Australia&#39;s bowlers ripped through Sri Lanka&#39;s brittle batting lineup to dismiss the home side for 117 early in the middle session on the first day of the opening test at Pallekele today. 
 
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and off-spinner Nathan Lyon shared six wickets, while Mitchell Starc and Steve O&#39;Keefe picked up two apiece as the hosts were shot out shortly after lunch. 
 
Debutant all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva (24) was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who have lost their last two test series in New Zealand and England. 
 
Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews had won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bat on a dry pitch in the first match of the three-test series. 
 
Any hopes Mathews had of enjoying a strong start were soon shattered, however, after Australia pace duo Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc ensured the tourists took full control with the new ball by reducing the hosts to 18-3 inside 10 overs. 
 
Left-armer Starc, making his comeback after a long injury layoff, sent back Dimuth Karunaratne, with the opening batsman failing to get the umpire&#39;s leg before wicket verdict overturned on review. 
 
The 25-year-old Hazlewood, bowling an impeccable line and length, then dismissed Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva and returned for another spell before lunch to lure Dinesh Chandimal into an edge behind to wicketkeeper Peter Nevill. 
 
Left-arm spinner Steve O&#39;Keefe, who was included alongside Lyon, was brought on in the ninth over by Australia captain Steve Smith and he was rewarded when he dismissed Mathews. 
 
Lyon found a lot of turn from the surface and picked up his three wickets from just seven deliveries after the lunch interval as Sri Lanka&#39;s batsman appeared keen to return to the pavilion as quickly as they departed it. 
 
Rangana Herath became Starc&#39;s second victim and Australia&#39;s ninth after Smith successfully overturned the umpire&#39;s &#39;not out&#39; decision for leg before on review. 
 
O&#39;Keefe finished off proceedings when he captured his second wicket of the innings with the removal of Nuwan Pradeep. 
 
Injury-ravaged Sri Lanka, ranked seventh in the world, also handed a debut to left-arm slow bowler Lakshan Sandakan against the world&#39;s top-ranked test side, who have won just one out of their last 15 tests in Asia. 
 
(Reuters)

Debutant all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva was the top scorer for Sri Lanka

Australia's bowlers ripped through Sri Lanka's brittle batting lineup to dismiss the home side for 117 early in the middle session on the first day of the opening test at Pallekele today. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and off-spinner Nathan Lyon shared six wickets, while Mitchell Starc and Steve O'Keefe picked up two apiece as the hosts were shot out shortly after lunch. Debutant all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva (24) was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who have lost their last two test series in New Zealand and England. Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews had won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bat on a dry pitch in the first match of the three-test series. Any hopes Mathews had of enjoying a strong start were soon shattered, however, after Australia pace duo Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc ensured the tourists took full control with the new ball by reducing the hosts to 18-3 inside 10 overs. Left-armer Starc, making his comeback after a long injury layoff, sent back Dimuth Karunaratne, with the opening batsman failing to get the umpire's leg before wicket verdict overturned on review. The 25-year-old Hazlewood, bowling an impeccable line and length, then dismissed Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva and returned for another spell before lunch to lure Dinesh Chandimal into an edge behind to wicketkeeper Peter Nevill. Left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe, who was included alongside Lyon, was brought on in the ninth over by Australia captain Steve Smith and he was rewarded when he dismissed Mathews. Lyon found a lot of turn from the surface and picked up his three wickets from just seven deliveries after the lunch interval as Sri Lanka's batsman appeared keen to return to the pavilion as quickly as they departed it. Rangana Herath became Starc's second victim and Australia's ninth after Smith successfully overturned the umpire's 'not out' decision for leg before on review. O'Keefe finished off proceedings when he captured his second wicket of the innings with the removal of Nuwan Pradeep. Injury-ravaged Sri Lanka, ranked seventh in the world, also handed a debut to left-arm slow bowler Lakshan Sandakan against the world's top-ranked test side, who have won just one out of their last 15 tests in Asia. (Reuters)

Australia dismiss Sri Lanka for 117 in opener

Ravichandran Ashwin completed a magnificent all-round performance with seven wickets to bowl India to a crushing victory by an innings and 92 runs on the fourth day of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua on Sunday. 
 
His haul of seven for 83 off 25 overs followed his third Test hundred - 113, is India&#39;s massive first innings total of 566 for eight declared at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. 
 
