SUTHAR STARS AS INDIA CELEBRATE 600TH TEST WITH SRI LANKA WIN

India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle on Wednesday to win their 600th Test and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, with Manav Suthar taking 10 wickets in his second Test to bowl out the hosts for 206.

Playing only his second Test, the 24-year-old Suthar took four wickets in the first innings before returning figures of 6-55 in the second.  Getty Images

INDIA beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle on Wednesday to win their 600th Test and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, with Manav Suthar taking 10 wickets in his second Test to bowl out the hosts for 206.

India marked their 600th Test with a 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday, with left-arm spinner Manav Suthar taking 10 wickets to help secure a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Playing only his second Test, the 24-year-old Suthar took four wickets in the first innings before returning figures of 6-55 in the second. He helped India bowl out Sri Lanka for 206 shortly after lunch on the final day.

Chasing 372 for victory, Sri Lanka could not build enough partnerships, with Sonal Dinusha the exception. He was the hosts' top scorer in both innings.

India captain Shubman Gill called the win "very satisfying".

"We were in a comfortable position but were not sure if the match would go on (because of weather), but the team responded well," he said.

Gill praised Suthar and India's batsmen for their efforts on a wicket that was not easy to score runs on.

"He has been bowling magnificently. Looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a long time," he said.

Sri Lanka resumed the final day on 84-4. India took two wickets in the morning session before quickly moving through the lower order.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinusha had earlier added 95 runs for the fifth wicket after batting together for more than two hours.

'It was not easy'

De Silva, who had been dismissed off a no-ball early in his innings, went on to score his 20th half-century. He was eventually caught at short fine leg by Suthar while attempting a sweep against Ravindra Jadeja.

"It was not easy (batting fourth," said De Silva.

"They won the toss, got the runs on the board, and with our batting, we lost wickets and it went downhill from there."

Niroshan Dickwella, who had scored a half-century in the first innings, made 10 in the second before edging Prasidh Krishna to the wicketkeeper while trying to hit over the slips.

Suthar then took three wickets in a maiden over after lunch before claiming the final wicket of Keshara Nuwantha in his next over.

Sri Lanka lost their final four wickets for seven runs, with Suthar taking all four.

Dinusha, 25, finished with 84 after facing 128 deliveries. He hit eight fours and one six before Dhruv Jurel took a bat-pad catch at leg slip.

"We believed that we could draw the game even at lunch," said Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten.

"Our instruction to the lower order batters was to bat as long as they could. We just needed one big partnership but once Dinusha was dismissed, it all fell off quickly."

Devdutt Padikkal was India's other standout performer after scoring 167 and 44 in the match following his inclusion as a late injury replacement.

"The wicket had its natural wear and tear but it was a good Test wicket," Padikkal said.

"Turned a lot more from the third day onwards. In the end it was all about who came out on top with their skill-set."

The teams will now travel to Colombo for the second Test, starting on Sunday.

- Eastern Eye

SIRYAVANSHI HELPS LOWLY RAJASTAN SIGN OFF ON A HIGH WITH A SIX-WICKET WIN OVER CHENAI

Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Suryavanshi celebrates after scoring fifty runs during the IPL match against Chennai Super Kings in New Delhi on Tuesday. Associated Press

Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit a half-century as Rajasthan Royals (RR) ended their IPL season with a consolation six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Tuesday.

The 14-year-old Suryavanshi, who made waves after he struck a record 35-ball century last month, hit 57 off 33 balls as Rajasthan chased down 188 with 17 balls to spare in New Delhi.

Suryavanshi, who announced himself on the IPL stage in emphatic style by launching his first ball in the competition for six, set up the chase in his knock laced with four fours and fours sixes.

Dhruv Jurel sealed the win with his unbeaten 31 off 12 balls.

Both the teams had already bowed out of the play-off race but Rajasthan stay above bottom-placed Chennai in the 10-team table with four wins in 14 matches.

Five-time champions Chennai, led by 43-year-old MS Dhoni, have one more match to go in the league phase.

Leaders Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings have qualified for the playoffs.

Five-time winners Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals are competing for the final play-off spot.

Chennai had their chances including when veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck in the space of five balls to send back skipper Sanju Samson (41) and Suryavanshi.

Jurel soon eased the pressure with boundaries in the next over and despite the loss of another wicket in Riyan Parag, Rajasthan raced to victory.

