Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
Thailand Beat Hong Kong by 6 Runs in Women's Asia Cup 2026 Opener
Thailand Women got their Women's Asia Cup 2026 campaign off to a winning start, edging past Hong Kong, China Women by 6 runs in the tournament opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Sent in to bat after Hong Kong won the toss, Thailand were pegged back early but recovered thanks to a fighting knock from captain Naruemol Chaiwai , who top-scored with 43 off 31 balls , hitting four fours and two sixes. Wicketkeeper Nannapat Koncharoenkai chipped in with 27, but a mini-collapse in the death overs saw Thailand slip from a promising position to finish at 120 for 9 . Marina Lamplough was the pick of the Hong Kong bowlers, picking up a superb 4 for 11 , while Alison Siu took three. Chasing 121, Hong Kong were kept in the hunt by useful contributions through the order. Kary Chan and Yasmin Daswani both made 28, and Marina Lamplough added a quickfire 22 off just 11 balls to keep the required rate down. But regular wickets from Onnicha Kamchomphu , who finished with 3 for 27, meant Hong Kong were always chasing the game in the closing stages. Despite a late flurry from Shing Chan Dorothea, they fell short at 114 for 7 , with Thailand holding their nerve to seal the win. The result gives Thailand two points to open their Group A campaign. Thailand next face India Women on September 3, while Hong Kong will look to bounce back against Pakistan Women.
England Bowl Pakistan Out for 110 at Lord's to Seize 180-Run Lead
England seized total control of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's, bowling the tourists out for just 110 on day two to take a commanding 180-run first-innings lead . Having been dismissed for 290 themselves earlier in the morning session, England's seam attack made short work of Pakistan's reply, wrapping up the innings in just 37.2 overs. Ollie Robinson was the standout performer, returning superb figures of 4 for 11 from 13 overs that included six maidens. Jofra Archer backed him up with 3 for 26 , while Josh Tongue chipped in with two wickets. Pakistan's batting fell apart around a lone rearguard effort from opener Azan Awais , who top-scored with 46 off 102 deliveries. It was a marked improvement for the young batter after scores of 0 and 9 in the first Test defeat at Leeds, and his effort stood out all the more given the next-highest contribution on the scorecard was 20 extras. Captain Babar Azam, playing his first innings back from injury, fell to Tongue after getting off the mark with a couple of boundaries, while Saud Shakeel's 16 was the only other score in double figures. Adding to Pakistan's troubles, opener Imam-ul-Haq was unable to bat after picking up a low-grade calf strain while fielding on day one, leaving the tourists effectively a batter short throughout their innings. His fitness for the remainder of the Test remains a concern. With a 180-run cushion in hand, England will resume day two firmly in the driving seat, looking to extend their lead and set up a strong platform to level or seal the three-match series after their innings-and-103-run win in the series opener at Headingley.
Namibia Stun South Africa by 18 Runs in Tri-Series Opener, Jonathan Smit Stars
Namibia pulled off an 18-run win over South Africa in the opening match of the T20I tri-series at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek, also featuring Zimbabwe. Put in to bat after South Africa won the toss, Namibia posted 163 for 9 in their 20 overs. Jan Frylinck anchored the innings with a run-a-ball 41, while Louren Steenkamp gave the hosts a brisk start with 20 off just 13 balls at the top of the order. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus also chipped in with bat and ball, taking a wicket during South Africa's chase. South Africa, fielding IPL stars Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius alongside senior campaigners Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks , never quite got the chase under control. They finished on 145 for 9 from their 20 overs, falling well short despite a late flurry from Duan Jansen , who made an unbeaten 25 off 17 balls in a losing cause. Jonathan Smit was the pick of the Namibian bowlers, returning figures of 3 for 31 from his four overs to peg back South Africa's middle order at a crucial stage. His all-round contribution with bat and ball earned him the Player of the Match award. The result gives Namibia an early lead at the top of the points table with two points from their first outing, while South Africa start the series pointless. It continues Namibia's recent good form against their higher-ranked neighbours, having also won their last completed meeting between the two sides in October 2025. Namibia will look to build on the win when they face Zimbabwe next, while South Africa get a quick chance to respond when they take on Zimbabwe on Saturday. The tri-series runs through to its final on September 6, with seven matches in total across the group phase.
