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Babar Azam has recovered 90% from the finger injury he suffered in the lead-up to the Test series against England and is now confirmed to return and lead his team in the second Test at Lord’s. Babar suffered a blow to the middle finger of his right hand while batting during Pakistan’s only warm-up match in Beckenham, and thus was ruled out of the series opener at Headingley, which Pakistan lost inside three days. While bowling coach Umar Gul provided a key update on Babar’s fitness, saying he looked comfortable during the net sessions on Tuesday, Pakistan’s talismanic batter confirmed his comeback to the playing XI. &nbsp;"I had a couple of practice sessions," Babar said on the eve of the match. "I'm 90% fit for tomorrow and the rest of the series." &nbsp;After the press briefing in London on Wednesday, Babar returned to face more throwdowns in the nets, but notably, no fast bowling. Unfortunately for him and Pakistan, England is highly unlikely to play a spinner in the second Test.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-csk-fallout-failed-stake-sale-talks-report-1787750665699">MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift</a> &nbsp;Meanwhile, sitting on the sidelines and watching his team collapse cheaply across both innings in the first Test, Babar said it was the batting unit’s collective failure but added that it’s not the end of the world for his team. &nbsp;"You need to produce complete team performances. You have to bowl and bat in partnerships. And you have to take it deep as a batter if you're set. If you're set, it's a little easier. For a new batter, it's a little bit difficult to build partnerships,” Babar reflected on Pakistan’s performance in the first Test.<h2>Changes in Batting Order</h2>With Babar Azam returning to the playing XI, Pakistan would have to reshuffle its top order for the second Test. Azam Awais is expected to make way for his regular captain, with Shan Masood likely to pair up with Imam-ul-Haq in the opening. That opens the number three slot for Abdullah Shafique to grab, while Babar will bat at his usual position at four. &nbsp;"The number Abdullah is batting, he should [continue to] play there," Babar said. "He's batted three and four since his comeback. He's got confidence there so he'll continue there. We need to [stamp out] the back-to-back wickets we lose. The senior batters need to be more focused and make up for it." &nbsp;Babar will lead Pakistan for the first time in a Test match in England, and he feels honoured to do that.&nbsp; &nbsp;"When you lead the Pakistan side on this ground, it's an honour," Babar said. "I do my best on the field as captain, and when I'm batting, I just play my game. Our stats here are good, and we'd like to continue that. We will forget about the first Test and are looking forward to this one."

Babar Azam confirms he is 90% fit to return as captain for Pakistan's 2nd Test against England at Lord's following a finger injury layoff.

Babar Azam has recovered 90% from the finger injury he suffered in the lead-up to the Test series against England and is now confirmed to return and lead his team in the second Test at Lord’s. Babar suffered a blow to the middle finger of his right hand while batting during Pakistan’s only warm-up match in Beckenham, and thus was ruled out of the series opener at Headingley, which Pakistan lost inside three days. While bowling coach Umar Gul provided a key update on Babar’s fitness, saying he looked comfortable during the net sessions on Tuesday, Pakistan’s talismanic batter confirmed his comeback to the playing XI. "I had a couple of practice sessions," Babar said on the eve of the match. "I'm 90% fit for tomorrow and the rest of the series." After the press briefing in London on Wednesday, Babar returned to face more throwdowns in the nets, but notably, no fast bowling. Unfortunately for him and Pakistan, England is highly unlikely to play a spinner in the second Test. Also read| MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift Meanwhile, sitting on the sidelines and watching his team collapse cheaply across both innings in the first Test, Babar said it was the batting unit’s collective failure but added that it’s not the end of the world for his team. "You need to produce complete team performances. You have to bowl and bat in partnerships. And you have to take it deep as a batter if you're set. If you're set, it's a little easier. For a new batter, it's a little bit difficult to build partnerships,” Babar reflected on Pakistan’s performance in the first Test. Changes in Batting Order With Babar Azam returning to the playing XI, Pakistan would have to reshuffle its top order for the second Test. Azam Awais is expected to make way for his regular captain, with Shan Masood likely to pair up with Imam-ul-Haq in the opening. That opens the number three slot for Abdullah Shafique to grab, while Babar will bat at his usual position at four. "The number Abdullah is batting, he should [continue to] play there," Babar said. "He's batted three and four since his comeback. He's got confidence there so he'll continue there. We need to [stamp out] the back-to-back wickets we lose. The senior batters need to be more focused and make up for it." Babar will lead Pakistan for the first time in a Test match in England, and he feels honoured to do that. "When you lead the Pakistan side on this ground, it's an honour," Babar said. "I do my best on the field as captain, and when I'm batting, I just play my game. Our stats here are good, and we'd like to continue that. We will forget about the first Test and are looking forward to this one."

Babar Azam confirms he is 90% fit to return as captain for Pakistan's 2nd Test against England at Lord's following a finger injury layoff.

‘90% fit’ Babar Azam confirmed to captain Pakistan in Lord’s Test against England

In a strange development surrounding one of IPL’s greatest teams, its veteran captain's falling out with the franchise has made headlines. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and its former skipper MS Dhoni have reportedly disagreed over honouring each other's demands during a failed discussion about CSK's stake sales. Dhoni and CSK have been synonymous since the competition’s inception in 2008. Since Dhoni took over CSK’s captaincy from day one and led them to an unprecedented run for nearly 15 years, winning five titles and several across the now-defunct Champions League competition, no one thought a day would come when the two would differ over any point. &nbsp;While Dhoni remains an active CSK player, having last featured in the 2025 edition, he aims to bolster his affiliation with the star IPL franchise by acquiring a stake in the team. However, after talks between the team management and Thala fell through, speculation about their ties was raised.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sanjay-manjrekar-urges-harsher-punishment-jaiswal-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-1787744565098">'Don't let them get away': Manjrekar urges harsher punishments for Jaiswal, Vaibhav</a> &nbsp;A Cricblogger report, also carried out by several publications, suggests that Dhoni intended to acquire a 25% stake in the franchise, but the team owners were willing to offer him only 3%. Dhoni then reduced his demand to 20%, only for the owners to offer a per cent increase in the counteroffer. Dhoni, however, further reduced the number to 18%, but CSK’s final counteroffer of 5.5% led to the breakdown. &nbsp;“Dhoni wanted to buy a stake. He wasn’t asking for it for free, but the CSK management thought otherwise," a source close to the information said, as quoted in the report.&nbsp;<h2>What is next for Dhoni and CSK?</h2>Dhoni is CSK’s most-capped player, having featured most times for the franchise, barring the last one. A stiff and persistent calf injury kept him out of action from IPL 2026, where CSK failed to reach the playoffs. Even though his playing days are numbered due to his age and fitness, this latest episode would likely determine his future ahead of IPL 2027. &nbsp;CSK is also without a head coach after mutually parting ways with Stephen Fleming after this season. Several former players have suggested a few names for the new coach, including urging Dhoni to fill the vacant spot; nothing has been formalised yet. It remains to be seen what happens next.&nbsp;

Reports claim a rift has emerged between MS Dhoni and CSK after talks over acquiring an ownership stake in the IPL franchise broke down over equity terms.

In a strange development surrounding one of IPL’s greatest teams, its veteran captain's falling out with the franchise has made headlines. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and its former skipper MS Dhoni have reportedly disagreed over honouring each other's demands during a failed discussion about CSK's stake sales. Dhoni and CSK have been synonymous since the competition’s inception in 2008. Since Dhoni took over CSK’s captaincy from day one and led them to an unprecedented run for nearly 15 years, winning five titles and several across the now-defunct Champions League competition, no one thought a day would come when the two would differ over any point. While Dhoni remains an active CSK player, having last featured in the 2025 edition, he aims to bolster his affiliation with the star IPL franchise by acquiring a stake in the team. However, after talks between the team management and Thala fell through, speculation about their ties was raised. Also read| 'Don't let them get away': Manjrekar urges harsher punishments for Jaiswal, Vaibhav A Cricblogger report, also carried out by several publications, suggests that Dhoni intended to acquire a 25% stake in the franchise, but the team owners were willing to offer him only 3%. Dhoni then reduced his demand to 20%, only for the owners to offer a per cent increase in the counteroffer. Dhoni, however, further reduced the number to 18%, but CSK’s final counteroffer of 5.5% led to the breakdown. “Dhoni wanted to buy a stake. He wasn’t asking for it for free, but the CSK management thought otherwise," a source close to the information said, as quoted in the report. What is next for Dhoni and CSK? Dhoni is CSK’s most-capped player, having featured most times for the franchise, barring the last one. A stiff and persistent calf injury kept him out of action from IPL 2026, where CSK failed to reach the playoffs. Even though his playing days are numbered due to his age and fitness, this latest episode would likely determine his future ahead of IPL 2027. CSK is also without a head coach after mutually parting ways with Stephen Fleming after this season. Several former players have suggested a few names for the new coach, including urging Dhoni to fill the vacant spot; nothing has been formalised yet. It remains to be seen what happens next.

Reports claim a rift has emerged between MS Dhoni and CSK after talks over acquiring an ownership stake in the IPL franchise broke down over equity terms.

MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift

Rain has delayed Team India’s series-sweeping win in Colombo on day four after India enforced the follow-on and subsequently reduced Sri Lanka to 229 for six at stumps. The hosts lead by only 16 runs with four wickets and a day full of cricket remaining, as Team India leads the charge. Sri Lanka might have found their heroes in Pasindu Sooriyabandara (92) and Kamindu Mendis (55) in the second innings, but sit far from where they would have liked in this second and final Test of the series. For the visitors, each of the five bowlers used in the second innings has chipped in with at least one wicket. &nbsp;Team India quickly dismissed Sri Lanka for 290 early inside the first hour on day four. Sonal Dinusha -- Sri Lanka’s best batter in this series -- completed his second Test hundred before getting dismissed by debutant Saransh Jain, who returned with two wickets in the first innings.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sanjay-manjrekar-urges-harsher-punishment-jaiswal-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-1787744565098">'Don't let them get away': Manjrekar urges harsher punishments for Jaiswal, Vaibhav</a> &nbsp;Trailing by 213 runs, Sri Lanka came out to bat again. Mohammed Siraj removed opener Lahiru Udara for three, before Kamil Mishara and Sooriyabandara stitched a 58-run stand for the second wicket. Following Mishara’s dismissal, Mendis and Sooriyabandara revived their innings with a massive 118-run partnership for the third wicket. A cluster of wickets fell soon after, with Sri Lanka reeling at 218 for six at one stage.&nbsp; &nbsp;Fortunately for the hosts, Sonal remains unbeaten on seven off 37 balls, and Keshara Nuwantha is batting on just three off 29 deliveries. The two also frustrated India in the first innings with gritty resistance, aiming to deny them an early win when play resumes on the fifth and deciding day. &nbsp;Among the bowlers, seamers Prasidh Krishna and Siraj, alongside Saransh and Ravindra Jadeja, have all picked a wicket each, while Suthar returned with two so far in the second innings.&nbsp; &nbsp;Meanwhile, should India dismiss Sri Lanka early and then complete the run chase, they would inflict a series sweep on the hosts, further boosting their chances of making the WTC Final next year.&nbsp;

Rain interrupted Day 4 of the 2nd Test in Colombo with India nearing a series sweep against Sri Lanka. The hosts lead by 16 runs after being forced to follow on.

Rain has delayed Team India’s series-sweeping win in Colombo on day four after India enforced the follow-on and subsequently reduced Sri Lanka to 229 for six at stumps. The hosts lead by only 16 runs with four wickets and a day full of cricket remaining, as Team India leads the charge. Sri Lanka might have found their heroes in Pasindu Sooriyabandara (92) and Kamindu Mendis (55) in the second innings, but sit far from where they would have liked in this second and final Test of the series. For the visitors, each of the five bowlers used in the second innings has chipped in with at least one wicket. Team India quickly dismissed Sri Lanka for 290 early inside the first hour on day four. Sonal Dinusha -- Sri Lanka’s best batter in this series -- completed his second Test hundred before getting dismissed by debutant Saransh Jain, who returned with two wickets in the first innings. Also read| 'Don't let them get away': Manjrekar urges harsher punishments for Jaiswal, Vaibhav Trailing by 213 runs, Sri Lanka came out to bat again. Mohammed Siraj removed opener Lahiru Udara for three, before Kamil Mishara and Sooriyabandara stitched a 58-run stand for the second wicket. Following Mishara’s dismissal, Mendis and Sooriyabandara revived their innings with a massive 118-run partnership for the third wicket. A cluster of wickets fell soon after, with Sri Lanka reeling at 218 for six at one stage. Fortunately for the hosts, Sonal remains unbeaten on seven off 37 balls, and Keshara Nuwantha is batting on just three off 29 deliveries. The two also frustrated India in the first innings with gritty resistance, aiming to deny them an early win when play resumes on the fifth and deciding day. Among the bowlers, seamers Prasidh Krishna and Siraj, alongside Saransh and Ravindra Jadeja, have all picked a wicket each, while Suthar returned with two so far in the second innings. Meanwhile, should India dismiss Sri Lanka early and then complete the run chase, they would inflict a series sweep on the hosts, further boosting their chances of making the WTC Final next year.

