Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin yesterday polished off Sri Lanka’s tail in the second Test to help India equal their biggest victory and go 1-0 up in the three-match series in Nagpur.
The hosts bundled out Sri Lanka for 166 shortly after lunch on the fourth day to prevail by an innings and 239 runs, the margin equaling their 2007 triumph against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Ashwin finished with 4-63 in the second innings, overtaking former Australia paceman Dennis Lillee as the fastest to 300 Test wickets in the process.
Lillee took 56 matches to reach the mark, while the 31-year-old Ashwin achieved the feat in his 54th.
“I really hope I can go on to double these 300 wickets, I’ve only played 50 Tests,” said Ashwin, who has been working on his variations with India scheduled to play a number of away series next year. “It’s not easy bowling spin, it looks like you’re just ambling up, but there’s a lot behind it.”
The tourists lost seven wickets in an extended morning session and India returned after lunch to complete the formalities.
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal hit a defiant 61 and added 58 with Suranga Lakmal, who remained unbeaten on 31, to stretch the contest to the second session.
Paceman Umesh Yadav ended the partnership after the interval when Chandimal pulled one straight to Ashwin at fine-leg.
“Before we came here, we had a game plan,” Chandimal said at the post-match presentation. “We said to the guys: ‘If you get a start, you have to bat long,’ but they scored only 50, 60 runs and got out. It’s unfortunate, but I’m sure they will learn.”
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two
RSS