Full Fixture List Out for Cricket at Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, Men's and Women's Events
The complete schedule for cricket's return to the Asian Games has been released, with both the men's and women's competitions set to be played at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin , near Nagoya, Japan. The men's event runs from September 24 to October 3 , while the women's tournament gets underway earlier, from September 17 to September 22 . On the men's side, six teams start out in a round-robin group before the knockouts begin. Japan face Afghanistan in the opener, with Hong Kong, China taking on Malaysia later the same day. The other group fixtures pit Hong Kong, China against Oman , Afghanistan against Nepal , Japan against Nepal and Malaysia against Oman . India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have all been handed direct entries into the quarter-finals, a continuation of the arrangement first confirmed for this edition, and will face the four group toppers on September 28 and 29. The women's draw skips the group stage entirely and goes straight to the last eight. Japan Women face India Women and Bangladesh Women take on China Women on September 17, followed by Malaysia Women against Sri Lanka Women and Pakistan Women against Thailand Women a day later. Both semi-finals are scheduled for September 20, with the third-place play-off and final rounding things off on September 22. The men's knockouts follow a similar arc, with the semi-finals on October 1 and the medal matches on October 3. All matches across both events are being played as T20s, and every fixture at this stage will be updated on GameOnField as the group standings and knockout line-ups are confirmed.
England Reduced to 248/9 on Rain-Hit Day 1 of Second Pakistan Test at Lord's
England were reduced to 248 for 9 on a rain-affected first day of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's, with half-centuries from Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith rescuing the hosts after a shaky start. Pakistan won the toss and chose to field, with captain Babar Azam back in the side after being rested for the series opener. A deluge of rain postponed the start of play until early afternoon, and England's day got off to a torrid beginning once it did get underway, slipping to 36 for 3 inside the first 11 overs as Pakistan made full use of overcast conditions at Lord's. Mohammad Abbas was the chief destroyer with the new ball, finishing with 4 for 56 , while Mohammad Ali chipped in with 3 for 67 as England's top order, including captain Joe Root for just 4, struggled to find any rhythm. England hit back as conditions eased, with Jordan Cox making a fighting 55 and Jamie Smith playing his way back into form with a composed 61, the pair sharing a crucial partnership to drag the innings past 200. Smith, who had endured a lean run of scores recently, credited a recent stint playing Championship cricket for Surrey with helping him rediscover a different method at the crease. Despite the fightback, England lost regular wickets throughout the afternoon and finished the day nine down at the close, with Gus Atkinson unbeaten on 34 alongside Josh Tongue. Pakistan's fielding did let them down at times, with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and the slip cordon standing unusually deep and seeing a handful of chances go down short of the target. Even so, it was a much-improved performance from the tourists following their innings-and-103-run defeat at Headingley last week, and Pakistan will resume day two well placed to wrap up the England innings cheaply and build a first-innings advantage at the home of cricket.
Pratika Rawal Named India's Replacement for Injured Jemimah Rodrigues in Asia Cup Squad
The BCCI has confirmed Pratika Rawal as the replacement for the injured Jemimah Rodrigues in India's squad for the ACC Women's Asia Cup 2026, following the news that Rodrigues would miss the tournament with a high-grade right hamstring tear. Rodrigues sustained the injury on August 3 while playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred in England, and a subsequent clinical assessment at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru confirmed she would be sidelined for an extended period, ruling her out of both the Asia Cup and the Asian Games in Japan. Rawal now steps in for the continental event, earning her maiden T20I call-up after previously representing India only in ODIs and Tests, including as part of the side's triumphant 2025 Women's ODI World Cup campaign before an ankle injury forced her out ahead of the semi-final. Rawal was in the middle of a stint with Warwickshire Bears in the Women's One Day Cup in England when the call-up came through, and will now link up with the squad for the tournament in the UAE. Separately, wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini has been added to India's Asian Games squad as a replacement for Yastika Bhatia, continuing as backup gloveperson behind Richa Ghosh. India's Asia Cup squad continues to be led by Harmanpreet Kaur , with Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain. The defending champions begin their campaign against Thailand on August 30, before facing Hong Kong on September 3 and old rivals Pakistan in the standout group fixture on September 5, with the tournament running in Dubai from August 28 through to the September 13 final.