Rain interrupted Day 4 of the 2nd Test in Colombo with India nearing a series sweep against Sri Lanka. The hosts lead by 16 runs after being forced to follow on.

IND vs SL 2nd Test, Day 4: India inch closer to series sweep despite rain interruption

Cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar has urged the BCCI and ICC to make examples of Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for their outbursts over dismissals and send-offs. In the space of a couple of months, the two have made headlines for loudly reacting against separate Sri Lankan teams, with Jaiswal’s instance taking place on day one of the ongoing second Test in Colombo. While Jaiswal and Sri Lankan seamer Asitha Fernando were slapped with a 25% fine on their match fees and handed a demerit point each, Manjrekar feels the punishment should be stricter.<h2>What happened between Jaiswal and Asitha?</h2>Just after Asitha’s almost unplayable incoming delivery crashed into the wickets, dismissing the well-set Indian opener for 45, Jaiswal stood there in disbelief. As soon as he began walking towards the pavilion, he immediately turned and charged towards Asitha, who had also animatedly celebrated Jaiswal’s wicket. &nbsp;Tensions arose as the two faced off, only for Jaiswal to take it far by deliberately going for a physical touch by placing his helmet towards Asitha’s face.&nbsp;&nbsp;WATCH VIDEO -

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🥵 THINGS GET HEATED! 🥵 Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando exchange words as tensions rise in the middle. 👀 Watch <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SLvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvIND</a>, 2nd Test, LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels &amp; Sony LIV.<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonySportsNetwork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonySportsNetwork</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonyLIV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonyLIV</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BeautifulGameOfTestCricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeautifulGameOfTestCricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/7qJrORjx8V">pic.twitter.com/7qJrORjx8V</a>&mdash; Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) <a href="https://x.com/SonySportsNetwk/status/2091417855120253165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The remaining Sri Lankan players quickly intervened and separated the two. The match referee found both guilty of breaching ICC’s code of conduct and slapped them with respective fines.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-2nd-test-jaiswal-asitha-fernando-fight-colombo-video-1787469986821">WATCH | Tempers flare in Colombo as Yashasvi Jaiswal charges at Asitha Fernando following dismissal</a> &nbsp;“Both players were found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match).” As a result, Jaiswal and Fernando were fined 25 per cent of their match fee and were handed one demerit point each,” an official ICC statement read. &nbsp;In another incident, batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi too became a talking point following a super over loss (playing for India A) against Sri Lanka A in mid-June. After the scores were tied and Sri Lanka A scored 16 in six balls, India A failed to complete the chase, with Sooryavanshi at the crease. &nbsp;Moments later, he was on record getting involved in a physical altercation with a Sri Lanka A player. Sooryavanshi then walked back in anger, making hand gestures and expressing his frustration at being unable to help his team win the match.<h3>Manjrekar’s take on this matter</h3>Taking to his X handle, Manjrekar wrote, “Dear @icc &amp; @bcci…Vaibhav for Ind A recently &amp; now Jaiswal… if you keep letting them get away with such behaviour, you train them to repeat such behaviour. It’s not good for the sport &amp; crucially their own future too.🙏”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Dear <a href="https://x.com/ICC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@icc</a> &amp; <a href="https://x.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bcci</a>… Vaibhav for Ind A recently &amp; now Jaiswal… if you keep letting them get away with such behaviour, you train them to repeat such behaviour. It’s not good for the sport &amp; crucially their own future too. 🙏&mdash; Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) <a href="https://x.com/sanjaymanjrekar/status/2092444755422814358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Meanwhile, as things stand in this second Test in Colombo, India is sitting in the driver’s seat after reducing Sri Lanka to 229 for six, as they lead by 16 runs on day four.

Sanjay Manjrekar has urged the ICC and BCCI to impose stricter punishments on young Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to prevent repeated on-field outbursts.

Cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar has urged the BCCI and ICC to make examples of Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for their outbursts over dismissals and send-offs. In the space of a couple of months, the two have made headlines for loudly reacting against separate Sri Lankan teams, with Jaiswal’s instance taking place on day one of the ongoing second Test in Colombo. While Jaiswal and Sri Lankan seamer Asitha Fernando were slapped with a 25% fine on their match fees and handed a demerit point each, Manjrekar feels the punishment should be stricter. What happened between Jaiswal and Asitha? Just after Asitha’s almost unplayable incoming delivery crashed into the wickets, dismissing the well-set Indian opener for 45, Jaiswal stood there in disbelief. As soon as he began walking towards the pavilion, he immediately turned and charged towards Asitha, who had also animatedly celebrated Jaiswal’s wicket. Tensions arose as the two faced off, only for Jaiswal to take it far by deliberately going for a physical touch by placing his helmet towards Asitha’s face. WATCH VIDEO -

Sanjay Manjrekar has urged the ICC and BCCI to impose stricter punishments on young Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to prevent repeated on-field outbursts.

'Don't let them get away': Manjrekar urges harsher punishments for Jaiswal, Vaibhav

Australian quick Mitchell Starc ended Jasprit Bumrah’s reign at the top of the Test rankings for bowlers by replacing him to claim the number one position for the first time in his career. Starc produced a match-winning 10-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the recently concluded second Test in Mackay, and helped the hosts win the match inside two days. Starc’s record-breaking outing came days after Bangladesh shocked Australia for their first Test win Down Under and second overall against the mighty Aussies. While Starc attained his career-best ratings (872) and jumped two places to number one, India’s Bumrah slipped one place to sit at two. Australian Test captain Pat Cummins too gained a place to conquer the fourth spot, and off-spin veteran Nathan Lyon entered the top ten by jumping two places. Cummins returned with three-wicket hauls in both innings, while Lyon, who grabbed just one wicket across two innings in the series opener, picked up three in the second innings.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/joe-root-brydon-carse-handcuff-row-england-vs-pakistan-lords-test-1787673950513">England captain Root ‘hacked off’ with Carse’s handcuff row ahead of Lord’s Test against Pakistan</a> &nbsp;Starc, however, was the hero of the game for the Aussies. He made headlines for picking up a five-for in just 22 balls early on day one, including dismissing Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam on a first-ball duck. He picked up six wickets for 12 runs in his 10 overs in the first innings, before returning 4/39 in the second to hand Bangladesh a heavy defeat by an innings and 51 runs. &nbsp;The left-arm quick also broke several records during his six-wicket haul in the first innings – surpassing former South African quick Dale Steyn for most Test wickets (445*) and going past James Anderson for the most first-ball dismissals (9*)in cricket.<h2>Other Notable Ranking Movers</h2>New Zealand seamer Matt Henry dropped down one place to number three, while Ollie Robinson jumped 15 places to claim the 11th spot in the updated rankings for Test bowlers.&nbsp; &nbsp;Robinson’s eight-wicket haul in the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley gave the hosts a thumping win by an innings and 103 runs. Josh Tongue, his teammate and fellow quick who also picked up eight wickets in the opener, jumped 16 spots to go to 17. &nbsp;The Sri Lankan bowling pair of Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya also gained five spots each after the Galle Test. Asitha picked six wickets and Jayasuriya seven, respectively, but Sri Lanka lost the opener by 165 runs.&nbsp; &nbsp;On the other hand, batters Kamindu Mendis and Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped out of the top 10 after low scores in Galle.&nbsp;

Mitchell Starc has overtaken Jasprit Bumrah to become the new No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings. Starc achieved the top spot for the first time following a 10-wicket masterclass against Bangladesh.

Australian quick Mitchell Starc ended Jasprit Bumrah’s reign at the top of the Test rankings for bowlers by replacing him to claim the number one position for the first time in his career. Starc produced a match-winning 10-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the recently concluded second Test in Mackay, and helped the hosts win the match inside two days. Starc’s record-breaking outing came days after Bangladesh shocked Australia for their first Test win Down Under and second overall against the mighty Aussies. While Starc attained his career-best ratings (872) and jumped two places to number one, India’s Bumrah slipped one place to sit at two. Australian Test captain Pat Cummins too gained a place to conquer the fourth spot, and off-spin veteran Nathan Lyon entered the top ten by jumping two places. Cummins returned with three-wicket hauls in both innings, while Lyon, who grabbed just one wicket across two innings in the series opener, picked up three in the second innings. Also read| England captain Root ‘hacked off’ with Carse’s handcuff row ahead of Lord’s Test against Pakistan Starc, however, was the hero of the game for the Aussies. He made headlines for picking up a five-for in just 22 balls early on day one, including dismissing Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam on a first-ball duck. He picked up six wickets for 12 runs in his 10 overs in the first innings, before returning 4/39 in the second to hand Bangladesh a heavy defeat by an innings and 51 runs. The left-arm quick also broke several records during his six-wicket haul in the first innings – surpassing former South African quick Dale Steyn for most Test wickets (445*) and going past James Anderson for the most first-ball dismissals (9*)in cricket. Other Notable Ranking Movers New Zealand seamer Matt Henry dropped down one place to number three, while Ollie Robinson jumped 15 places to claim the 11th spot in the updated rankings for Test bowlers. Robinson’s eight-wicket haul in the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley gave the hosts a thumping win by an innings and 103 runs. Josh Tongue, his teammate and fellow quick who also picked up eight wickets in the opener, jumped 16 spots to go to 17. The Sri Lankan bowling pair of Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya also gained five spots each after the Galle Test. Asitha picked six wickets and Jayasuriya seven, respectively, but Sri Lanka lost the opener by 165 runs. On the other hand, batters Kamindu Mendis and Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped out of the top 10 after low scores in Galle.

Mitchell Starc has overtaken Jasprit Bumrah to become the new No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings. Starc achieved the top spot for the first time following a 10-wicket masterclass against Bangladesh.

Mitchell Starc replaces India's Bumrah as no. 1 Test bowler after 10-wicket masterclass

India's teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, known for his aggressive and scintillating batting style, showed off his bowling prowess in the Duleep Trophy match. Playing for East Zone, Sooryavanshi failed with the bat, scoring only eight runs off six balls in his team's only batting innings, but picked up two wickets in one over in the three overs he bowled in the match. Sooryavanshi's left-arm spin, coupled with his fearless batting at the top, could prove beneficial for him in the bright future ahead, where he is expected to shine for India at the international level.<h2>Sooryavanshi shows off bowling skills in Duleep Trophy</h2>The batter did not bowl in North East Zone's first innings, in which the team scored 111 in reply to East Zone's mammoth 467. During the follow-on, Sooryavanshi was given the ball, and he immediately returned the favor with two wickets. In the 28th over, with NE Zone already five wickets down, Vaibhav sent back Kishan Lyngdoh (25) and Imliwati Lemtur (4) in the space of four balls, effectively drawing curtains on the game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provides Double Delight ✌️ Picks up 2⃣ wickets in the over. 2 excellent catches as well. 🙌 North East Zone are 79/7 in the 2nd innings after following on. Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/XJFhfvvTIU">https://t.co/XJFhfvvTIU</a><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/DuleepTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DuleepTrophy</a> <a href="https://t.co/NnYbBPnrja">pic.twitter.com/NnYbBPnrja</a>&mdash; BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://x.com/BCCIdomestic/status/2092132633442701365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

NE Zone were eventually dismissed for 146 in their second innings, <a href="https://www.bcci.tv/matches/6dd4d51a-0601-4c35-8f46-6de345b31a01/east-zone-vs-north-east-zone/scorecard">losing the match</a> by an innings and 210 runs.<h2><a href="https://www.bcci.tv/matches/fa8391f5-4ab5-4da5-bfc0-362391baec31/north-zone-vs-west-zone">North Zone beat West Zone in other match</a></h2>In the other Duleep Trophy QF, North Zone beat West Zone by 52 runs to reach the semis. Batting first, North Zone scored 251 runs, thanks to pacer Anshul Kamboj (60) and Ayush Badoni (51) hitting fifties. In reply, West Zone could manage only 187 runs, with Shams Mulani scoring 52.In the second innings, North Zone scored 222 runs, with Ayush Badoni (50) scoring his second fifty of the match as they set a target of 287 for West Zone. Musheer Khan (96) and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (66) led the fight for West Zone, but they were eventually bowled out for 234, losing the match by 52 runs.

Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took two wickets in an over to help East Zone beat North East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. North Zone also defeated West Zone by 52 runs to reach the semifinals.

India's teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, known for his aggressive and scintillating batting style, showed off his bowling prowess in the Duleep Trophy match. Playing for East Zone, Sooryavanshi failed with the bat, scoring only eight runs off six balls in his team's only batting innings, but picked up two wickets in one over in the three overs he bowled in the match. Sooryavanshi's left-arm spin, coupled with his fearless batting at the top, could prove beneficial for him in the bright future ahead, where he is expected to shine for India at the international level. Sooryavanshi shows off bowling skills in Duleep Trophy The batter did not bowl in North East Zone's first innings, in which the team scored 111 in reply to East Zone's mammoth 467. During the follow-on, Sooryavanshi was given the ball, and he immediately returned the favor with two wickets. In the 28th over, with NE Zone already five wickets down, Vaibhav sent back Kishan Lyngdoh (25) and Imliwati Lemtur (4) in the space of four balls, effectively drawing curtains on the game.

Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took two wickets in an over to help East Zone beat North East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. North Zone also defeated West Zone by 52 runs to reach the semifinals.

Duleep Trophy: Sooryavanshi shows off bowling skills with double-wicket over in East Zone win

Anaya Bangar, daughter of former Indian all-rounder and ex-India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, will be returning to competitive cricket, but in Australia. The 25-year-old, who underwent gender-affirming surgery in March earlier this year, has received confirmation to play community cricket in Australia. She had previously represented Mumbai in U-19 age-group cricket alongside the likes of India Test cap Sarfaraz Khan. Bangar reached out to Cricket Australia in June, and a reply came in July allowing her to participate in women's community cricket. For Elite Cricket in Australia (e.g., Women's Big Bash League), she would have to clear Cricket Australia's testosterone-related eligibility criteria.<h2>Anaya set for return to competitive cricket</h2>“It is a great day for me, especially after knowing the fact that I can play cricket. There was a stage when I thought I would never play cricket again, but thanks to Cricket Australia, it has given me another chance,” Anaya said while talking to The Indian Express.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pak-bowling-coach-umar-gul-blames-cold-weather-for-loss-in-first-test-vs-england-1787719337943">Pak bowling coach Umar Gul blames 'cold weather' for loss in first Test vs ENG</a>She moved to Cricket Australia after receiving no reply from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about her eligibility to play as a trans athlete. The ICC, the apex body of cricket, does not allow trans athletes to participate at the elite level of women's cricket if they have gone through male puberty, under a rule passed in 2023.

Cricket Australia, however, under its Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy, requires a player's testosterone to be below 10 nmol/L (nanomoles per litre) for a year to consider them eligible to play elite cricket.<h2>Anaya's transformation as a trans athlete</h2>Anaya, born as Aryan Bangar, chose to have gender-affirming surgery to align her physical characteristics with her gender identity. After the surgery, she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMbJvW_Mte_/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1">penned a note on Instagram</a>, saying: "This journey has taught me that becoming yourself means losing people who only loved the version of you that made sense to them. Not everyone will hold space for your truth. And not everyone is meant to."

Anaya Bangar, daughter of ex-India coach Sanjay Bangar, was cleared by Cricket Australia to play community cricket following gender-affirming surgery, with WBBL eligibility set for March 2027.

Anaya Bangar, daughter of former Indian all-rounder and ex-India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, will be returning to competitive cricket, but in Australia. The 25-year-old, who underwent gender-affirming surgery in March earlier this year, has received confirmation to play community cricket in Australia. She had previously represented Mumbai in U-19 age-group cricket alongside the likes of India Test cap Sarfaraz Khan. Bangar reached out to Cricket Australia in June, and a reply came in July allowing her to participate in women's community cricket. For Elite Cricket in Australia (e.g., Women's Big Bash League), she would have to clear Cricket Australia's testosterone-related eligibility criteria. Anaya set for return to competitive cricket “It is a great day for me, especially after knowing the fact that I can play cricket. There was a stage when I thought I would never play cricket again, but thanks to Cricket Australia, it has given me another chance,” Anaya said while talking to The Indian Express. Also Read - Pak bowling coach Umar Gul blames 'cold weather' for loss in first Test vs ENG She moved to Cricket Australia after receiving no reply from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about her eligibility to play as a trans athlete. The ICC, the apex body of cricket, does not allow trans athletes to participate at the elite level of women's cricket if they have gone through male puberty, under a rule passed in 2023.

Anaya Bangar, daughter of ex-India coach Sanjay Bangar, was cleared by Cricket Australia to play community cricket following gender-affirming surgery, with WBBL eligibility set for March 2027.

Trans athlete Anaya, daughter of ex-India coach Sanjay Bangar, set to play cricket in Australia

Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul has blamed the cold English weather for his team's loss in the first Test against England. Pakistan lost the Test played at Headingley in Leeds by an innings and 103 runs inside three days. Batting first, Pakistan had scored 171 and England posted 409 in reply. In the second innings, Pakistan could manage only 135 runs as England pacers snapped up all 20 wickets of the match in quick time to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.<h2>Pakistan coach blames cold weather for loss in 1st Test against England</h2>Speaking ahead of the second Test, which starts August 27 at Lord's, Gul highlighted the temperature difference between the West Indies, where Pakistan played before coming to England, and Headingley.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-injury-update-morne-morkel-day-4-wicketkeeping-colombo-test-1787669230699">'Badly bruised but will keep wickets on Day 4': Morkel on Rishabh Pant's injury</a>"When we came here from the WI, the weather was hot. It was a hot summer. We weren't expecting it to be this cold. Even during the practice match at Croydon, the weather there was hot. When we reached Headingley, it was totally different. It rained and the weather was cold. Obviously, you need to spend some time in that cold weather. That's why we couldn't bowl that well, and we couldn't execute due to the weather. But I hope they acclimatise to the weather and do well in the next game," he said.<h2>Babar back for second Test</h2>Pakistan also played the first Test without ace batter and skipper Babar Azam, who was out with an injury. The skipper, in some good news for Pakistan, will be back for the second Test. England, meanwhile, are dealing with booze issues, with the latest incident involving pacer Brydon Carse, who has now been dropped from the squad for the second Test as the matter gets investigated. After the second Test at Lord's from Aug 27–31, the third Test will be played in Birmingham from September 9–13.

Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul blamed cold weather for their innings defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley. Skipper Babar Azam returns for the second Test at Lord's starting August 27.

Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul has blamed the cold English weather for his team's loss in the first Test against England. Pakistan lost the Test played at Headingley in Leeds by an innings and 103 runs inside three days. Batting first, Pakistan had scored 171 and England posted 409 in reply. In the second innings, Pakistan could manage only 135 runs as England pacers snapped up all 20 wickets of the match in quick time to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. Pakistan coach blames cold weather for loss in 1st Test against England Speaking ahead of the second Test, which starts August 27 at Lord's, Gul highlighted the temperature difference between the West Indies, where Pakistan played before coming to England, and Headingley. Also Read - 'Badly bruised but will keep wickets on Day 4': Morkel on Rishabh Pant's injury "When we came here from the WI, the weather was hot. It was a hot summer. We weren't expecting it to be this cold. Even during the practice match at Croydon, the weather there was hot. When we reached Headingley, it was totally different. It rained and the weather was cold. Obviously, you need to spend some time in that cold weather. That's why we couldn't bowl that well, and we couldn't execute due to the weather. But I hope they acclimatise to the weather and do well in the next game," he said. Babar back for second Test Pakistan also played the first Test without ace batter and skipper Babar Azam, who was out with an injury. The skipper, in some good news for Pakistan, will be back for the second Test. England, meanwhile, are dealing with booze issues, with the latest incident involving pacer Brydon Carse, who has now been dropped from the squad for the second Test as the matter gets investigated. After the second Test at Lord's from Aug 27–31, the third Test will be played in Birmingham from September 9–13.

Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul blamed cold weather for their innings defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley. Skipper Babar Azam returns for the second Test at Lord's starting August 27.

Pak bowling coach Umar Gul blames 'cold weather' for loss in first Test vs England

Barely a week after England Test captain Joe Root urged his teammates to be ‘man enough and responsible role models’, another case of a drunken English cricketer creating disorder made headlines. While it was Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson who put England’s dressing room under scrutiny for its drinking culture, seamer Brydon Carse’s handcuff row made things worse. ‘Hacked off’ with this latest incident, Root said he was disappointed that matters not relating to cricket are at the forefront for the second time this summer. &nbsp;Carse was filmed in handcuffs while celebrating Durham’s win over Derbyshire on Saturday night. The police on Monday confirmed that he had been briefly arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly before he was de-arrested. The Cricket Regulator is investigating the matter, and the ECB has dropped him from the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s, starting Thursday. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Root revealed he spoke with ‘upset and apologetic’ Carse about the incident, and that he had a ‘very robust discussion' with his players since arriving in London on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/babar-azam-injury-update-pakistan-vs-england-2nd-test-lords-return-1787671699316">Babar Azam set to return from injury for second Test against England at Lord’s</a> &nbsp;"If I'm being brutally honest, I'm really hacked off," Root said, speaking at Lord's on Tuesday. "I'm really disappointed that after last week's performance, we sat here and we're talking about something nothing related to it at all. &nbsp;"In terms of the incident itself, it's obviously with the Regulator. There's not a lot I can say on it. It's in their hands now. I've spoken to Brydon. When I first found out, my first concern was him as a person, as someone I've spent a lot of time with [and who has] been involved in this dressing-room,” he added.&nbsp; &nbsp;While late-night drinking episodes have largely contributed to England’s loss lately, Root stands by his words of urging his teammates to behave like adults and take responsibility for their actions.&nbsp; &nbsp;"I still don't believe that's the way to go," he said. “It's important we create something bigger than that. It's about having something long-lasting that we can be proud of, that we can pass on to the next generation of players for them to evolve and be proud of.”<h2>Root’s Message to Teammates</h2>Keeping a cool head despite growing frustrations, Root said the dressing room has been far from portraying its true self, and that they have an opportunity to make things better.&nbsp; &nbsp;"What I will say is that actually, we have an opportunity moving forward," Root said. "Clearly, we're not portraying ourselves how we want to, and I think we've got an opportunity to build a culture that's very strong, something that we can be proud of, that's player-driven. &nbsp;"Of course, that's not going to happen overnight. We've already had conversations as a team about what is expected from this group of players, what it means to play for England, what it takes to play for England. But we want to create something that we can be proud of and people that follow us can be proud of,” he added.

"I'm really hacked off": Joe Root reacts to Brydon Carse's handcuff incident as the ECB drops the bowler from the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's.

Barely a week after England Test captain Joe Root urged his teammates to be ‘man enough and responsible role models’, another case of a drunken English cricketer creating disorder made headlines. While it was Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson who put England’s dressing room under scrutiny for its drinking culture, seamer Brydon Carse’s handcuff row made things worse. ‘Hacked off’ with this latest incident, Root said he was disappointed that matters not relating to cricket are at the forefront for the second time this summer. Carse was filmed in handcuffs while celebrating Durham’s win over Derbyshire on Saturday night. The police on Monday confirmed that he had been briefly arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly before he was de-arrested. The Cricket Regulator is investigating the matter, and the ECB has dropped him from the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s, starting Thursday. Meanwhile, Root revealed he spoke with ‘upset and apologetic’ Carse about the incident, and that he had a ‘very robust discussion' with his players since arriving in London on Monday. Also read| Babar Azam set to return from injury for second Test against England at Lord’s "If I'm being brutally honest, I'm really hacked off," Root said, speaking at Lord's on Tuesday. "I'm really disappointed that after last week's performance, we sat here and we're talking about something nothing related to it at all. "In terms of the incident itself, it's obviously with the Regulator. There's not a lot I can say on it. It's in their hands now. I've spoken to Brydon. When I first found out, my first concern was him as a person, as someone I've spent a lot of time with [and who has] been involved in this dressing-room,” he added. While late-night drinking episodes have largely contributed to England’s loss lately, Root stands by his words of urging his teammates to behave like adults and take responsibility for their actions. "I still don't believe that's the way to go," he said. “It's important we create something bigger than that. It's about having something long-lasting that we can be proud of, that we can pass on to the next generation of players for them to evolve and be proud of.” Root’s Message to Teammates Keeping a cool head despite growing frustrations, Root said the dressing room has been far from portraying its true self, and that they have an opportunity to make things better. "What I will say is that actually, we have an opportunity moving forward," Root said. "Clearly, we're not portraying ourselves how we want to, and I think we've got an opportunity to build a culture that's very strong, something that we can be proud of, that's player-driven. "Of course, that's not going to happen overnight. We've already had conversations as a team about what is expected from this group of players, what it means to play for England, what it takes to play for England. But we want to create something that we can be proud of and people that follow us can be proud of,” he added.

