Sri Lanka off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal scythed through Pakistan’s batting order to pick up his first five-wicket haul as the visitors were bundled out for 138 on the opening day of the second Test in Colombo yesterday.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was left to rue his decision to bat after winning the toss as Sri Lanka’s bowlers extracted enough movement from the pitch to dismiss their opponents in two sessions.
In reply, the hosts made a watchful start and reached stumps on 70-1 after losing opener Dimuth Karunaratne (28). Kaushal Silva (21) and Kumar Sangakkara (18) were at the crease.
Photo: AP
Pakistan’s pace spearhead Wahab Riaz suffered a blow on his bowling hand while batting which weakened the attack as the left-arm paceman was experiencing pain trying to hold the ball.
Kaushal, playing only his second Test, came in as a replacement for the injured Dilruwan Perera and took all his wickets in the second session after fast bowler Dhammika Prasad picked up the first three.
Opener Mohammad Hafeez (42), who was hit on the back of his helmet by debutant fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, was the highest scorer for the visitors.
An unchanged Pakistan lost Ahmed Shehzad (1) in the third over of the morning when the right-hander edged Prasad to first slip, where Kumar Sangakkara completed a sharp catch.
Hafeez and Azhar Ali (26) shared the only meaningful partnership of 46 for the second wicket.
Younus Khan, playing his 100th Test, was lucky to survive a review by Mathews off his own bowling, but fell immediately after lunch to give Prasad his third scalp.
Pakistan’s hopes then rested on Misbah (7), but the 41-year-old was run out after a misunderstanding with Sarfraz Ahmed (14).
Such was Kaushal’s impact on the innings that the hosts did not need main spinner Rangana Herath to bowl as the 22-year-old rose to the occasion to take five for 42.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their