Manav Suthar's 16 wickets, Dhruv Jurel's maiden ton headline India's series depth in Sri Lanka
Devdutt Padikkal's Player of the Series award grabbed the headlines, but India's 1-0 win in Sri Lanka was built on contributions across the squad. Manav Suthar was the standout with the ball, finishing the two-Test series with 16 wickets . He picked up a maiden Test 10-wicket haul in the series opener, running through Sri Lanka's second innings, and followed it up with 6 more wickets in the drawn 2nd Test. Dhruv Jurel also had a series to remember with the bat. After starting with useful contributions in the 1st Test, he made his first Test century in the 2nd Test, an unbeaten 115 that helped push India past 500 and set up the eventual declaration. His overall tally read 173 runs from three innings. Rishabh Pant showed his usual fight despite carrying a wrist injury picked up on Day 1 of the 2nd Test. He continued to bat through the pain and still finished with 168 runs across the series, including a fighting 66 in the series opener. Between Suthar's wickets, Jurel's maiden hundred and Pant's resilience, India's squad depth was a big factor behind Padikkal's headline series and the eventual 1-0 series win.
Sonal Dinusha's twin centuries help Sri Lanka save 2nd Test, India take series 1-0
Sri Lanka batted out the final day in Colombo to draw the 2nd Test against India, thanks to a remarkable match from Sonal Dinusha . Following on after India declared at 503/9 , Sri Lanka were bowled out for 290 in their first innings before Dinusha led the fightback in the second, finishing unbeaten on 133 as Sri Lanka reached 429/9 before declaring themselves. It capped a stunning individual effort. Dinusha had also top-scored with 103 in the first innings, giving him twin centuries in the same Test, and he was named Player of the Match for the knocks. Pasindu Sooriyabandara made 92 and Kamindu Mendis 55 in support, while for India, Manav Suthar (3 wickets) and Ravindra Jadeja (3 wickets) shared the bulk of the bowling workload across the marathon innings. Asitha Fernando held firm at the other end to see Sri Lanka through to safety. With the match drawn, India win the two-match series 1-0 , having taken the series opener by 165 runs. Devdutt Padikkal was named Player of the Series after a prolific run with the bat, finishing with 328 runs at an average of 109.33, including twin centuries of his own across the two Tests.
Women's Asia Cup 2026 Preview: Tournament Begins August 28 in Dubai
The Women's Asia Cup 2026 gets underway on August 28 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with the tournament opener between Thailand and Hong Kong, China kicking off three weeks of T20 cricket across the region's leading women's sides. Eight teams have been split into two groups for the tournament, with Group A featuring holders India , Pakistan , Thailand and Hong Kong, China , while Group B brings together Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia . India enter as defending champions, having lifted the trophy at the previous edition, and open their campaign against Thailand on August 30, before a high-profile group clash with arch-rivals Pakistan on September 5. The tournament runs entirely on the group-stage format through to September 8, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the knockout stage. Semi-Final 1 is scheduled for September 10, followed by Semi-Final 2 on September 11, before the tournament concludes with the final on September 13 , all matches to be played at the same Dubai venue. With all 15 matches, including the final, being played at a single venue, conditions and dew factor are likely to play a significant role as the tournament progresses into its business end, particularly for teams chasing under lights. As always with the Asia Cup, the India-Pakistan fixture on September 5 is likely to be one of the standout draws of the group stage, though with two semi-final spots up for grabs in each group, plenty of other sides will have genuine chances of a deep run in this year's edition.