Resuming their second innings following on at the overnight position of 21 for one, the West Indies were dismissed for 231 in another abject batting display, despite half-centuries by Marlon Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite and a ninth-wicket stand of 95 between Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo (45). 
 
This result was India&#39;s largest margin of victory in a Test match outside of Asia. 
 
&quot;We were really eager to get going in this series,&quot; said a delighted Indian captain Virat Kohli after the match. 
 
&quot;Everything came together nicely, from the batting performance to dismissing the West Indies twice. We went with three seamers because of the amount of grass on the wicket and it worked for us.&quot; 
 
 
&quot;Virat told me I needed to put in a good spell&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Wicketless throughout the first innings and for the first nine overs of his second innings effort, Ashwin scythed through the heart of the home side&#39;s batting in the afternoon session, reaping a five-wicket haul and then finishing off the match with the last two wickets just after tea to give India a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. 
 
He was fortunate to claim his first wicket, opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika adjudged caught at the wicket for a painstaking 31 in over three hours at the crease.&nbsp; 
 
But there was no doubt about the demolition effected thereafter, including dismissing Samuels for his first half-century in 12 Test innings, as six wickets tumbled for 44 runs. 
 
&quot;Virat told me I needed to put in a good spell this afternoon and I&#39;m glad I was able to deliver,&quot; said Ashwin, reflecting on his superb performance with the ball. 
 
&quot;I wasn&#39;t getting the right sort of rhythm yesterday but today was very different.&quot; 
 
Such was the speed of the collapse that India looked on course to complete the win well before the tea interval. 
 
However Brathwaite and Bishoo offered resistance that was entertaining for the few home fans in the stands and more than a little irritating for Virat Kohli and his men who were kept waiting to celebrate a comprehensive win. 
 
Brathwaite finished unbeaten on 51, his third half-century in as many Tests, but with just one wicket for 242 runs so far in his young career, his value as a frontline bowler remains highly questionable. 
 
&quot;We obviously need to bowl a bit better,&quot; said a downcast West Indies captain Jason Holder in the aftermath of the heavy defeat.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I`m not sure what we can expect from the pitch for the next Test in Jamaica. It&#39;s been a bit flat of late but we`ll have to see what our options are when we get there.&quot; 
 
Apart from earning the West Indies a modicum of respect, the ninth-wicket pairing`s defiance also embarrassed the frontline batting which once again failed to cope with India&#39;s potent combination of pace and spin. 
 
Umesh Yadav got his team off to the perfect start in the morning, the fast bowler claiming the important wicket of Darren Bravo without any addition to the overnight score.&nbsp; 
 
Samuels then made the most of a narrow escape when an appeal for a catch to the wicketkeeper off Mohammed Shami was turned down after consideration of the television replays. 
 
Amid growing questions about his place in the side following 11 consecutive Test innings of scores lower than 20, the elegant right-hander stroked 11 fours in an even 50 before being bowled by Ashwin.&nbsp; 
 
His demise came just after Jermaine Blackwood fell for his second duck of the match and Ashwin added the wickets of Roston Chase and captain Jason Holder to turn the match into a formality. 
 
Wrist-spinner Amit Mishra accounted for Shane Dowrich in the midst of the rout before Brathwaite and Bishoo held up the victory celebrations. 
 
Fittingly, it was left to Ashwin to claim the final two wickets in the space of three deliveries and make his team even heavier favourites going into the second Test beginning on Saturday in Jamaica. 
 
(AFP)

This result was India's largest margin of victory in a Test match outside of Asia

