond scoring at a brisk pace, Sri Lanka's bowlers focused on building pressure with more maiden overs — an area the captain said they had specifically targeted. 'Whenever we come into a Test series, we have some key performance indicators,' he explained. 'One of the things we analysed this time was that our maiden percentage needed to be higher. So that's what we planned to do. We have to keep some pressure on the opposition in Tests, in order to get some wickets at the other end. I think our bowlers did that very well.'
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sri Lanka spinners leave Bangladesh on verge of crushing defeat
Kusal Mendis (L) made a hard-hitting 84 as Sri Lanka made 458 in their first innings against Bangladesh in Colombo (Ishara S. KODIKARA) Spinners Dhananjaya de Silva and Prabath Jayasurya rounded off another dominant day for Sri Lanka on Friday, taking two wickets each to leave them on the brink of a crushing innings victory over Bangladesh in the second Test. By close of play on the third day at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, the visitors had slumped to 115-6 in their second innings, still 96 runs away from making Sri Lanka bat again. Advertisement Bangladesh started their second innings with a daunting deficit of 211 after Kusal Mendis's forthright 84 had taken the Sri Lanka first innings to 458 all out earlier in the day. All seven batters so far in the Bangladesh second innings made it into double figures but only Mushfiqur Rahim made it beyond 20, making 26 before being beaten all ends up by Jayasuriya. With only four wickets in hand, it will be a tough ask of the Bangladesh lower order to see off the Sri Lanka spinners, who have been gaining plenty of turn, from wrapping up the Test and the two-match series. The first Test ended in a draw. Sri Lanka batter Kamindu Mendis said that the "wicket is spinning now from both ends and its not easy for the batters". Advertisement "We will look to wrap this up quickly," he said after the day's play. Earlier, leading from the front, skipper De Silva dealt twin blows with his off-spin in the evening session on Friday. He had Mominul Haque (15) caught at first slip before trapping his opposite number Najmul Hossain Shanto (19) leg before. Left-arm spinner Jayasuriya, under pressure to keep his spot after a lean patch, also responded in style with a probing spell. He struck with the new ball, removing Shadman Islam (12) caught behind, and then bowled Mushfiqur. The early part of the day belonged to Kusal Mendis who hammered a rapid 84 off 87 balls, with eight fours and two sixes, when it looked as though the Sri Lanka first innings was faltering. Advertisement -'Help my team'- Replying to Bangladesh's first innings of 247, Sri Lanka resumed on a strong overnight platform of 290-2 but lost four wickets in the morning session, three of them to the second new ball. First to go was overnight century-maker Pathum Nissanka who added 12 before chipping left-arm spinner Taijul Islam to short cover. It was a soft end for the in-form opener whose 158 came after career-best 187 in the first Test in Galle. But Kusal Mendis dug in his heels steering Sri Lanka past the 450-run mark before running himself out, ninth wicket down, going for an unlikely second run. Advertisement Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam wrapped up the innings four balls later to finish with 5-131, his 17th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Islam said that bowling with the new ball "when there is nothing much on the wicket" is an "advantage". "There was a bit of zip this morning when the second new ball was available," he said after play. "I know that I need ten more wickets to overtake Shakib Al Hasan as the leading wicket taker for Bangladesh" in Tests, Islam added. "But I am not overly bothered about it. It will come when it comes. What I am concentrating on is to bowl well and help my team do well". Advertisement Brief scores: Bangladesh: 247 (Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35; Sonal Dinusha 3-22, Asitha Fernando 3-51) Sri Lanka: 458 (Pathum Nissanka 158, Dinesh Chandimal 93, Kasul Mendis 84; Taijul Islam 5-131, Nayeem Hasan 3-87) Bangladesh second innings: 115-6 in 38.4 overs (Mushfiqur Rahim 26, Dhananjaya de Silva 2-13, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-47) str/bb/nr
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kusal Mendis steers Sri Lanka to commanding lead over Bangladesh
Kusal Mendis (L) made a hard-hitting 84 as Sri Lanka made 458 in their first innings against Bangladesh in Colombo (Ishara S. KODIKARA) Kusal Mendis struck a rapid 84 to put Sri Lanka in a commanding position on the third day of the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Friday. The aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman clubbed his runs from 87 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 458, taking with an imposing first innings lead of 211. Advertisement Visitors Bangladesh, who chose to bat first after winning the toss on Wednesday, were bowled out for a modest 247 in their first innings. Resuming on a strong overnight platform of 290-2, Sri Lanka wobbled before lunch, losing four wickets in the morning session, three of them to the second new ball. But Kusal Mendis dug in his heels steering Sri Lanka past the 450-run mark before running himself out, ninth wicket down, going for an unlikely second run. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam wrapped up the innings four balls later to finish with 5-131, his 17th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Bangladesh's first breakthrough on the third day of the game came in just the sixth over of the day when Taijul Islam, handed the new ball, induced a loose drive from century-maker Pathum Nissanka, who chipped it tamely to short cover. Advertisement It was a soft end for the in-form opener, who hit a sublime 158 after a career-best 187 in the first Test in Galle. Taijul followed up with the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva leg before for seven and when Nahid Rana had Prabath Jayasuriya edging to Mehidy Hasan Miraz at third slip for 10, Sri Lanka had slipped to 335-5. Kamindu Mendis made 33 during a sixth wicket partnership of 49 with Kusal Mendis who rallied the tail to put Sri Lanka firmly in control. Brief scores: Bangladesh: 247 (Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35; Sonal Dinusha 3-22, Asitha Fernando 3-51) Sri Lanka: 458 (Pathum Nissanka 158, Dinesh Chandimal 93, Kasul Mendis 84; Taijul Islam 5-131, Nayeem Hasan 3-87) str/bb/pjm/bsp