Dean Elgar to Retire From Professional Cricket at End of 2026 Season
Dean Elgar has announced his retirement from all professional cricket at the end of the ongoing 2026 season, bringing the curtain down on a decorated 21-year career in the professional game. The former South Africa Test captain, now 39, had already retired from international cricket back in January 2024, walking away after his 86th and final Test appearance against India at Newlands in Cape Town. Across his international career, Elgar amassed 5,347 runs for South Africa at an average of 37.92, including 14 centuries and a best score of 199 against Bangladesh in 2017. He also captained the Proteas in 18 of those Tests. Since then, Elgar has continued playing county cricket for Essex, where he arrived in 2023 to fill the void left by Sir Alastair Cook's retirement. He has been the club's leading run-scorer on multiple occasions and remained a senior, experienced presence in the dressing room, helping develop the county's younger players alongside his own on-field contributions. Reflecting on his career, Elgar cited family priorities as the main reason behind his decision, saying it was time to be present at home for his partner and children after years spent on the road. He also looked back fondly on captaining South Africa, singling out a series win over England at Lord's as one of the proudest moments of his career. Essex director of cricket Chris Silverwood praised Elgar's longevity and resilience, calling him an extremely important figure for the club during his time at Chelmsford. Elgar said he hopes to take a sabbatical from the game once his playing days are done, before deciding what comes next in his post-retirement chapter.
Mitchell Starc Overtakes Jasprit Bumrah to Become No. 1 Test Bowler
Mitchell Starc has moved to No. 1 in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, leapfrogging Jasprit Bumrah for the first time in a while after a sensational run of form that has included back-to-back match-winning performances against Bangladesh. Starc now sits on 872 rating points , edging ahead of Bumrah, who slips to second on 862 having held top spot for an extended period. The Australian left-armer's rise has been fuelled by a stunning start to the home summer, highlighted by his 6 for 12 and 4 for 39 in the second Test against Bangladesh at Mackay, a match haul of 10 for 51 that also brought up his 600th international wicket milestone and saw him named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Matt Henry of New Zealand rounds out the top three on 861, just a single point further back, keeping the top of the bowling charts extremely tight. Pat Cummins has also risen to fourth on 841, continuing a strong period for Australia's pace attack collectively, while Marco Jansen of South Africa completes the top five on 825. Further down the list, Kagiso Rabada has climbed to sixth, and Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has moved up to 10th on 731 points, having also recently reached the milestone of 600 international wickets in the same Mackay Test. England's Ollie Robinson continues his rise too, up to 11th following his Player of the Match display against Pakistan at Headingley. With Bumrah having played a reduced schedule through careful workload management, and Starc in the form of his career, the battle for the top Test bowling spot looks set to remain a closely fought contest between the two spearheads over the coming months.
Rain Halts Play as Sri Lanka Lead India by 16 Runs at Day 4 Stumps in Colombo
Rain cut short play on day four of the second Test in Colombo, with Sri Lanka closing on 229 for 6 in their follow-on innings, leading India by just 16 runs as the match heads into a rain-threatened final day with all three results still possible. Following on 213 runs behind, Sri Lanka showed far greater resilience second time round. Pasindu Sooriyabandara continued his fine series with a battling 92 off 173 balls, sharing a crucial 115-run stand with Kamindu Mendis , who made a breezy 55 including three sixes. The pair looked to be steering Sri Lanka towards a healthy lead before Mendis fell attempting an aggressive shot, with captain Shubman Gill completing an excellent running catch near square leg, a wicket that swung momentum firmly back India's way. From there, India clawed their way back into the contest, picking up three wickets in the final session to keep Sri Lanka's lead in check. Manav Suthar (2/81) accounted for both Sooriyabandara and Dhananjaya de Silva, while Saransh Jain added the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella, lbw for just 6, leaving the hosts six down at the close. Sonal Dinusha remained unbeaten on 7, with Keshara Nuwantha keeping him company on 3 as bad light and then heavier rain forced an early end to proceedings, with play called off at 16:50 local time. India will resume the final morning needing just four more wickets to wrap up the match, with the second new ball due inside the first eight overs of day five. Rain is forecast to be a factor again on the final day, but there should still be sufficient playing time for a result if the weather cooperates. Having already sealed a 165-run win in the series opener at Galle, India remain firm favourites to close out both the Test and a 2-0 series sweep, though Sri Lanka's second-innings fight offers some hope of salvaging a draw.