Ravichandran Ashwin completed a magnificent all-round performance with seven wickets to bowl India to a crushing victory by an innings and 92 runs on the fourth day of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua on Sunday. His haul of seven for 83 off 25 overs followed his third Test hundred - 113, is India's massive first innings total of 566 for eight declared at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Resuming their second innings following on at the overnight position of 21 for one, the West Indies were dismissed for 231 in another abject batting display, despite half-centuries by Marlon Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite and a ninth-wicket stand of 95 between Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo (45). This result was India's largest margin of victory in a Test match outside of Asia. "We were really eager to get going in this series," said a delighted Indian captain Virat Kohli after the match. "Everything came together nicely, from the batting performance to dismissing the West Indies twice. We went with three seamers because of the amount of grass on the wicket and it worked for us." "Virat told me I needed to put in a good spell" Wicketless throughout the first innings and for the first nine overs of his second innings effort, Ashwin scythed through the heart of the home side's batting in the afternoon session, reaping a five-wicket haul and then finishing off the match with the last two wickets just after tea to give India a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. He was fortunate to claim his first wicket, opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika adjudged caught at the wicket for a painstaking 31 in over three hours at the crease. But there was no doubt about the demolition effected thereafter, including dismissing Samuels for his first half-century in 12 Test innings, as six wickets tumbled for 44 runs. "Virat told me I needed to put in a good spell this afternoon and I'm glad I was able to deliver," said Ashwin, reflecting on his superb performance with the ball. "I wasn't getting the right sort of rhythm yesterday but today was very different." Such was the speed of the collapse that India looked on course to complete the win well before the tea interval. However Brathwaite and Bishoo offered resistance that was entertaining for the few home fans in the stands and more than a little irritating for Virat Kohli and his men who were kept waiting to celebrate a comprehensive win. Brathwaite finished unbeaten on 51, his third half-century in as many Tests, but with just one wicket for 242 runs so far in his young career, his value as a frontline bowler remains highly questionable. "We obviously need to bowl a bit better," said a downcast West Indies captain Jason Holder in the aftermath of the heavy defeat. "I`m not sure what we can expect from the pitch for the next Test in Jamaica. It's been a bit flat of late but we`ll have to see what our options are when we get there." Apart from earning the West Indies a modicum of respect, the ninth-wicket pairing`s defiance also embarrassed the frontline batting which once again failed to cope with India's potent combination of pace and spin. Umesh Yadav got his team off to the perfect start in the morning, the fast bowler claiming the important wicket of Darren Bravo without any addition to the overnight score. Samuels then made the most of a narrow escape when an appeal for a catch to the wicketkeeper off Mohammed Shami was turned down after consideration of the television replays. Amid growing questions about his place in the side following 11 consecutive Test innings of scores lower than 20, the elegant right-hander stroked 11 fours in an even 50 before being bowled by Ashwin. His demise came just after Jermaine Blackwood fell for his second duck of the match and Ashwin added the wickets of Roston Chase and captain Jason Holder to turn the match into a formality. Wrist-spinner Amit Mishra accounted for Shane Dowrich in the midst of the rout before Brathwaite and Bishoo held up the victory celebrations. Fittingly, it was left to Ashwin to claim the final two wickets in the space of three deliveries and make his team even heavier favourites going into the second Test beginning on Saturday in Jamaica. (AFP)

?Ashwin spins India to crushing 1st Test victory against West Indies

Mandeep Singh blasted a quick-fire unbeaten half-century as India crushed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to level the Twenty20 series on Monday. 
 
The result sets up a series decider in the third and final game that will also be played at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday. 
 
Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, but could only muster 99 for nine in their 20 overs as the Indian bowlers strangled the run-rate. 
 
The tourists made short work of their reply, racing to their victory target off 13.1 overs as Mandeep Singh (52 from 40 balls) and fellow opener Lokesh Rahul (47 from 40 balls) put on a century stand. 
 
All the Zimbabwe batsmen struggled to score quick runs in their innings with none managing more than a run a ball. Peter Moor (31 from 32 balls) was the only one to muster any sort of resistance. 
 
Debutant seamer Barinder Sran took for wickets to lead the Indian charge, while fellow paceman Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets in his four overs. 
 
India also handed a debut to seamer Dhawal Kulkarni, though he was by far the most expensive of the bowlers as his one wicket cost 32 runs. 
 
(Reuters)

None of the Zimbabwean batsmen managed more than a run a ball

Mandeep Singh blasted a quick-fire unbeaten half-century as India crushed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to level the Twenty20 series on Monday. The result sets up a series decider in the third and final game that will also be played at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday. Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, but could only muster 99 for nine in their 20 overs as the Indian bowlers strangled the run-rate. The tourists made short work of their reply, racing to their victory target off 13.1 overs as Mandeep Singh (52 from 40 balls) and fellow opener Lokesh Rahul (47 from 40 balls) put on a century stand. All the Zimbabwe batsmen struggled to score quick runs in their innings with none managing more than a run a ball. Peter Moor (31 from 32 balls) was the only one to muster any sort of resistance. Debutant seamer Barinder Sran took for wickets to lead the Indian charge, while fellow paceman Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets in his four overs. India also handed a debut to seamer Dhawal Kulkarni, though he was by far the most expensive of the bowlers as his one wicket cost 32 runs. (Reuters)

India beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in 2nd T20, level series 1-1

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