Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

by Mahinda Wijesinghe

With the establishment of the world Test partnership record for the 6th wicket, against India, on 19 November 2009, against India, Sri Lanka now holds four of the 10 Test batting partnership records.
The balance six are accounted for as follows the tenth being shared by New Zealand and Pakistan (as indicated in the table).

Daminda Wijesuriya reporting from Ahmedabad

Sri Lanka`s latest seaming sensation Chanaka Welagedara turned out to be Rahul Dravid`s nemesis a second time round in Ahmedabad, with just 22 minutes to go for close of play yesterday. Having scored a brilliant 177 in the first essay, Rahul Dravid, tagged `The Wall` stuck to his crease for 98 minutes before being adjudged leg before wicket, as India reached 190 for two wickets at stumps However Sri Lanka is yet a good distance away from tasting a maiden test win on Indian soil.

COLOMBO (UCAN)

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has for the first time allowed leaders of various faiths to conduct prayer and blessing ceremonies for the national team, currently on tour in India.

In the past, the ceremonies had been exclusively Buddhist.
`It`s the dawn of an era,` remarked Suraj Dandeniya, Sri Lankan tournament director for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2011, which will be held in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.

Daminda Wijesuriya reporting from Ahmedabad

Mahela Jayawardane scored a magnificent double hundred to put Sri Lanka into a commanding position as the tourists posted the highest ever test total at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, yesterday, in the first cricket test against India. Sri Lanka scored 591 for five wickets at the end of the third day`s play and enjoyed a healthy lead of 165 runs with five wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka Cricket will host an international match after a lapse of 17 years, at the Moratuwa Stadium, on December 5.

The Under-19 Tri-nation one day series between Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to get underway on November 29, with the first encounter scheduled to be played at the newly constructed stadium at Pallekela, in Kandy.

The city of Moratuwa is home to many cricketers who have represented Sri Lanka. Moratuwa draws massive crowds for any form of cricket.

Daminda Wijesuriya reporting from Ahmedabad

Tillakaratne Dilshan played a splendid innings here, in Ahmedabad, yesterday, to reach his fifth test hundred of the year as Sri Lanka scored 275 for three wickets in reply to India`s first innings total of 426, in the first test.

The crafty right hander drove, cut and pulled with authority when the Indian bowlers were getting frustrated as they didn`t get anything out of the pitch.

Rex Clementine reporting from Ahmedabad

Left-arm seamer Chanaka Welagedara, a last minute inclusion in the line up for the first Test against India here in Ahmedabad stunned the hosts with a three wicket spell in the morning with the new ball including the wicket of star batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

The 28-year-old playing his first Test in two years revealed that working with former Australian fast bowling great Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Academy in Madras helped him to iron out a vital technical flaw.

Daminda Wijesuriya reporting from Ahmedabad

Rahul Dravid (unbeaten on 177) played a majestic innings to drag his team out of the woods as India scored 385 for six wickets at stumps on the first day of the first test at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, yesterday.

`The Wall` stuck to his reputation yesterday after the home team was struggling at 32 for four after a mere eight overs and went past 11,000 runs in his career.

Dravid`s 27th test hundred was somewhat an immaculate innings as none of the Sri Lankan bowlers got anywhere near his wicket. His elegant drives off the front foot and sweetly timed glances and pushes off the back foot reveled that the former Indian skipper is not changed by the modern day fantasy cricket. That was a test innings worth watching, which included 26 fours and a magnificent six off Rangana Herath.

Daminda Wijesuriya reporting from Ahmedabad

Sri Lanka will revert to their original plan as the opener Tillakaratne Dilshan has regained full fitness before the first cricket test against India starting today in Ahmedabad.

The crucial three-match series starts with both teams having a chance to claim the number one spot in the ICC test rankings.
The biggest worry for Sri Lanka was Dilshan`s fitness after he sustained an ankle sprain while training in Mumbai, prior arriving here for the test. It was a minor sprain in his ankle and he played football at Sardar Patel Stadium yesterday without any complains.

by Leslie FERNANDO

PRESIDENT - A GUIDING LIGHT: Sri Lanka`s `ace` in the athletic scene - Susanthika Jayasinghe, the Olympic Bronze Medal winner was looked after well by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and when the star athlete decided to `call it a day` as far as competitive athletics was concerned, President Rajapaksa did not disappoint the runner and presented her with a handsome gift of Rs. five million as a token of Sri Lanka gratitude for the wonderful way she brought honour to the country at the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008.

After experiencing a day of unseasonal rains that brought Mumbai to a standstill, the Sri Lankan team woke up to a clearer sky on Thursday. But though the rain stayed away, the carnage it left behind ensured that the visitors could do little in terms of their preparation for the Test series against India.

The Lankans reached the ground more than an hour before the Board President`s XI team did, but they had to sit around waiting for the umpires before heading indoors again. There was a pitch inspection at 1 pm, but it proved to be a mere formality as play was called off again.

The hero of English cricket in 1980s, Sir Ian Terrance Botham will return to Galle next month ahead of the fifth anniversary of the tsunami disaster which tragically devastated many parts of Sri Lanka on the 26th of December 2004.

Sir Ian visited Galle shortly after the tsunami struck to see for himself the damage and to gauge what the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation could do to help.

As a result of his visit, Laureus provided support to the Foundation of Goodness to establish the Sport for Life project which has been helping to rebuild community spirit in the villages in the area.

We have lived in fortunate times. There have been many great players who entertained us. Revolutionised cricket. Lifted it to new heights. Today I reproduce some of the quotes by fellow cricketers of one of the greatest of all time. I have been fortunate to have played against and also alongside him.

Nothing bad can happen to us if we`re on a plane in India with Sachin Tendulkar on it. Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a flight.

Temperamental fast bowler Sreesanth has been given one more chance to resurrect his stop-start career, after being selected in India`s 15-man squad for first two Test series against Sri Lanka.

Sreesanth, who muscled his way back into contention with 22 wickets in 10 games for Warwickshire, is now a candidate to share the bowling responsibilities with a fit-again Zaheer Khan.

Sreesanth, who last played for India in 2008, has had his share of injuries and criticism over attitude in equal measure. His disciplinary issues have been in both domestic and international cricket - he was recently issued a `final warning` by the BCCI - but he has been handed a chance to let his bowling correct that.

Mumbai: With the International Cricket Council on Monday making public the fixture of 2011 World Cup, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said winning the 50-over championship is a dream which every player aspires to realise in his career.

He also said that the preparations for the cricketing extravaganza was on track and the announcement of the schedule would give the staging associations ample time to get ready for their share of matches.

`A year ago we were concerned about the slow progress of the preparations. But things have started to move speedily and we are on track. Now every staging centre knows the schedule and will be in a position to prepare for the matches,` he told reporters after announcing the World Cup schedule.