India Enforce Follow-On After Bowling Sri Lanka Out for 290 in Colombo
India enforced the follow-on against Sri Lanka on day four of the second Test in Colombo, after bowling the hosts out for 290 in reply to their mammoth first-innings total of 503 for 9 declared, a lead of 213 runs. Sri Lanka's innings was built around a defiant knock from Sonal Dinusha , who continued his remarkable run against India with a century, 103 off 162 balls , striking eight fours and three sixes to drag the hosts past the 200-run mark almost single-handedly. Pasindu Sooriyabandara also chipped in with a fighting 80, and the pair shared a 34-run stand for the sixth wicket, but Sri Lanka lost regular wickets around them, with the tail offering little resistance once Dinusha eventually fell to Saransh Jain, caught by KL Rahul. India's bowling was shared around effectively, with Prasidh Krishna (3/52), Manav Suthar (3/85) and Saransh Jain (2/69) doing the bulk of the damage, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj chipped in with a wicket apiece. With a lead well in excess of 200, captain Shubman Gill had little hesitation in sending Sri Lanka back out to bat again rather than enforce a batting effort of his own. Sri Lanka got off to a solid enough start second time round, reaching 4 without loss after three overs at the fall of play, with Kamil Mishara and Lahiru Udara at the crease. Having already gone 1-0 up in the series with a 165-run win in Galle, India are firmly in control of this Test too, with Sri Lanka needing something special across the remainder of the match to save the game and keep the series alive.
Sonal Dinusha Becomes Second Sri Lankan to Score 50-Plus in First Three Test Innings vs India
Sonal Dinusha continued his remarkable start to Test cricket against India, following up an unbeaten 84 in the second Test at Colombo with a fighting unbeaten 85 as Sri Lanka fought to save the follow-on. The knock made him just the second Sri Lankan batter in history , after Duleep Mendis , to record a fifty-plus score in each of his first three Test innings against India. Dinusha's series against India has been a story of consistent defiance in a tour otherwise dominated by the visitors. He began with a maiden Test century, 100 off 168 balls, in the first innings at Galle, followed that with 84 in the second innings of the same match, and has now added an unbeaten 85 in Colombo, walking in with Sri Lanka reeling at 137 for 5 against India's mammoth first-innings total of 503 for 9 declared. The left-hander showed patience and composure throughout his latest innings, using the sweep effectively against India's spinners while finding support from the tail. He shared a 57-run eighth-wicket stand with Keshara Nuwantha before adding a further 35 with Lahiru Kumara, ultimately helping Sri Lanka reach 265 for 8 at the close of day three, still 238 runs behind, before rain and fading light forced an early end to play. India's bowlers, led by Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar with three wickets apiece, continued to squeeze the innings throughout the day, but found Dinusha impossible to shift. With Sri Lanka needing to bat out the remainder of the match to avoid the follow-on and salvage something from the Test, the young all-rounder's growing reputation as India's chief tormentor on this tour continues to build.
Naveen-ul-Haq Returns to Afghanistan Squad for India T20I Series, Zadran Named Captain
Naveen-ul-Haq has returned to Afghanistan's T20I squad for the first time in almost two years, named in the 15-member group for the upcoming three-match series against India, which will mark Ibrahim Zadran's first assignment as the side's full-time T20I captain. The fast bowler last turned out for Afghanistan in December 2024, having missed the T20I series against West Indies and this year's T20 World Cup due to a stress fracture in his right shoulder. His return, after more than eight months on the sidelines, adds an important boost to Afghanistan's pace attack alongside Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Azmatullah Omarzai. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi also returns to the group, having sat out Afghanistan's recent ODI series against Ireland due to CPL commitments, while uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman earns a maiden call-up. Rashid Khan , who led the side through the T20 World Cup earlier this year, hands over the captaincy to Zadran but remains part of the squad as a frontline spinner, joined by Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to round out a strong spin-bowling department. The three-match series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17 , marking the first time Afghanistan will host India on Indian soil, continuing the arrangement that sees Afghanistan's "home" fixtures played in India or the UAE. It will be Afghanistan's first T20I series since their group-stage exit at this year's T20 World Cup. 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, Naveen-ul-Haq.
