London: England has announced their squad for the three Test matches against Sri Lanka, consisting of 14 members. Opener Zak Crawley, who injured his right hand, has been excluded from the English team. The Test series between Sri Lanka and England is set to begin on the 21st of this month, with the first Test taking place at Old Trafford. England is gearing up for this series with the confidence from their complete victory in the series against the West Indies. Currently, England is in sixth place on the World Test Championship points table, making a complete victory in this series crucial for them. Sri Lanka stands fourth in the points table.
The England Team: Ben Stokes (Captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Ollie Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
"If I Play Cricket, It Will Be for Zimbabwe Only," States Sikandar Raza
Harare: Sikandar Raza has declared that if he plays cricket, it will only be for Zimbabwe. He responded to a fan's question about whether he ever thought of playing for Pakistan. Although he was born in Pakistan, Raza mentioned that it was Zimbabwe that helped him grow as a cricketer.
Raza, who is also the captain of the Zimbabwe national team, was suggested by a fan that playing for Pakistan could solve their middle-order problems. Raza dismissed this suggestion, stating that Zimbabwe invested a lot of money and time in him, and he is currently trying to repay their faith. He expressed that no matter what he does, it feels like it will never be enough. Sikandar Raza, 38, has played 142 ODIs, 91 T20Is, and 17 Tests for Zimbabwe, scoring over 8,000 runs in international cricket. He has been a crucial player for Zimbabwe cricket for more than a decade.
Rohit Sharma Expresses Pain Over Defeat, Analyzes Loss
Colombo: Indian captain Rohit Sharma has expressed his pain over the unexpected defeat against Sri Lanka. India lost the second ODI by 32 runs. After the match, Rohit evaluated the reasons behind the team's defeat, mentioning that losing a match is always painful. He highlighted that it was not just a matter of ten overs; they failed to play consistent cricket, which was disappointing.
Rohit acknowledged the good left-right combinations in the middle and congratulated Jeffrey Vandersay for taking six wickets. He explained that his approach of taking risks while batting was the reason for his 65 runs, and he doesn’t want to compromise on his objectives. Rohit added that they need to score maximum runs during the powerplay as the middle overs are very challenging. He concluded by stating that their performance was not up to the mark and there might be more discussions about their middle-order performance.
India Falls to Sri Lanka's Spin, Loses Second ODI
Colombo: In the second ODI, Sri Lanka outplayed India, winning by 32 runs. Chasing Sri Lanka's target of 241 runs, India was all out for 208 runs in 42.2 overs. With this win, Sri Lanka leads the three-match series. Jeffrey Vandersay, who took six wickets, was instrumental in dismantling the Indian batting lineup. Captain Rohit Sharma was the only Indian player to score a half-century, making 64 runs off 44 balls. Axar Patel scored 44 runs, and Shubman Gill contributed 35 runs.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sri Lanka scored 240 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 50 overs. Kamindu Mendis (40 runs off 44 balls) and Avishka Fernando (40 runs off 62 balls) were the top scorers for Sri Lanka. Washington Sundar took three wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav claimed two for India. India had a good start with the opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill adding 97 runs. However, once Vandersay started bowling, things went downhill for India. Vandersay started his wicket-taking spree by dismissing Rohit Sharma (64) in the 14th over, followed by Shubman Gill (35) shortly after.
Virat Kohli (14), Shivam Dube (0), Shreyas Iyer (7), and KL Rahul (0) were all trapped in front by Vandersay. Axar Patel, who stayed at the crease, added 38 runs with Washington Sundar. However, Charith Asalanka provided the breakthrough by dismissing Axar Patel with a return catch. Asalanka also trapped Washington Sundar (15) and Mohammed Siraj (4) in front of the wicket. India’s chase ended in the 42.2nd over when Kamindu Mendis ran out Arshdeep Singh (3).
Sri Lanka Sets 241 Runs Target for India in the Second ODI
Colombo: In the second ODI against India, Sri Lanka set a target of 241 runs. Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 240 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Kamindu Mendis (40 runs off 44 balls) and Avishka Fernando (40 runs off 62 balls) were the top scorers for Sri Lanka. For India, Washington Sundar took three wickets, and Kuldeep Yadav took two.
Sri Lanka had a shaky start with opener Pathum Nissanka getting out on the first ball bowled by Mohammed Siraj. Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis then added 74 runs for the third wicket. In the 17th over, Washington Sundar trapped Avishka in front of the wicket, giving India a breakthrough. Sundar also dismissed Kusal Mendis (30 runs off 42 balls) in the same spell, leaving Sri Lanka at 79 for three.
Sri Lanka's middle order crumbled thereafter, with Sadira Samarawickrama (14) and Janith Liyanage (12) failing to make significant contributions. Captain Charith Asalanka, who scored 25 runs off 42 balls, was also dismissed by Sundar in the 35th over. Dunit Wellalage and Kamindu Mendis then added 72 runs together before Kuldeep Yadav broke the partnership by dismissing Wellalage (39) in the 47th over. Akila Dhananjaya's 15 runs were crucial in the end. Rohit Sharma ran out Dhananjaya on the last ball of the innings. Jeffrey Vandersay remained unbeaten on one run.
Mohammad Shami Discusses His Return to the Indian Team
Delhi: Indian cricket team pace bowler Mohammad Shami, who has been sidelined due to injury following the ODI World Cup, has spoken about his return to the national team. Shami stated that he cannot predict when he will return to the Indian team but hopes to play for the Bengal team first. He expressed confidence that after playing two or three matches for Bengal, he will be able to make a comeback to the national team.
Shami revealed that he did not realize the severity of his injury. He thought he could seek treatment after the ODI World Cup and continue playing in the IPL and T20 World Cup. However, the injury worsened during the ODI World Cup. Shami acknowledged that continuing to play without seeking treatment made things worse. He was the highest wicket-taker for India in the ODI World Cup last year, with 24 wickets in seven matches. Unfortunately, due to his injury, Shami missed the Indian Premier League and T20 World Cup.
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