"I'm really hacked off": Joe Root reacts to Brydon Carse's handcuff incident as the ECB drops the bowler from the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's.

England captain Root ‘hacked off’ with Carse’s handcuff row ahead of Lord’s Test against Pakistan

Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has shown positive signs in his recovery from the finger injury that kept him out of the series opener at Headingley. Two days before the second Test match begins on Thursday at Lord’s, Babar trained in the nets and looked good, Pakistan’s bowling coach Umar Gul said. The former speedster added that Babar batted comfortably during the training sessions, boosting his chances of returning to the side at the Mecca of cricket.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Babar 👀 <a href="https://t.co/aIVlyUke9c">pic.twitter.com/aIVlyUke9c</a>&mdash; Lord&#39;s Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) <a href="https://x.com/HomeOfCricket/status/2092186643709010034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ahead of the UK tour, Pakistan’s first since 2020, Babar suffered a blow to his finger during an away Test against the West Indies, and then during Pakistan’s scheduled warm-up fixture (on the same finger), which ruled him out. Salman Ali Agha captained in his absence, and Pakistan lost the first Test inside three days by an innings and 103 runs.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-injury-update-morne-morkel-day-4-wicketkeeping-colombo-test-1787669230699">'Badly bruised but will keep wickets on Day 4': Morkel gives key update on Rishabh Pant's injury</a> &nbsp;"Babar batted in the nets, faced fast bowlers, spinners and throwdowns," Gul said. "We're hopeful he will be available for the game, and today he was looking good; he batted well in the nets. He had a full batting session." &nbsp;Meanwhile, Babar’s return will boost Pakistan’s batting line-up, which created an unwanted record of getting dismissed twice inside 86 overs in total – Pakistan’s fifth-fewest in two completed innings. Against the West Indies in the previous Test series, Babar top-scored with the bat, scoring 193 runs. &nbsp;Babar’s return will also see changes in the top order, as Azan Awais will likely make way for him, while either Abdullah Shafique or Shan Masood will move up the order. Not only will Babar assume captaincy, but he will also bat at his preferred position at number four. His numbers in England, however, are impressive as he averages over 65 in six innings, including three fifties.&nbsp; &nbsp;Against England overall in Tests, Babar averages 53.83 in 14 Tests.<h2>Gul on Improving Performances</h2>Pakistan was in shambles in the first Test, and despite Babar’s potential return, the side must learn from the mistakes and play better cricket to seek any chance of making a comeback in this Test series. &nbsp;"We'll have to learn from the mistakes we made in the previous game. If you want to win a Test match, you have to perform in all departments. One can't be carrying the other. But in these conditions, the responsibility lies more with the bowlers. Until you take 20 wickets, you can't win a Test match. &nbsp;"The players trained today with full intensity. I'm pretty sure the boys will bounce back properly here,” Gul added.

Babar Azam trained in the nets ahead of the 2nd Test at Lord's, with bowling coach Umar Gul confirming the Pakistan skipper is on track to return against England.

Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has shown positive signs in his recovery from the finger injury that kept him out of the series opener at Headingley. Two days before the second Test match begins on Thursday at Lord’s, Babar trained in the nets and looked good, Pakistan’s bowling coach Umar Gul said. The former speedster added that Babar batted comfortably during the training sessions, boosting his chances of returning to the side at the Mecca of cricket.

Babar Azam trained in the nets ahead of the 2nd Test at Lord's, with bowling coach Umar Gul confirming the Pakistan skipper is on track to return against England.

Babar Azam set to return from injury for second Test against England at Lord’s

Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has provided a key update on Rishabh Pant’s injury status. Pant suffered two blows to his body during India’s first innings against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Retiring hurt after being struck on his wrist on day one, Pant returned to bat on day two but suffered bruises from a short-ball barrage from the Sri Lankan quicks. He, however, got out to off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha on 63 and never made it to the field after that in this game. With three days done, Pant is now expected to keep wickets when play resumes on the fourth day, Morkel confirmed. &nbsp;The former South African pacer said the team doctors will monitor him overnight and decide on his participation accordingly. &nbsp;"Rishabh obviously got hit on the shoulder. I think that it was discussed last night," Morkel said after the third day’s play. "It is quite badly bruised. I think he was just a little bit restricted in his movement this morning when he tried to warm up. I think they'll keep on monitoring him now overnight, and hopefully, he'll be behind the stumps for us tomorrow. I think it's important to have him there. His reading of the game is exceptional."&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-2nd-test-day-3-match-report-krishna-suthar-jayasuriya-icc-sanction-1787664667228">IND vs SL 2nd Test, Day 3: Krishna, Suthar share 6 wickets as India surge ahead despite rain</a> &nbsp;Luckily for India, they had a backup keeper, Dhruv Jurel, picked in the XI for the ongoing second Test. Dhruv impressed with his second Test hundred (115), helping India post 503/9 declared. Meanwhile, Pant too scored his fifty (63) and now leads the runs tally for an Indian in the World Test Championship (WTC), surpassing India Test captain Shubman Gill.<h2>Will India Enforce Follow-on?</h2>Unlike the previous Test, where India decided to bat and later dismissed Sri Lanka in the fourth innings to win the match, they could enforce the follow-on in this Test, with Sri Lanka trailing by 238 runs and two wickets remaining. &nbsp;Morkel hinted at this possibility, considering how rain had already disrupted proceedings several times across the first three days. &nbsp;"That will be the first prize… that we can get those two wickets tomorrow early," Morkel said. "I know it's a cliché thing, but you know, with the weather around and sometimes the time it takes with taking the covers on and off, we want to try and get as many overs as possible to the Sri Lankans. So hopefully, we can get those wickets tomorrow and then be brave, put them in, and bowl well."&nbsp; &nbsp;Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar were among the wickets, picking three each thus far in this innings, as Sri Lanka’s scorecard reads 265 for 8 at stumps on day three.&nbsp;

Morne Morkel confirms Rishabh Pant is 'badly bruised' after taking hits on his wrist and shoulder, but India expect the keeper to take the gloves on Day 4 in Colombo.

Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has provided a key update on Rishabh Pant’s injury status. Pant suffered two blows to his body during India’s first innings against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Retiring hurt after being struck on his wrist on day one, Pant returned to bat on day two but suffered bruises from a short-ball barrage from the Sri Lankan quicks. He, however, got out to off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha on 63 and never made it to the field after that in this game. With three days done, Pant is now expected to keep wickets when play resumes on the fourth day, Morkel confirmed. The former South African pacer said the team doctors will monitor him overnight and decide on his participation accordingly. "Rishabh obviously got hit on the shoulder. I think that it was discussed last night," Morkel said after the third day’s play. "It is quite badly bruised. I think he was just a little bit restricted in his movement this morning when he tried to warm up. I think they'll keep on monitoring him now overnight, and hopefully, he'll be behind the stumps for us tomorrow. I think it's important to have him there. His reading of the game is exceptional." Also read| IND vs SL 2nd Test, Day 3: Krishna, Suthar share 6 wickets as India surge ahead despite rain Luckily for India, they had a backup keeper, Dhruv Jurel, picked in the XI for the ongoing second Test. Dhruv impressed with his second Test hundred (115), helping India post 503/9 declared. Meanwhile, Pant too scored his fifty (63) and now leads the runs tally for an Indian in the World Test Championship (WTC), surpassing India Test captain Shubman Gill. Will India Enforce Follow-on? Unlike the previous Test, where India decided to bat and later dismissed Sri Lanka in the fourth innings to win the match, they could enforce the follow-on in this Test, with Sri Lanka trailing by 238 runs and two wickets remaining. Morkel hinted at this possibility, considering how rain had already disrupted proceedings several times across the first three days. "That will be the first prize… that we can get those two wickets tomorrow early," Morkel said. "I know it's a cliché thing, but you know, with the weather around and sometimes the time it takes with taking the covers on and off, we want to try and get as many overs as possible to the Sri Lankans. So hopefully, we can get those wickets tomorrow and then be brave, put them in, and bowl well." Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar were among the wickets, picking three each thus far in this innings, as Sri Lanka’s scorecard reads 265 for 8 at stumps on day three.

Morne Morkel confirms Rishabh Pant is 'badly bruised' after taking hits on his wrist and shoulder, but India expect the keeper to take the gloves on Day 4 in Colombo.

'Badly bruised but will keep wickets on Day 4': Morkel gives key update on Rishabh Pant's injury

Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar have shared six wickets between them as India surge ahead of Sri Lanka despite rain on day three of the second Test in Colombo. The hosts started the day on 8 for 2 but soon lost another opener and debutant Kamil Mishara, caught behind on 19. Barring Krishna and Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj were also among the wickets. Rain, on the other hand, kept interrupting play before having its say at the end, forcing an early stumps.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ravindra Jadeja keeps it tight, stays on the money and draws the mistake! 💥 The set Pasindu Sooriyabandara has to walk back. 👊 Watch <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SLvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvIND</a> 2nd Test, LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels &amp; Sony LIV.<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonySportsNetwork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonySportsNetwork</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonyLIV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonyLIV</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BeautifulGameOfTestCricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeautifulGameOfTestCricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/EGLqnUs8G8">pic.twitter.com/EGLqnUs8G8</a>&mdash; Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) <a href="https://x.com/SonySportsNetwk/status/2092181217215131983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sri Lanka, trailing by 238 runs, had contributions from Pasindu Sooriyabandara (85) and Sonal Dinusha (80*) to help them stay afloat in this Test. After India made merry with the bat in the first innings, amassing 503 for 9 declared and picking up two Sri Lankan batters, including Lahiru Udara and night watchman Prabath Jayasuriya, they looked poised to take this game away. Although an early strike on day three did help their cause, Sooriyabandara’s gritty outing paused India’s early celebrations.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/duleep-trophy-2026-east-zone-vs-north-east-zone-sooryavanshi-shami-1787657658839">Duleep Trophy: Sooryavanshi, Shami flop as East Zone edge past North East to reach semis</a> &nbsp;Kamindu Mendis scored 32 as the two added 88 for the fourth wicket. Two quick wickets further reduced Sri Lanka to 137 for five before Sooriyabandara’s dismissal made it worse for the hosts. Wicketkeeper batter Niroshan Dickwella departed next, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 173 for seven, staring at a potential follow-on.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mohammed Siraj gets his first, as Niroshan Dickwella nicks one through to Dhruv Jurel. 💥 Watch <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SLvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvIND</a> 2nd Test, LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels &amp; Sony LIV.<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonySportsNetwork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonySportsNetwork</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonyLIV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonyLIV</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BeautifulGameOfTestCricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeautifulGameOfTestCricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/cjFuis1tsg">pic.twitter.com/cjFuis1tsg</a>&mdash; Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) <a href="https://x.com/SonySportsNetwk/status/2092182767983640992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sonal Dinusha entered -- Sri Lanka's last-game hero -- who remained unbeaten at 80 off 137 balls, including six fours and two sixes. Handy contributions from the tail helped Sri Lanka post 265 for eight at stumps on day three.<h2>Jayasuriya Sanctioned for Breaching ICC Code of Conduct</h2>Jayasuriya, however, faced sanctions and a demerit point for his emotional reaction to his dismissal late on day two. After being adjudged LBW off Suthar, on what happened to be the last ball of the day, Jayasuriya smashed the boundary wedges, leading to his punishment.&nbsp; &nbsp;The apex body reprimanded him for breaching Level 1 of the ICC's code of conduct for players and player support personnel, which relates to "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match". &nbsp;The left-arm spinner was handed an official reprimand and had a demerit point added to his disciplinary record.&nbsp; &nbsp;Meanwhile, Jayasuriya is the third player in this ongoing Test after Asitha Fernando and Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to be slapped with fines. Jaiswal and Fernando were involved in a verbal spat on the first day and were fined 25% of their match fees for inappropriate physical contact. The two also had a demerit point added to their respective disciplinary records.

Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar shared six wickets as India dominated Day 3 of the 2nd Test in Colombo despite rain. Sri Lanka reached 265/8 at stumps, trailing by 238 runs.

Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar have shared six wickets between them as India surge ahead of Sri Lanka despite rain on day three of the second Test in Colombo. The hosts started the day on 8 for 2 but soon lost another opener and debutant Kamil Mishara, caught behind on 19. Barring Krishna and Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj were also among the wickets. Rain, on the other hand, kept interrupting play before having its say at the end, forcing an early stumps.

Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar shared six wickets as India dominated Day 3 of the 2nd Test in Colombo despite rain. Sri Lanka reached 265/8 at stumps, trailing by 238 runs.

IND vs SL 2nd Test, Day 3: Krishna, Suthar share 6 wickets as India surge ahead despite rain

England Cricket and its alcohol issues seem to run hand in hand, despite former captain Ben Stokes saying that cricket’s drinking culture has been going on since the game turned professional. Even though a similar episode at a London nightclub and an altercation that followed later led to Stokes’ shocking international retirement, it continues to follow the England setup. &nbsp;English seamer Brydon Carse was the latest to find himself at the centre of controversy after being handcuffed for being drunk and disorderly outside a nightclub on Saturday night. The ECB and the Cricket Regulator have launched yet another investigation into alcohol-related matters, which continue to hound the England setup.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-icc-penalises-jaiswal-asitha-fernando-after-colombo-test-altercation-1787568750698">IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation</a> &nbsp;Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the Derbyshire Constabulary said, "A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in Derby city centre on Saturday night. However, the man was de-arrested shortly afterwards having agreed to leave the area."&nbsp; &nbsp;Carse was due to link up with the Test squad in London on Monday evening but now finds himself out of the squad amid an investigation into the matter.&nbsp; &nbsp;"Following a referral from the ECB, the Cricket Regulator have confirmed that they will investigate events on Saturday night in Derby. Brydon Carse will no longer be available for selection for the second men's Test match while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained,” an official statement from the ECB read.<h2>Baker Replaces Carse</h2>Seamer Sonny Baker has replaced him for the second Test against Pakistan starting Thursday (Aug 27).&nbsp; &nbsp;Baker made his Test debut earlier this summer against New Zealand after Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the second Test for breaking the midnight curfew. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Carse – an unused part of the squad for the first Test -- was not on England duty during the time of the incident, and had been playing a domestic county match at Derby, which Durham won on Saturday. Stokes and fellow England quick Matthew Potts were also seen in the viral video published by The Telegraph; however, there are no indications that either was involved in any wrongdoing on the scene. &nbsp;Also, the independent investigation has come five days after Joe Root urged his players to be ‘good role models and human beings’ following a series of similar episodes in the past year, prompting accusations of a drinking culture. &nbsp;

England seamer Brydon Carse has been dropped from the 2nd Test against Pakistan following an ECB investigation into a late-night handcuff incident outside a Derby nightclub.

England Cricket and its alcohol issues seem to run hand in hand, despite former captain Ben Stokes saying that cricket’s drinking culture has been going on since the game turned professional. Even though a similar episode at a London nightclub and an altercation that followed later led to Stokes’ shocking international retirement, it continues to follow the England setup. English seamer Brydon Carse was the latest to find himself at the centre of controversy after being handcuffed for being drunk and disorderly outside a nightclub on Saturday night. The ECB and the Cricket Regulator have launched yet another investigation into alcohol-related matters, which continue to hound the England setup. Also read| IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the Derbyshire Constabulary said, "A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in Derby city centre on Saturday night. However, the man was de-arrested shortly afterwards having agreed to leave the area." Carse was due to link up with the Test squad in London on Monday evening but now finds himself out of the squad amid an investigation into the matter. "Following a referral from the ECB, the Cricket Regulator have confirmed that they will investigate events on Saturday night in Derby. Brydon Carse will no longer be available for selection for the second men's Test match while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained,” an official statement from the ECB read. Baker Replaces Carse Seamer Sonny Baker has replaced him for the second Test against Pakistan starting Thursday (Aug 27). Baker made his Test debut earlier this summer against New Zealand after Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the second Test for breaking the midnight curfew. Meanwhile, Carse – an unused part of the squad for the first Test -- was not on England duty during the time of the incident, and had been playing a domestic county match at Derby, which Durham won on Saturday. Stokes and fellow England quick Matthew Potts were also seen in the viral video published by The Telegraph; however, there are no indications that either was involved in any wrongdoing on the scene. Also, the independent investigation has come five days after Joe Root urged his players to be ‘good role models and human beings’ following a series of similar episodes in the past year, prompting accusations of a drinking culture.

England seamer Brydon Carse has been dropped from the 2nd Test against Pakistan following an ECB investigation into a late-night handcuff incident outside a Derby nightclub.

Alcohol issues haunt England camp as Brydon Carse dropped from 2nd Test after handcuff row

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed with the bat on his return to red-ball cricket, and so did veteran quick Mohammed Shami, who went wicketless for the East Zone in the first quarterfinal. While the batting prodigy lasted just six balls and scored eight runs early on day one, Shami failed to pick up a wicket across both innings, bowling 14 overs for 46 runs. Sooryavanshi, however, impressed with his left-arm orthodox by removing two batters in the same over, helping East Zone inflict an innings and 210-run defeat on North East to qualify for the semifinal. &nbsp;Bengal all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed was the star performer for the East Zone, scoring a match-winning 167 in the first innings and later returning with four wickets in both innings. His first three wickets came in the first innings, and a five-for from Abhijit K Sarkar wrapped up North East Zone on just 111. After enforcing a follow-on, Shahbaz picked up one more, and Anukul Roy picked five to dismiss North East on 146.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-jaiswal-takes-stunning-catch-in-slip-to-dismiss-udara-watch-1787636540033">IND vs SL: Jaiswal takes stunning catch in slip to dismiss Udara - WATCH</a><h2>Sooryavanshi's Bowling Cameo</h2>Sooryavanshi hammered two fours before being caught at slips, but had his left-arm spin for the world to talk about. In the second innings, he first accounted for Kishan Lyngdoh, caught off his top edge on 25, before sending Imliwati Lemtur back to the pavilion for just four.&nbsp;&nbsp;WATCH VIDEO -

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">East Zone win 👏 Another excellent stumping from Ishan Kishan 👌 A 5⃣-wicket haul for Anukul Roy 🖐️ A commanding performance as they beat North East Zone by an innings and 210 runs to enter the semis 🙌 Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/XJFhfvvTIU">https://t.co/XJFhfvvTIU</a><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/DuleepTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DuleepTrophy</a> <a href="https://t.co/5J2QUTU1uG">pic.twitter.com/5J2QUTU1uG</a>&mdash; BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://x.com/BCCIdomestic/status/2092168062766317778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On the other hand, the out-of-favour India seamer Mohammed Shami didn’t have the best of games either after failing to provide any breakthrough. Though he was economical in his spells, Shami had nothing to boast about in his wicket column. &nbsp;The two, however, are at opposite ends of the selection spectrum. While Sooryavanshi, 15, had just made his senior team debut during the England T20Is, Shami hasn’t played for India since returning with the most wickets in the triumphant 2025 Champions Trophy campaign.&nbsp; &nbsp;Shami is best known for his majestic run in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he picked up 24 wickets in seven matches.&nbsp; &nbsp;Meanwhile, East Zone will face Central Zone in the first semifinal starting August 30.

East Zone crushed North East Zone by an innings and 210 runs to reach the Duleep Trophy semifinals. While Mohammed Shami went wicketless and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed with the bat, the 15-year-old impressed with 2 key wickets.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed with the bat on his return to red-ball cricket, and so did veteran quick Mohammed Shami, who went wicketless for the East Zone in the first quarterfinal. While the batting prodigy lasted just six balls and scored eight runs early on day one, Shami failed to pick up a wicket across both innings, bowling 14 overs for 46 runs. Sooryavanshi, however, impressed with his left-arm orthodox by removing two batters in the same over, helping East Zone inflict an innings and 210-run defeat on North East to qualify for the semifinal. Bengal all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed was the star performer for the East Zone, scoring a match-winning 167 in the first innings and later returning with four wickets in both innings. His first three wickets came in the first innings, and a five-for from Abhijit K Sarkar wrapped up North East Zone on just 111. After enforcing a follow-on, Shahbaz picked up one more, and Anukul Roy picked five to dismiss North East on 146. Also read| IND vs SL: Jaiswal takes stunning catch in slip to dismiss Udara - WATCH Sooryavanshi's Bowling Cameo Sooryavanshi hammered two fours before being caught at slips, but had his left-arm spin for the world to talk about. In the second innings, he first accounted for Kishan Lyngdoh, caught off his top edge on 25, before sending Imliwati Lemtur back to the pavilion for just four. WATCH VIDEO -

East Zone crushed North East Zone by an innings and 210 runs to reach the Duleep Trophy semifinals. While Mohammed Shami went wicketless and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed with the bat, the 15-year-old impressed with 2 key wickets.

Duleep Trophy: Sooryavanshi, Shami flop as East Zone edge past North East to reach semis

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in the news for all the wrong reasons during the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo. The southpaw opener, however, changed the topic to his fielding on day 2 (Aug 24), minutes before the close of play. After India declared their first innings on 503/9, Sri Lanka lost two wickets in the three overs they played to finish at 8/2. One of the two wickets came thanks to Jaiswal's brilliance on the field when he grabbed a screaming catch at the third slip.<h2>Jaiswal takes stunning catch on day 2 of IND vs SL 2nd Test</h2>Sri Lanka opener Lahiru Udara was batting on one run off five balls when he faced a superb delivery from India pacer Prasidh Krishna - the second ball of his first and Sri Lankan innings' second over. The ball was angling in on the off stump, and squared up Udara. The batter nicked it behind and the ball went flying in the third slip area where Jaiswal flew to his right to grab a spectacular catch. Have a look at the video below:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">WHAT. A. CATCH! 🤯 Yashasvi Jaiswal pulls off an absolute screamer to send Lahiru Udara packing! 💥 Watch <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SLvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvIND</a>, 2nd Test, Day 3, Tomorrow, 9 AM onwards, LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV channels &amp; Sony LIV.<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonySportsNetwork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonySportsNetwork</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SonyLIV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonyLIV</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BeautifulGameOfTestCricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeautifulGameOfTestCricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/mGy5rc6T2m">pic.twitter.com/mGy5rc6T2m</a>&mdash; Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) <a href="https://x.com/SonySportsNetwk/status/2091870120608165932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sri Lanka lost another wicket on the last ball of the next over with Manav Suthar trapping night watchman Prabath Jayasuriya LBW. Sri Lanka ended the dismal day at 8/2, trailing by 495 runs against India in the first innings.<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-icc-penalises-jaiswal-asitha-fernando-after-colombo-test-altercation-1787568750698">ICC penalises Jaiswal for altercation with Fernando</a></h2>Earlier in the day, the ICC had penalised Jaiswal and Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando for getting into a scuffle on day 1 (Aug 23) of the Test. The incident involved Jaiswal and Fernando headbutting after the Indian batter was dismissed on 45 by the SL pacer. The ICC fined both the players 25 per cent of their match fees.

Yashasvi Jaiswal shone on Day 2 of the IND vs SL 2nd Test with a stunning slip catch, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 8/2 after India declared at 503/9. Earlier, ICC fined him 25% for an altercation.

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in the news for all the wrong reasons during the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo. The southpaw opener, however, changed the topic to his fielding on day 2 (Aug 24), minutes before the close of play. After India declared their first innings on 503/9, Sri Lanka lost two wickets in the three overs they played to finish at 8/2. One of the two wickets came thanks to Jaiswal's brilliance on the field when he grabbed a screaming catch at the third slip. Jaiswal takes stunning catch on day 2 of IND vs SL 2nd Test Sri Lanka opener Lahiru Udara was batting on one run off five balls when he faced a superb delivery from India pacer Prasidh Krishna - the second ball of his first and Sri Lankan innings' second over. The ball was angling in on the off stump, and squared up Udara. The batter nicked it behind and the ball went flying in the third slip area where Jaiswal flew to his right to grab a spectacular catch. Have a look at the video below:

Yashasvi Jaiswal shone on Day 2 of the IND vs SL 2nd Test with a stunning slip catch, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 8/2 after India declared at 503/9. Earlier, ICC fined him 25% for an altercation.