Zimbabwe Name Squad for T20I Tri-Series Against South Africa and Namibia
Zimbabwe have named a 15-member squad for the T20I tri-series against hosts Namibia and South Africa , to be played in Windhoek from August 28 to September 6, with Sikandar Raza continuing as captain. The headline inclusion is veteran leg-spinner Graeme Cremer , who returns to the setup after recovering from a left-arm injury that had ruled him out of Zimbabwe's recent home series against Bangladesh and India. Uncapped pacer Kundai Matigimu , who has one Test appearance to his name, has also been included in the squad. Veteran batter Brendan Taylor misses out, with his last T20I appearance for Zimbabwe having come against Oman at the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Zimbabwe will, however, be without two key fast-bowling options. Richard Ngarava , the side's Test and ODI captain, continues his recovery from a lower-back injury, while Tanaka Chivanga remains out after undergoing surgery for an Achilles tendon injury sustained during a practice session. Zimbabwe open their campaign on August 28 against South Africa , before facing hosts Namibia on August 31. The tournament follows a double round-robin format, with each side facing the others twice before the top two teams meet in the final on September 6. South Africa have named a second-string squad for the tournament, led by Bjorn Fortuin, while Namibia will be captained by Gerhard Erasmus. Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Innocent Kaia, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Kundai Matigimu, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Newman Nyamhuri, Tafadzwa Tsiga.
Brydon Carse Withdrawn From England Squad as Cricket Regulator Investigates Derby Incident
Brydon Carse has been withdrawn from England's squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's after being involved in an incident outside a nightclub in Derby, with the independent Cricket Regulator now investigating the matter. Footage emerged of Carse being led away by police in handcuffs on Saturday night, after Durham's players had gone out to celebrate their County Championship win over Derbyshire. A statement from Derbyshire Police confirmed a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in Derby city centre, before being de-arrested shortly afterwards having agreed to leave the area. The ECB confirmed the incident had been referred to the Cricket Regulator, an independent body that now oversees discipline in English cricket. In a statement, the board said Carse would "no longer be available for selection for the Second Men's Rothesay Test Match while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained," with Hampshire seamer Sonny Baker called up as his direct replacement. Baker, who made his solitary Test appearance to date against New Zealand at The Oval in June, joins the squad as bowling cover for the pivotal clash starting Thursday. The timing is awkward for England, coming just under two weeks after new captain Joe Root confirmed the team's midnight curfew, introduced following a string of drink-related incidents on the winter tours of New Zealand and Australia, had been relaxed. Carse, who made his Test debut in late 2024 after serving a ban for historic betting offences, did not feature in England's dominant innings-and-103-run win over Pakistan in the series-opening Test at Headingley, having been released to play for Durham in the interim.
India Declare on 503/9 as Dhruv Jurel Hits Unbeaten Century in Colombo
India declared their first innings on 503 for 9 late on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, with Dhruv Jurel 's unbeaten 115 anchoring a mammoth total that leaves the hosts facing a daunting deficit of 503 runs. India resumed the morning session with Devdutt Padikkal's overnight century behind them, and continued to pile on the runs through the middle order. Rishabh Pant made a fighting 63 on his return from a wrist injury, adding 112 for the sixth wicket with Jurel in a stand that formed the backbone of the innings. Jurel, promoted to bat as a specialist at No. 6, made the most of his opportunity, reaching his second Test century and going unbeaten on 115 off 177 balls, striking nine fours and two sixes along the way. The lower order chipped in too, with debutant Saransh Jain making a quickfire 6 and Manav Suthar adding a useful 18, before India called a halt to their innings with the score on 503 for 9 in 138 overs. Asitha Fernando was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, finishing with 4 for 106, while Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha shared two wickets apiece, with Sri Lanka's spin duo left underwhelmed by their overall returns on a good batting surface. With rain briefly interrupting play, Sri Lanka were left with just a few overs to survive before the close, sending out a new-look opening pair of debutant Kamil Mishara and Lahiru Udara to face Mohammed Siraj's opening burst. India, 1-0 up in the series after their win in Galle, will feel they have more than enough runs on the board to push for a series-clinching result, with the game now firmly in their control heading into day three.