Jurel hit the winning six with Shimron Hetmyer at the other end on 12.

Yashasvi Jaiswal contributed with 36 off 19 balls in a brisk opening stand of 37 with Suryavanshi.

Chennai recovered to reach 187-8 after they slipped to 78-5 inside eight overs, batting first on a hot and humid evening in the Indian capital.

Teenage opener Ayush Mhatre lifted the team after two early wickets with his 20-ball 43 before his dismissal triggered a mini-collapse.

The 17-year-old Mhatre, who has impressed in his debut year with a top score of 94, hit eight fours and one six before falling to medium-pace bowler Tushar Deshpande.

Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga took down Ashwin and seam bowler Yudhvir Singh struck for the third time to send back Ravindra Jadeja as Rajasthan lost half their side in 7.4 overs.

South African batter Dewald Brevis made 42 and rebuilt the innings in a 59-run stand with Shivam Dube (39).

Rajasthan’s bowlers pulled things back in the end as they gave away just 17 runs from the last three overs.

Ahmedabad to host IPL final on June 3: Ahmedabad will host the IPL final on June 3, organisers said on Tuesday in their revised schedule for the tournament which was briefly suspended due to armed conflict between India and Pakistan.

The IPL was halted on May 9 and resumed on Saturday following a ceasefire. However, the restart match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.

Ahmedabad will host the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium after staging qualifier two on June 1. The first qualifier (May 29) and the eliminator (May 30) will be held at the New PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh.

The playoffs, initially slated for Hyderabad and Kolkata, have been relocated due to adverse weather conditions in the southern part of India.

RCB’s final home fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has been moved to Lucknow where they will also play their final away game against Lucknow Super Giants.

Agencies

Brief Scores:

Chennai Super Kings 187/8 in 20 overs (Ayush Mhatre 43, Dewald Brevis 42; Akash Madhwal 3-29, Yudhvir Singh Charak 3-47) lost to Rajasthan Royals 188/4 in 17.1 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 57, Sanju Samson 41; Ravichandran Ashwin 2-41, Anshul Kamboj 1-2) by six wickets

- Gulf Today 

KISHAN TON POWERS HYDERABAD RO BIG WUN OVER RAJASTHAN IN IPL

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Ishan Kishan celebrates after scoring a century during his side's defeat of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL (Noah SEELAM)

Top-order batter Ishan Kishan hammered his first century in the Indian Premier League on Sunday as he powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a mammoth 286-6 and a 44-run win over Rajasthan Royals.

Hyderabad were invited to bat first and fell just one short of their best of 287, which remains the T20 tournament's highest ever total, with England and Rajasthan bowler Jofra Archer in particular having a day to forget.

The left-handed Kishan stood out as he hammered a ton in 45 balls to pummel the opposition attack after Travis Head smashed 67 off 31 deliveries in the second match of the league that began Saturday.

Rajasthan finished on 242-6 after half-centuries from Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel. Shimron Hetmyer hit 42 off 23 balls.

Batting first, Hyderabad's Australian import Head came out roaring with opening partner Abhishek Sharma and the two handed the team a blazing start.

The left-handed Head hammered fast bowler Archer for 23 runs in one over to set the pace for the onslaught.

Archer went on to concede 76 runs in four overs for the most expensive spell in the IPL.

Head and Kishan, playing his first match for Hyderabad, put on 85 runs off 39 balls for the second wicket to lay the foundations for the total.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who hit 30 off 15 balls, and Heinrich Klaasen, who hit a 14-ball 34, boosted the total with their explosive cameos.

Rajasthan medium-pace bowler Tushar Deshpande claimed three wickets, including Head, but the batting storm continued right up to the end of Hyderabad's 20 overs.

The Hyderabad total included a remarkable 34 fours and 12 sixes.

Last year, runners-up Hyderabad posted the highest-ever innings total of 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

In reply, Rajasthan lost two wickets in the second over -- opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Riyan Parag -- and were never in the chase.

Samson, Rajasthan's regular captain who did not make the XI due to an injury and came in as an impact player, smashed 66 and put on 111 runs with Jurel, who top-scored with 70.

But the partnership could only add a little polish to the defeat for the inaugural IPL champions.

The IPL will end with the final on May 25 with 74 matches to be played by ten teams across 13 venues.

The cash-rich league has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) into one of the richest governing bodies in sport.

- AFP