IND vs SL: Jaiswal takes stunning catch in slip to dismiss Udara - WATCH

Pakistan Women are going the extra mile for the upcoming Asia Cup T20 which starts August 28 in Dubai, UAE. Pakistan last played in the final of the event more than a decade ago in 2016 when they lost to arch-rivals India by 17 runs. For the upcoming tournament, Pak Women, led by Fatima Sana, have been preparing against a men's team comprising teenage boys and older players of the Abdul Qadir Academy to sharpen their skills. The matches, played in a 20-over format, were staged at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Lahore during the pre-tournament camp.<h2>Why Pakistan Women are playing against men to prepare for Asia Cup T20 2026?</h2>The idea behind playing against men was to help players improve their decision-making in crunch moments against tougher opponents, something which has been lacking and attracted criticism for them. The most recent case was the T20 World Cup where Pakistan managed to win only one match - against the Netherlands - out of the five they played.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-icc-penalises-jaiswal-asitha-fernando-after-colombo-test-altercation-1787568750698">IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation</a>"We have played competitive matches against boys in which we were put under pressure. These learnings will help us adapt to the challenges of the competition," Pak skipper Fatima Sana said as reported by Cricinfo."We needed to understand how to handle the pressure better, and that is something which is highlighted whenever there is a big tournament," she added. "These matches have helped us on that front, and the difference will be visible… It is very important to stay calm in pressure situations rather than pressing the panic button. We have told the girls to stay calm in the crunch moments, and stay in control by trusting their hard work and executing the plans."<h2>Women's Asia Cup T20 2026 group and schedule</h2>The tournament is being played between 8 teams, which have been divided into two groups of four each. Pakistan are in Group A along with India, Thailand, and Hong Kong. The other group teams are - Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and hosts United Arab Emirates.Pakistan starts their campaign against Thailand in September, before taking on India on September 5, and finishing against Hong Kong on September 7.

Pakistan Women, led by Fatima Sana, are prepping for the 2026 Asia Cup T20 by playing against men's teams at Lahore's NCA to build composure, sharpen decision-making, and handle crunch-moment pressure.

Pakistan Women are going the extra mile for the upcoming Asia Cup T20 which starts August 28 in Dubai, UAE. Pakistan last played in the final of the event more than a decade ago in 2016 when they lost to arch-rivals India by 17 runs. For the upcoming tournament, Pak Women, led by Fatima Sana, have been preparing against a men's team comprising teenage boys and older players of the Abdul Qadir Academy to sharpen their skills. The matches, played in a 20-over format, were staged at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Lahore during the pre-tournament camp. Why Pakistan Women are playing against men to prepare for Asia Cup T20 2026? The idea behind playing against men was to help players improve their decision-making in crunch moments against tougher opponents, something which has been lacking and attracted criticism for them. The most recent case was the T20 World Cup where Pakistan managed to win only one match - against the Netherlands - out of the five they played. Also Read - IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation "We have played competitive matches against boys in which we were put under pressure. These learnings will help us adapt to the challenges of the competition," Pak skipper Fatima Sana said as reported by Cricinfo. "We needed to understand how to handle the pressure better, and that is something which is highlighted whenever there is a big tournament," she added. "These matches have helped us on that front, and the difference will be visible… It is very important to stay calm in pressure situations rather than pressing the panic button. We have told the girls to stay calm in the crunch moments, and stay in control by trusting their hard work and executing the plans." Women's Asia Cup T20 2026 group and schedule The tournament is being played between 8 teams, which have been divided into two groups of four each. Pakistan are in Group A along with India, Thailand, and Hong Kong. The other group teams are - Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and hosts United Arab Emirates. Pakistan starts their campaign against Thailand in September, before taking on India on September 5, and finishing against Hong Kong on September 7.

Pakistan Women, led by Fatima Sana, are prepping for the 2026 Asia Cup T20 by playing against men's teams at Lahore's NCA to build composure, sharpen decision-making, and handle crunch-moment pressure.

Pakistan women playing against men to prepare for Asia Cup T20 2026

From Rohit Sharma to Ravindra Jadeja, here's a look at the top five Indian players with most sixes in Test cricket. This list also includes Rishabh Pant, Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni

From Rohit Sharma to Ravindra Jadeja, here's a look at the top five Indian players with most sixes in Test cricket. This list also includes Rishabh Pant, Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni

Meet top 5 Indian players with most sixes in Test cricket

Dhruv Jurel answered questions over his recent form with a calm unbeaten 115 as India declared at 503/9 to strengthen their position in the second Test against Sri Lanka on a rain-hit second day. Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar struck early to reduce Sri Lanka to 8/2 at stumps, with Kamil Mishara unbeaten on five and the hosts still trailing by 495 runs.&nbsp;The day belonged to Jurel, who scored 51 in the first innings of the series opener in Galle to end a drought of eight innings without a half-century. At the SSC, the 25-year-old played a superb 177-ball innings, showing patience, control and good shot selection.&nbsp;Jurel first joined hands with Rishabh Pant for a 112-run seventh-wicket stand that took India from 307 for six to 419. He then added 39 runs with Manav Suthar to take India past 500.&nbsp;Pant had initially taken the attack to Sri Lanka after returning to the crease following his retirement hurt on three on Sunday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite Sri Lanka’s pacers repeatedly bowling short at him, Pant scored a quick 63 from 81 balls. He reached his fifty with a six off Prabath Jayasuriya, but was dismissed soon after lunch while attempting a big shot against Keshara Nuwantha.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afghanistan-name-15-member-squad-for-india-t20is-ibrahim-zadran-appointed-captain-1787573958652">Afghanistan name 15-member squad for India T20Is, Ibrahim Zadran appointed captain</a>&nbsp;Jurel then took charge and showed great maturity and handled both pace and spin comfortably and kept scoring without taking unnecessary risks.&nbsp;He reached his fifty from 97 balls, but rain stopped play when he was on 95. After almost two hours, Jurel returned to complete his century with a single off Asitha Fernando and reached the landmark in 171 balls.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-rishabh-pant-overtakes-adam-gilchrist-to-become-test-cricket-s-third-highest-six-hitter-1787571609554">Pant overtakes Adam Gilchrist to become Test cricket’s third-highest six-hitter</a>&nbsp;Jurel removed his helmet to celebrate, revealing a tattoo on his biceps that reads ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’, the famous slogan associated with former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.&nbsp;After reaching three figures, Jurel increased the tempo and hit two sixes off Fernando, one over long-off and another over square leg. India then crossed 500 before captain Shubman Gill declared.&nbsp;Rain limited India’s chances of taking more wickets before stumps, but Krishna and Suthar still removed Lahiru Udara and Jayasuriya to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 8 for two.

Jurel’s hundred and Pant’s explosive batting powered India to a commanding 503 before their bowlers reduced Sri Lanka to 8/2 at stumps on Day 2.

Dhruv Jurel answered questions over his recent form with a calm unbeaten 115 as India declared at 503/9 to strengthen their position in the second Test against Sri Lanka on a rain-hit second day. Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar struck early to reduce Sri Lanka to 8/2 at stumps, with Kamil Mishara unbeaten on five and the hosts still trailing by 495 runs. The day belonged to Jurel, who scored 51 in the first innings of the series opener in Galle to end a drought of eight innings without a half-century. At the SSC, the 25-year-old played a superb 177-ball innings, showing patience, control and good shot selection. Jurel first joined hands with Rishabh Pant for a 112-run seventh-wicket stand that took India from 307 for six to 419. He then added 39 runs with Manav Suthar to take India past 500. Pant had initially taken the attack to Sri Lanka after returning to the crease following his retirement hurt on three on Sunday. Despite Sri Lanka’s pacers repeatedly bowling short at him, Pant scored a quick 63 from 81 balls. He reached his fifty with a six off Prabath Jayasuriya, but was dismissed soon after lunch while attempting a big shot against Keshara Nuwantha. Also Read - Afghanistan name 15-member squad for India T20Is, Ibrahim Zadran appointed captain Jurel then took charge and showed great maturity and handled both pace and spin comfortably and kept scoring without taking unnecessary risks. He reached his fifty from 97 balls, but rain stopped play when he was on 95. After almost two hours, Jurel returned to complete his century with a single off Asitha Fernando and reached the landmark in 171 balls. Also Read - Pant overtakes Adam Gilchrist to become Test cricket’s third-highest six-hitter Jurel removed his helmet to celebrate, revealing a tattoo on his biceps that reads ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’, the famous slogan associated with former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. After reaching three figures, Jurel increased the tempo and hit two sixes off Fernando, one over long-off and another over square leg. India then crossed 500 before captain Shubman Gill declared. Rain limited India’s chances of taking more wickets before stumps, but Krishna and Suthar still removed Lahiru Udara and Jayasuriya to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 8 for two.

Jurel’s hundred and Pant’s explosive batting powered India to a commanding 503 before their bowlers reduced Sri Lanka to 8/2 at stumps on Day 2.

IND vs SL, 2nd Test: Dhruv Jurel shines as India dominate Day 2 in Colombo

Ibrahim Zadran will captain Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series against India, which begins on Sep 13 at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Afghanistan have received a major boost with fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq returning after recovering from a right shoulder stress fracture that ruled him out of the T20I series against the West Indies and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.&nbsp;Naveen will strengthen an attack that also includes Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. Experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib has also returned to the squad.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-icc-penalises-jaiswal-asitha-fernando-after-colombo-test-altercation-1787568750698">IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation</a>&nbsp;Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman has earned his maiden call-up as the second wicketkeeper after impressing in domestic cricket and the Shpageeza Cricket League. He has also been part of Afghanistan’s development programme and has performed well at domestic and A-team level.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-rishabh-pant-overtakes-adam-gilchrist-to-become-test-cricket-s-third-highest-six-hitter-1787571609554">IND vs SL: Rishabh Pant overtakes Adam Gilchrist to become Test cricket’s third-highest six-hitter</a>&nbsp;The squad has plenty of experience in the spin department, with Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Nangyal Kharoti included. Senior all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will add further experience and balance to the team.&nbsp;Afghanistan will travel to India soon for training and preparations ahead of the series.&nbsp;Afghanistan Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Naveen-ul-Haq&nbsp;Reserves: Ijaz Ahmadzai, Shahidullah Kamal and Fareed Ahmad Malik

The three-match series will begin on Sep 13, with all games scheduled to be played at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Ibrahim Zadran will captain Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series against India, which begins on Sep 13 at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Afghanistan have received a major boost with fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq returning after recovering from a right shoulder stress fracture that ruled him out of the T20I series against the West Indies and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Naveen will strengthen an attack that also includes Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. Experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib has also returned to the squad. Also Read - IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman has earned his maiden call-up as the second wicketkeeper after impressing in domestic cricket and the Shpageeza Cricket League. He has also been part of Afghanistan’s development programme and has performed well at domestic and A-team level. Also Read - IND vs SL: Rishabh Pant overtakes Adam Gilchrist to become Test cricket’s third-highest six-hitter The squad has plenty of experience in the spin department, with Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Nangyal Kharoti included. Senior all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will add further experience and balance to the team. Afghanistan will travel to India soon for training and preparations ahead of the series. Afghanistan Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Naveen-ul-Haq Reserves: Ijaz Ahmadzai, Shahidullah Kamal and Fareed Ahmad Malik

The three-match series will begin on Sep 13, with all games scheduled to be played at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Afghanistan name 15-member squad for India T20Is, Ibrahim Zadran appointed captain

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant surpassed former Australia great Adam Gilchrist to become the third-highest six-hitter in Test cricket on Monday (Aug 24). The milestone came during Pant’s 63-run knock off 89 balls in Colombo, where he struck six fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 70.79.&nbsp;Pant had already become the fourth player overall and the first Indian to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket during the previous Test. He now has 102 sixes in 52 Tests, moving past Gilchrist, who hit 100 sixes in 96 matches.&nbsp;Only former England captain Ben Stokes, with 138 sixes in 122 Tests and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, with 107 sixes in 101 matches, are ahead of Pant on the list.&nbsp;Pant also continued his record-breaking run by overtaking India captain Shubman Gill to become India’s highest run-scorer in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Pant has scored 2,948 runs in 42 matches and 74 innings at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate above 74. His tally also includes six centuries, 18 fifties and a highest score of 146.&nbsp;The wicketkeeper-batter also went past MS Dhoni to become the Indian wicketkeeper with most runs in away Tests. Pant now has 2,534 runs in 36 Tests and 64 innings at an average of 41.54, including six centuries and 11 fifties. Dhoni had scored 2,496 runs in 48 Tests.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-icc-penalises-jaiswal-asitha-fernando-after-colombo-test-altercation-1787568750698">IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation</a>&nbsp;In three Tests and four innings this year, Pant has scored 249 runs at an average of 62.25 and a strike rate of 73.02. He has registered three fifties, with a best score of 81.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-to-take-on-panama-in-fifa-friendly-ahead-of-brazil-clash-1787566037063">India to take on Panama in FIFA friendly ahead of Brazil clash</a>&nbsp;Coming to the match, India declared their innings at 503/9, with Dhruv Jurel remaining unbeaten on 115 off 177 balls, including nine fours and two sixes.&nbsp;For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha claimed two wickets each.