Shoriful Islam's 7/48 Makes Him First Visiting Bowler in 33 Years With a Seven-For in Australia
Shoriful Islam produced a career-defining spell on day two of the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh in Mackay, taking career-best figures of 7 for 48 to become the first visiting bowler in 33 years to claim a seven-wicket haul in a Test on Australian soil. The left-arm pacer's effort helped bowl Australia out for 210 on day two, after the hosts had earlier skittled Bangladesh for just 64. Shoriful repeatedly found ways to break through Australia's middle order after the hosts had briefly threatened to pull away from 41 for 3, extracting movement and attacking the stumps throughout a relentless spell of 15 overs. It also produced what many observers called the ball of the series, a delivery that castled Cameron Green. The 7 for 48 places Shoriful alongside West Indies great Curtly Ambrose , who was the last visiting bowler to take seven wickets in a Test in Australia, with figures of 7 for 25 against Australia at the WACA in Perth back in 1993. It's also the first seven-wicket haul by a Bangladesh bowler against Australia in Test cricket, and the best figures by a Bangladesh bowler in an away Test, surpassing Taijul Islam's 7 for 138 against Zimbabwe earlier this year. It even beats the previous benchmark set by his own teammate just one match earlier, with Hasan Mahmud's 6 for 55 in the Darwin Test having briefly held the record for best figures by a Bangladesh bowler against Australia before Shoriful bettered it in Mackay. Despite his heroics, Bangladesh's overall position in the match remained precarious given their first-innings collapse, with the tourists still trailing by over 100 runs after Australia's reply. Shoriful's spell nonetheless stands as one of the standout individual performances of the series, a rare bright spot with the ball for Bangladesh in a Test that has otherwise been dominated by Mitchell Starc at the other end.
ICC Sanctions Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando Over On-Field Altercation
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando have both been sanctioned by the ICC following an on-field altercation on day one of the second Test in Colombo, with each player fined 25 percent of their match fee and handed a demerit point. The incident occurred in the 17th over of India's innings, moments after Fernando dismissed Jaiswal for 45. As Jaiswal walked back towards the pavilion, he appeared to change direction and approached Fernando, who was in the middle of Sri Lanka's celebratory huddle. Words were exchanged between the two, and Fernando moved his head towards Jaiswal, prompting Jaiswal to lean in as well, resulting in the two players making contact. Both players were found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC's Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel . In simple terms, this article covers inappropriate physical contact with another player, official, or any other person during an international match, essentially barring behaviour like pushing, shoving, or headbutting in the heat of the moment, even when it falls short of anything more serious. It's classified as a Level 1 offence, which carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player's match fee, along with one or two demerit points. Both players admitted the offence and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel, meaning no formal hearing was required. Neither Jaiswal nor Fernando had committed a similar offence in the 24 months prior, so the punishment was applied at the lower end of the scale. India go into the match 1-0 up in the two-Test series following their win in Galle, with the Colombo Test continuing at pace despite the day-one flashpoint, which briefly overshadowed what had otherwise been a dominant batting display from the tourists.
Rishabh Pant Overtakes Dhoni as India's Leading Wicketkeeper Run-Scorer Away From Home
Rishabh Pant made a stirring return from injury on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, scoring a fluent 63 off 89 balls to go past MS Dhoni's tally and become India's leading run-scorer among wicketkeepers in away and neutral Tests. Pant had retired hurt on the first day after being struck on the wrist by a Lahiru Kumara bouncer, having managed just 3 off 15 balls at the time. He returned to the crease after debutant Saransh Jain was dismissed early on day two, and picked up right where he left off, striking two sixes and six fours before eventually falling caught at long-off off Keshara Nuwantha, having added 112 with Dhruv Jurel in a stand that formed the backbone of India's morning session. The knock, his 21st Test half-century and a second successive one after his fifty in the second innings at Galle, took him to 2,534 runs as a wicketkeeper in away or neutral Tests , moving him past Dhoni's tally of 2,496 and also past former South Africa gloveman Mark Boucher's 2,514. Farokh Engineer (1,209) and Syed Kirmani (1,109) round out the top Indian names on the list, both well over 1,300 runs behind Pant's new benchmark. Among all wicketkeepers globally in this category, Pant now sits third, behind former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (2,696) and Australia great Adam Gilchrist (2,634). The innings also pushed Pant to 2,948 runs in World Test Championship history, leaving him just 52 shy of becoming the first Indian to reach 3,000 WTC runs. With India well placed in Colombo and Pant back among the runs after a scare with the wrist injury, the milestone adds another significant chapter to a Test career that continues to be defined by fearless strokeplay under pressure.
Bangladesh Climb to All-Time High No. 6 in ICC Test Rankings
Bangladesh have climbed to No. 6 in the ICC Men's Test team rankings, their highest-ever position, despite losing the second Test to Australia by an innings and 51 runs in Mackay. The Tigers jumped three places, moving past West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the back of their historic first-ever Test win in Australia, achieved in the series-opening Darwin Test. Bangladesh now sit on 78 rating points from 24 matches, marking the first time the side has ever risen above the No. 9 spot in the format's history. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto called it a "huge achievement" after the defeat in Mackay, while acknowledging the side's own inconsistency, noting it would have been better if they had played better cricket in the Test itself. He also pointed to the challenges of touring Australia so infrequently, with most of the squad never having previously played in the conditions. The wider table remains topped by Australia , unaffected by their earlier Darwin defeat, with 126 rating points from 27 matches. Bangladesh's rise means Sri Lanka (76 points) and Pakistan (75 points) have both been overtaken, while West Indies also slip below the Tigers in the standings. The result also has implications in the World Test Championship 2025-2027 standings, where Bangladesh remain fourth, one place above India, having recorded three wins, two losses and a draw from six matches in the cycle. The Darwin win proved decisive for both metrics, with the Mackay defeat doing little to dent the historic rankings rise that followed it.
Nathan Lyon Reaches 600 International Wickets, Fifth Australian to the Milestone
Nathan Lyon reached the milestone of 600 international wickets during Australia's innings win over Bangladesh in the second Test at Mackay, becoming just the fifth Australian bowler in history to the mark, and only the second Australian spinner after Shane Warne to get there. Lyon got there with figures of 3 for 25 in Bangladesh's second innings, having not been needed at all in the tourists' meagre first-innings total of 64. The veteran off-spinner now has 601 wickets from 174 international matches at an average of 31.00, with 24 five-wicket hauls and five ten-wicket hauls to his name, and career-best figures of 8 for 50. The vast majority of his wickets have come in the Test arena, where he has taken 571 scalps in 143 matches at an average of 30.20. Lyon now sits fifth on Australia's all-time international wicket-taking list, behind only Shane Warne (999 wickets), Glenn McGrath (948), Mitchell Starc (771), who himself completed a 10-wicket match haul in the very same Test, and Brett Lee (718). It caps a landmark match for Australia's bowling attack, with Starc's dominant display taking the headlines while Lyon quietly ticked over yet another significant career milestone in the background. Having made his Test debut back in 2011 with a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in Galle, Lyon's longevity and consistency have made him one of the most reliable spin options in world cricket for well over a decade. Reaching 600 international wickets extends an already extraordinary legacy, and cements his place among the finest bowlers Australian cricket has produced.
Devdutt Padikkal Hits Back-to-Back Test Centuries With 117 in Colombo
Devdutt Padikkal struck his second Test century in as many matches, top-scoring with a brilliant 117 off 193 balls on day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo, continuing a red-hot run of form on the tour. Padikkal, who arrived in Colombo on the back of a match-winning 167 in the series-opening win at Galle, batted with the same fluency here, striking 12 fours in a knock that anchored India's innings after they were put in to bat first. He shared useful stands through the middle order, including a lively 60-run partnership with captain Shubman Gill, who made 50, before eventually being bowled by Keshara Nuwantha, undone by a quicker, flatter delivery that snuck past the outside edge and clattered into off stump, with India well placed at 281 for 4 at the time of his dismissal. The century is a continuation of the kind of form that has made Padikkal one of the standout performers of India's tour so far. Having struggled for a settled place in the side over recent years, back-to-back hundreds in his last two Test innings mark a significant statement, and go a long way toward cementing his position in the middle order heading into a busy home season. India, chasing a series win having already gone 1-0 up in Galle, will look to build a big first-innings total on the back of Padikkal's knock, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (45), KL Rahul (18) and Gill (50) all getting starts earlier in the day without going on to make it count. Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel were at the crease as play continued, with India well placed to post a substantial total on a good batting surface in Colombo.