Rishabh Pant surpassed legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist to become the third-highest six-hitter in Test cricket during India’s second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant surpassed former Australia great Adam Gilchrist to become the third-highest six-hitter in Test cricket on Monday (Aug 24). The milestone came during Pant’s 63-run knock off 89 balls in Colombo, where he struck six fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 70.79. Pant had already become the fourth player overall and the first Indian to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket during the previous Test. He now has 102 sixes in 52 Tests, moving past Gilchrist, who hit 100 sixes in 96 matches. Only former England captain Ben Stokes, with 138 sixes in 122 Tests and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, with 107 sixes in 101 matches, are ahead of Pant on the list. Pant also continued his record-breaking run by overtaking India captain Shubman Gill to become India’s highest run-scorer in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Pant has scored 2,948 runs in 42 matches and 74 innings at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate above 74. His tally also includes six centuries, 18 fifties and a highest score of 146. The wicketkeeper-batter also went past MS Dhoni to become the Indian wicketkeeper with most runs in away Tests. Pant now has 2,534 runs in 36 Tests and 64 innings at an average of 41.54, including six centuries and 11 fifties. Dhoni had scored 2,496 runs in 48 Tests. Also Read - IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation In three Tests and four innings this year, Pant has scored 249 runs at an average of 62.25 and a strike rate of 73.02. He has registered three fifties, with a best score of 81. Also Read - India to take on Panama in FIFA friendly ahead of Brazil clash Coming to the match, India declared their innings at 503/9, with Dhruv Jurel remaining unbeaten on 115 off 177 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha claimed two wickets each.

Rishabh Pant surpassed legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist to become the third-highest six-hitter in Test cricket during India’s second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

IND vs SL: Rishabh Pant overtakes Adam Gilchrist to become Test cricket’s third-highest six-hitter

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando have been fined 25 per cent of their match fees and given one demerit point each by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following their heated exchange on Day 1 of the second Test. The incident occurred after Asitha Fernando dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and gave him a send-off, prompting the Indian batter to turn around and approach the Sri Lankan pacer. The two briefly made contact with their heads before players from both teams stepped in to calm things down.&nbsp;“Both players were found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match).” As a result, Jaiswal and Fernando were fined 25 per cent of their match fee and were handed one demerit point each,” the ICC said in a statement.&nbsp;The governing body also confirmed that neither player had committed an offence in the previous 24 months.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-haaland-lets-go-of-hair-for-buzzcut-and-opening-game-goal-scoring-1787560813183">Premier League: Haaland lets go of hair for buzzcut &amp; opening game goal scoring</a>&nbsp;The confrontation came moments after Fernando ended Jaiswal’s impressive innings. The Indian opener had hit three boundaries in the over before Fernando beat his defence with a delivery that crashed into the stumps.&nbsp;As Jaiswal walked back towards the dressing room, he turned around and went towards Fernando. His helmet touched the fast bowler’s forehead before players from both sides intervened and stopped the situation from getting worse.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dutch-gp-ferrari-s-hamilton-left-unamused-by-team-startegy-costing-him-possible-podium-finish-1787557165125">Dutch GP: Hamilton questions Ferrari's startegy costing him possible podium</a>&nbsp;India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak admitted that Jaiswal could have handled the situation differently.&nbsp;“I think maybe one of the bowlers may have commented something, and it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. Obviously, Jaiswal, I don’t think he should have gone so close, but that happens in the heat of the moment,” Kotak said after the end of play.&nbsp;Jaiswal, however, defended his actions on social media and claimed that Fernando had crossed the line.&nbsp;&nbsp;Responding to a Cricbuzz video featuring commentator Harsha Bhogle discussing the incident, Jaiswal wrote on Instagram, “If you don’t know what he said then please don’t make your judgement if anyone cross the line we need to let them know this India will fight and reply.”&nbsp;The Cricbuzz video was posted on Sunday after Day 1, while Jaiswal’s comment came early on Monday before the start of Day 2.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando were involved in a heated exchange on Day 1 of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo.

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando have been fined 25 per cent of their match fees and given one demerit point each by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following their heated exchange on Day 1 of the second Test. The incident occurred after Asitha Fernando dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and gave him a send-off, prompting the Indian batter to turn around and approach the Sri Lankan pacer. The two briefly made contact with their heads before players from both teams stepped in to calm things down. “Both players were found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match).” As a result, Jaiswal and Fernando were fined 25 per cent of their match fee and were handed one demerit point each,” the ICC said in a statement. The governing body also confirmed that neither player had committed an offence in the previous 24 months. Also Read - Premier League: Haaland lets go of hair for buzzcut & opening game goal scoring The confrontation came moments after Fernando ended Jaiswal’s impressive innings. The Indian opener had hit three boundaries in the over before Fernando beat his defence with a delivery that crashed into the stumps. As Jaiswal walked back towards the dressing room, he turned around and went towards Fernando. His helmet touched the fast bowler’s forehead before players from both sides intervened and stopped the situation from getting worse. Also Read - Dutch GP: Hamilton questions Ferrari's startegy costing him possible podium India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak admitted that Jaiswal could have handled the situation differently. “I think maybe one of the bowlers may have commented something, and it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. Obviously, Jaiswal, I don’t think he should have gone so close, but that happens in the heat of the moment,” Kotak said after the end of play. Jaiswal, however, defended his actions on social media and claimed that Fernando had crossed the line. Responding to a Cricbuzz video featuring commentator Harsha Bhogle discussing the incident, Jaiswal wrote on Instagram, “If you don’t know what he said then please don’t make your judgement if anyone cross the line we need to let them know this India will fight and reply.” The Cricbuzz video was posted on Sunday after Day 1, while Jaiswal’s comment came early on Monday before the start of Day 2.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando were involved in a heated exchange on Day 1 of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo.

IND vs SL: ICC penalises Jaiswal, Asitha Fernando after Colombo Test altercation

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has asked the team to move on from struggling batter Marnus Labuschagne after his recent failure in the two-Test series against Bangladesh. Australia had suffered a shock defeat in the first Test with Labuschagne scoring 1 and 31 runs across two innings, while managing just 4 runs in the only innings of Australia in the second Test which hosts won by an innings. Aussie skipper Pat Cummins has also hinted that end of rope is nearing for Marnus if he doesn't start scoring runs soon.<h2>Ponting wants Labuschagne dropped</h2>Speaking to Channel 7 during the second Test which Australia won the second Test in two days, Ponting said: "I'm on record as saying I would have made that change at the start of this series because I think there was enough evidence for me to suggest that he was a long way from rediscovering his best.Also Rad - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/more-drinking-trouble-for-england-ecb-investigating-brydon-carse-in-handcuffs-video-1787544687473">More drinking trouble for England? ECB investigating Brydon Carse 'in handcuffs' video</a>"He was unlucky today. There's no doubt about that. But that tends to happen to you as well when you're struggling and you're trying to find some form and some rhythm. The worry that I had with him, I think there's some technical deficiency there but he's making the margin for error for the bowlers too great. With the length, he can't score off the back foot. If you can't score off the back foot in Test cricket then batting becomes a hard game. So I well and truly think it's time to have a look at somebody else."<h2>How bad is Labuschagne's form?</h2>Labuschagne has played 65 Tests, scoring 4,730 runs at an average of nearly 44 with 11 hundreds, 25 fifties and a best of 215. His last good performance, however, came during the Boxing Day Test against India in December 2024 in Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when he scored 72 and 70 across two innings.In 11 Tests and 20 innings played since, Labuschagne has the best of 65 against England in Ashes at the Gabba and 51 not out in the second innings of Perth Test. Overall, he has managed just 392 runs at an average of nearly 22 - half of his career average.<h2>What does Cummins think?</h2>Aussie skipper Cummins did not go as far as Ponting but agreed that Labuschagne needs to score runs. "We know he's (Labuschagne) class when he's at his best. And going into the series, we thought he was pretty close to his best. But he needs to start transferring that into runs out there, so we'll see in the next couple of weeks." Australia next play a Test series in South Africa from October 9.

In 11 Tests and 20 innings played since Boxing Day Test 2024, Labuschagne has the best of 65 against England in Ashes at the Gabba and 51 not out in the second innings of Perth Test. Overall, he has managed just 392 runs at an average of nearly 22 - half of his career average.

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has asked the team to move on from struggling batter Marnus Labuschagne after his recent failure in the two-Test series against Bangladesh. Australia had suffered a shock defeat in the first Test with Labuschagne scoring 1 and 31 runs across two innings, while managing just 4 runs in the only innings of Australia in the second Test which hosts won by an innings. Aussie skipper Pat Cummins has also hinted that end of rope is nearing for Marnus if he doesn't start scoring runs soon. Ponting wants Labuschagne dropped Speaking to Channel 7 during the second Test which Australia won the second Test in two days, Ponting said: "I'm on record as saying I would have made that change at the start of this series because I think there was enough evidence for me to suggest that he was a long way from rediscovering his best. Also Rad - More drinking trouble for England? ECB investigating Brydon Carse 'in handcuffs' video "He was unlucky today. There's no doubt about that. But that tends to happen to you as well when you're struggling and you're trying to find some form and some rhythm. The worry that I had with him, I think there's some technical deficiency there but he's making the margin for error for the bowlers too great. With the length, he can't score off the back foot. If you can't score off the back foot in Test cricket then batting becomes a hard game. So I well and truly think it's time to have a look at somebody else." How bad is Labuschagne's form? Labuschagne has played 65 Tests, scoring 4,730 runs at an average of nearly 44 with 11 hundreds, 25 fifties and a best of 215. His last good performance, however, came during the Boxing Day Test against India in December 2024 in Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when he scored 72 and 70 across two innings. In 11 Tests and 20 innings played since, Labuschagne has the best of 65 against England in Ashes at the Gabba and 51 not out in the second innings of Perth Test. Overall, he has managed just 392 runs at an average of nearly 22 - half of his career average. What does Cummins think? Aussie skipper Cummins did not go as far as Ponting but agreed that Labuschagne needs to score runs. "We know he's (Labuschagne) class when he's at his best. And going into the series, we thought he was pretty close to his best. But he needs to start transferring that into runs out there, so we'll see in the next couple of weeks." Australia next play a Test series in South Africa from October 9.

In 11 Tests and 20 innings played since Boxing Day Test 2024, Labuschagne has the best of 65 against England in Ashes at the Gabba and 51 not out in the second innings of Perth Test. Overall, he has managed just 392 runs at an average of nearly 22 - half of his career average.

Ponting wants Australia to 'look beyond' Labuschagne, Cummins also suggests end of rope nearing

In the latest episode of England and alcohol, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed investigating a video of pacer Brydon Carse in handcuffs and being led away by police in a nightclub in Derby on Saturday (Aug 22). Carse is part of England squad for first two of the ongoing three-Test series against Pakistan. The pacer, however, didn't make it to Playing XI of the first match and was subsequently released to play for Durham in the County Championship. His team won the match against Derbyshire inside three days as Carse scored 26 runs and took 2/82 in the match and was celebrating with the teammate when the incident happened.<h2>England once again get into drinking trouble?</h2>The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series. In Carse case, a video was ciruclating on the social media, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2026/08/23/england-brydon-carse-handcuffed-nightclub-incident/">later on published by Telegraph</a>, in which Carse had his hands handcuffed behind the back, while talking to his Durham teammate Matthew Potts. Ex-England skipper Ben Stokes, who played an important role in Durham's win, was also seen in the background of the video. While Carse was not on international duty, he is a centrally contracted player, making it a headache for the ECB.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-relevant-india-coach-declines-to-answer-question-on-kuldeep-yadav-1787504514552">‘Not relevant’: India coach declines to answer question on Kuldeep Yadav</a>"We are aware of an incident which is reported to have taken place in Derby last night, and are currently investigating. We will provide a further update when possible," ECB said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 23).<h2>England players and their intoxicating relationship with alcohol</h2>On the Ashes tour of Australia, England were criticised for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-managing-director-robert-key-vows-to-investigate-noosa-break-drinking-1766476141158">break mid-series in Noosa</a>, allegedly for drinking where Ben Duckett was seen completely sozzled. Prior to that, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harry-brook-on-last-warning-over-brawl-with-nightclub-bouncer-ahead-of-ashes-1767867565851">Harry Brook had an incident in a night club in New Zealand</a> which ended up in him getting reprimanded.More recently, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/stokes-set-to-be-sacked-as-england-test-captain-skipper-and-pacer-atkinson-under-investigation-by-ecb-1780973133155">Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for their celebration</a> after England's win in the first Test of the summer over New Zealand. Ben Stokes retired shortly after and said on a podcast earlier this month that "cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol."Joe Root, who took over the captaincy from Stokes, suspended the mid-night curfew, urging that he trusts players to act like adults off the field.

The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series.

In the latest episode of England and alcohol, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed investigating a video of pacer Brydon Carse in handcuffs and being led away by police in a nightclub in Derby on Saturday (Aug 22). Carse is part of England squad for first two of the ongoing three-Test series against Pakistan. The pacer, however, didn't make it to Playing XI of the first match and was subsequently released to play for Durham in the County Championship. His team won the match against Derbyshire inside three days as Carse scored 26 runs and took 2/82 in the match and was celebrating with the teammate when the incident happened. England once again get into drinking trouble? The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series. In Carse case, a video was ciruclating on the social media, later on published by Telegraph, in which Carse had his hands handcuffed behind the back, while talking to his Durham teammate Matthew Potts. Ex-England skipper Ben Stokes, who played an important role in Durham's win, was also seen in the background of the video. While Carse was not on international duty, he is a centrally contracted player, making it a headache for the ECB. Also Read - ‘Not relevant’: India coach declines to answer question on Kuldeep Yadav "We are aware of an incident which is reported to have taken place in Derby last night, and are currently investigating. We will provide a further update when possible," ECB said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 23). England players and their intoxicating relationship with alcohol On the Ashes tour of Australia, England were criticised for a break mid-series in Noosa, allegedly for drinking where Ben Duckett was seen completely sozzled. Prior to that, Harry Brook had an incident in a night club in New Zealand which ended up in him getting reprimanded. More recently, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for their celebration after England's win in the first Test of the summer over New Zealand. Ben Stokes retired shortly after and said on a podcast earlier this month that "cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol." Joe Root, who took over the captaincy from Stokes, suspended the mid-night curfew, urging that he trusts players to act like adults off the field.

The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series.

More drinking trouble for England? ECB investigating Brydon Carse 'in handcuffs' video

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak refused to comment on whether Kuldeep Yadav would have played the second Test against Sri Lanka if fit, as uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain made his Test debut in Colombo on Sunday (Aug 23). Kotak brushed aside the question, saying he did not think it was a ‘relevant question’.&nbsp;There had been reports that Kuldeep could be left out in favour of the 33-year-old Jain.&nbsp;Head coach Gautam Gambhir did not discuss Kuldeep’s absence during his press conference on Aug 22. A day earlier, spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule had said Kuldeep was not training because he was ‘resting’.&nbsp;Kuldeep also did not train on the eve of the Test, however, he travelled with the team as usual and was named as a possible concussion substitute, which raised some questions. Jain eventually replaced him in the playing XI.&nbsp;“When we left, only his throat wasn’t well,” Kotak said in the post-day press conference.&nbsp;“He has recovered reasonably well. He looked good when I met him in the evening. So it came down to whether we need three fast bowlers or three spinners. And with them having four left-handers in the top order, it made sense to play an off-spinner.”&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-will-rishabh-pant-bat-on-day-2-india-coach-provides-injury-update-1787495273268">IND vs SL: Will Rishabh Pant bat on Day 2? India coach provides injury update</a>&nbsp;When asked if Kuldeep would have played had he been fully fit, Kotak appeared unhappy with the question, as it also raised doubts over the spinner’s position in the team’s preferred XI.&nbsp;“He genuinely had viral when he left from there (Galle, the venue for the first Test). If the team needs an off-spinner, there is no need to say that he (Kuldeep) isn’t well. If the guy is in no position to play, there is no point thinking about what would have been done if he would have been fit. It’s unfair to think like that,” he said.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/crowd-favourite-an-se-young-clinches-her-second-title-at-bwf-world-championships-1787492797944">Crowd favourite An Se-Young clinches her second title at BWF World Championships</a>&nbsp;The question comes amid growing doubts over Kuldeep’s position in the team. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently suggested that Kuldeep may not be captain Shubman Gill’s first-choice spinner in matches.&nbsp;&nbsp;There have also been calls for the attacking spinner to receive better ‘treatment’ from the team management.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak dismissed a question about Kuldeep Yadav’s place in the team, calling it “irrelevant.”

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak refused to comment on whether Kuldeep Yadav would have played the second Test against Sri Lanka if fit, as uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain made his Test debut in Colombo on Sunday (Aug 23). Kotak brushed aside the question, saying he did not think it was a ‘relevant question’. There had been reports that Kuldeep could be left out in favour of the 33-year-old Jain. Head coach Gautam Gambhir did not discuss Kuldeep’s absence during his press conference on Aug 22. A day earlier, spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule had said Kuldeep was not training because he was ‘resting’. Kuldeep also did not train on the eve of the Test, however, he travelled with the team as usual and was named as a possible concussion substitute, which raised some questions. Jain eventually replaced him in the playing XI. “When we left, only his throat wasn’t well,” Kotak said in the post-day press conference. “He has recovered reasonably well. He looked good when I met him in the evening. So it came down to whether we need three fast bowlers or three spinners. And with them having four left-handers in the top order, it made sense to play an off-spinner.” Also Read - IND vs SL: Will Rishabh Pant bat on Day 2? India coach provides injury update When asked if Kuldeep would have played had he been fully fit, Kotak appeared unhappy with the question, as it also raised doubts over the spinner’s position in the team’s preferred XI. “He genuinely had viral when he left from there (Galle, the venue for the first Test). If the team needs an off-spinner, there is no need to say that he (Kuldeep) isn’t well. If the guy is in no position to play, there is no point thinking about what would have been done if he would have been fit. It’s unfair to think like that,” he said. Also Read - Crowd favourite An Se-Young clinches her second title at BWF World Championships The question comes amid growing doubts over Kuldeep’s position in the team. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently suggested that Kuldeep may not be captain Shubman Gill’s first-choice spinner in matches. There have also been calls for the attacking spinner to receive better ‘treatment’ from the team management.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak dismissed a question about Kuldeep Yadav’s place in the team, calling it “irrelevant.”

‘Not relevant’: India coach declines to answer question on Kuldeep Yadav

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has confirmed that Rishabh Pant will be fit to bat on Day 2 of the Colombo Test after the wicketkeeper-batter retired hurt on Sunday (Aug 23). Pant was hit on his left wrist by a short delivery from Lahiru Kumara during the 58th over, soon after the tea break. He tried to pull the ball but only managed to glove it and immediately looked in pain. The physio came onto the field and applied an ice pack before Pant walked off. Ravindra Jadeja then came out to bat in his place.&nbsp;Speaking at the press conference after the day’s play, Kotak eased India’s concerns by confirming that Pant would return to the crease. “Rishabh Pant will be fine to bat tomorrow,” Kotak said.&nbsp;The news is a major boost for India, with Pant expected to continue his innings when required on the second morning.&nbsp;India finished Day 1 on 300 for five after choosing to bat first following the toss. Devdutt Padikkal was the standout performer, scoring 117 off 193 balls for his second century of the series. Shubman Gill also scored a half-century as India recovered from early setbacks.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/crowd-favourite-an-se-young-clinches-her-second-title-at-bwf-world-championships-1787492797944">Crowd favourite An Se-Young clinches her second title at BWF World Championships</a>&nbsp;Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul were dismissed early, but Padikkal and Gill steadied the innings with a 120-run partnership. Gill was dismissed shortly after reaching his fifty, while Padikkal continued to hold the innings together.&nbsp;India lost two more wickets in the final session. Padikkal fell shortly before the second new ball, while Jadeja was dismissed for 43 off the final over of the day. Dhruv Jurel was unbeaten on seven, with Saransh Jain on four at stumps.&nbsp;India will aim to score quickly on Day 2 and build a strong first-innings total, however, the increasing help for the spinners could make batting tougher.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sl-2nd-test-padikkal-s-second-successive-ton-puts-india-in-control-on-day-1-1787486820788">IND vs SL: Padikkal’s second successive ton puts India in control on Day 1</a>&nbsp;Pant’s return will add strength to India’s lower order and provide another experienced batter at an important stage of the innings. His ability to score quickly could prove useful, especially if the Sri Lankan bowlers begin to tire.&nbsp;For now, Jurel and Jain will look to add more runs before Pant returns to the crease. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will aim to take the remaining wickets quickly and stop India from posting a big first-innings total.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed that Rishabh Pant will be fit to bat on Day 2 after the wicketkeeper-batter retired hurt with a wrist injury.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has confirmed that Rishabh Pant will be fit to bat on Day 2 of the Colombo Test after the wicketkeeper-batter retired hurt on Sunday (Aug 23). Pant was hit on his left wrist by a short delivery from Lahiru Kumara during the 58th over, soon after the tea break. He tried to pull the ball but only managed to glove it and immediately looked in pain. The physio came onto the field and applied an ice pack before Pant walked off. Ravindra Jadeja then came out to bat in his place. Speaking at the press conference after the day’s play, Kotak eased India’s concerns by confirming that Pant would return to the crease. “Rishabh Pant will be fine to bat tomorrow,” Kotak said. The news is a major boost for India, with Pant expected to continue his innings when required on the second morning. India finished Day 1 on 300 for five after choosing to bat first following the toss. Devdutt Padikkal was the standout performer, scoring 117 off 193 balls for his second century of the series. Shubman Gill also scored a half-century as India recovered from early setbacks. Also Read - Crowd favourite An Se-Young clinches her second title at BWF World Championships Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul were dismissed early, but Padikkal and Gill steadied the innings with a 120-run partnership. Gill was dismissed shortly after reaching his fifty, while Padikkal continued to hold the innings together. India lost two more wickets in the final session. Padikkal fell shortly before the second new ball, while Jadeja was dismissed for 43 off the final over of the day. Dhruv Jurel was unbeaten on seven, with Saransh Jain on four at stumps. India will aim to score quickly on Day 2 and build a strong first-innings total, however, the increasing help for the spinners could make batting tougher. Also Read - IND vs SL: Padikkal’s second successive ton puts India in control on Day 1 Pant’s return will add strength to India’s lower order and provide another experienced batter at an important stage of the innings. His ability to score quickly could prove useful, especially if the Sri Lankan bowlers begin to tire. For now, Jurel and Jain will look to add more runs before Pant returns to the crease. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will aim to take the remaining wickets quickly and stop India from posting a big first-innings total.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed that Rishabh Pant will be fit to bat on Day 2 after the wicketkeeper-batter retired hurt with a wrist injury.

IND vs SL: Will Rishabh Pant bat on Day 2? India coach provides injury update

From Joe Root to Jacques Kallis, here's a look at the top five batters fastest to 13,000 runs in Tests. This list also includes Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid

From Joe Root to Jacques Kallis, here's a look at the top five batters fastest to 13,000 runs in Tests. This list also includes Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid

Meet top 5 batters fastest to 13,000 Test runs

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Meet top 5 batters fastest to 13,000 Test runs