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Australia, on the other hand, have been clinical, with their spinners leading the way. However, Nathan Lyon will be eager to make a bigger impact after struggling to hit his mark so far. With two full days left and a massive cushion of runs, the visitors will likely come out attacking, looking to wrap things up quickly. The weather forecast for the day isn’t too promising, but we hope the skies stay clear to allow the match to move toward a proper conclusion. Play is set to start early, with the first two sessions extended by 15 minutes each, along with an extra 30-minute extension at the end, if weather and light permit, to make up for lost time. Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds!
Losing two entire sessions to rain on a crucial Day 3 has actually worked in Sri Lanka’s favour, helping them push the game towards a potential draw. While they’ve been on the back foot throughout, the first session of Day 3 was the only phase where they showed real fight and resistance, before rain washed out the remainder of the day. Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis will resume their innings as the last recognized batting pair, with Chandimal well set and leading the charge in an attempt to mount a fightback.
Hello and welcome back to Day 4 of the first Test in the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy 2025, where Australia remain in complete control, while Sri Lanka face an uphill battle, still trailing by 518 runs with half their side already back in the pavilion.
... DAY 4, SESSION 1 ...
Rain has given Sri Lanka another lease of life. The combination of rain and Sri Lanka has been a great one in the past for the Islanders and this enforced break comes as a good one for them. They might not be able to repair the damage with the ball, but what they can do now is force Australia into frustration, by making the visitors earn their wickets. Still, a lot of time is left in this match and hopefully, we get more cricket on Day 4, that's Saturday, 1st February, 2025. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 4.15 am GMT but our buildup will begin well in advance. So do tune in early. In the meanwhile, you can catch all the updates and scores from the Women's Ashes, the fourth T20I between India and England and the third T20I between West Indies Women and Bangladesh Women. All you need to do is click on the respective matchcentres. Enjoy. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!
Australia and Steven Smith, in particular, have not been too keen of late, to enforce the followon as they are not of the opinion that bowlers should be given so many overs to bowl in succession. Also, given that this is just the first Test of a 2-match series, irrespective of when Sri Lanka get bowled out, if that happens, don't think the Kangaroos will enforce the followon. And then, to serve as a latest example, all the captain needs to look at is the second Test between South Africa and Pakistan in Cape Town, where, Pakistan, after being enforced the followon, trailing by 421 runs, amassed 478 in their second innings, batting out 122 overs.
So just 27 overs were possible on Day 3, which saw Sri Lanka gift two wickets to Australia. The pitch was just beginning to have its cracks explode but because of the rain, that may not happen too much on Saturday either. Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva allowed the Aussies to get into their middle order and actually, they are just a wicket away from entering the tail. The deficit is a massive 518 runs but whether the followon will be enforced or not will depend entirely on how long do the Aussies take to pick up the remaining 5 wickets.
UPDATE - 10.08 am GMT - STUMPS ON DAY 3! Ironic as it might seem, the conditions have gotten bright and sunny! But because of the downpour, so much water has accumulated on the covers that the groundstaff don't think it is possible to shed all that amount of water and resume play on Friday. Hence, a logical decision has been arrived at pretty early, rather than waiting optimistically and just delaying the inevitable.
UPDATE - 9.51 am GMT - What started as a drizzle has now intensified into a proper downpour in Galle. This is not a promising sign, and for now, all we can do is wait for the weather to ease so play can resume. Stick around for further updates!
Well, we were about to write welcome back, but unfortunatey, the message got sent to a wrong address. The dark clouds are back and so is the rain and along come the covers once again. A fresh band of dark clouds have enveloped the ground and as per Roshan Abeysinghe, the wet band is here to stay for a while. We shall stay hopeful of the game resuming at some point. Today.
... DAY 3, FINAL SESSION ...
Meanwhile, in Melbourne, the final session of Day 2 of the 4-day Ashes Test has just kicked off into action. England Women have finally managed to dislodge Annabel Sutherland for a fantastic 163 but Australia continue to go merrily, at 325/4, having extended their lead to 155. Beth Mooney has crossed her half century and one reckons that if England Women have to make a comeback in this Test, it has to be this session. Because if they don't, with 30-odd overs left in the day, Australia will take their lead close to 250 and from thereon, a draw could be the only realistic positive possibility from an English point of view. Of course, being 0-12 down, even a draw is worth a win, but if there is a simmer of a chance for a victory, why shrug it off.
A washed out session is never good news for cricket but in this case, neither team will mind it. Because Sri Lanka are so far behind the game and have minimal chances of winning, they will take the other positive option, i.e., a draw which could increase a great deal due to the weather. Australia too, would be happy that they didn't have to bowl much in the heat today, as they have bowled only 25 overs. However, the forecast for the next 2 days is pretty good and the Kangaroos will be keen to push on for a victory, though for that, they will aim to wrap up this Lankan innings tonight itself.
UPDATE - 8.50 am GMT - As we wait for an update on the resumption, the umpires are out in the middle inspecting the outfield. We finally have a restart time! An early TEA has been taken, and play is set to resume at 9.20 am GMT. The third session will continue until 12.21 pm GMT, with an additional 30 minutes available for extension, provided the weather and light hold up.
UPDATE - 8.29 am GMT - Great news! The sun is finally peeking through, and the conditions are looking much brighter. The covers are coming off, the stumps are up and we should have a resumption time announced shortly.
UPDATE - 7.58 am GMT - Positive signs from Galle! The weather has cleared up nicely, and the rain has now reduced to just a slight drizzle. With the skies looking much brighter, the ground staff are on the move, beginning the cleanup process. They’ve started removing the tyres from the covers and are working on clearing the waterlogged sheets. It might take some time to get the entire field ready, but a resumption doesn’t seem too far away now. Stick around for more updates.
UPDATE - 7.51 am GMT - The weather remains unfavourable, and the rain has intensified, making it increasingly likely that we’re in for a long delay. Frustration grows, but for now, all we can do is wait. Stay tuned for further updates as we monitor the situation in Galle.
News from Afghanistan - SHAPOOR ZADRAN has decided to call it quits from international cricket. The left-arm seamer made his debut in 2009 and last featured in a bilateral T20I series against Ireland in 2020. Naming Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar as his idol, Shapoor was always at the batters, swinging the ball both ways with speed. He was at his best at the 2015 ODI World Cup, where he took 10 wickets at an average of 26.5, which included the dismissals of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahmudullah, Kane Williamson, David Warner, and even Steven Smith! His best moment though, was against Scotland in the same tournament, where he helped Afghanistan win their first match in an ODI World Cup, first taking a 4-fer with the ball, then making a crucial unbeaten 12 to take his side through.
UPDATE - 7.27 am GMT - Not much has changed in Galle since our last update. The covers remain firmly in place, and the conditions are still dark and gloomy, making for a frustrating wait. Weather was always going to be a factor in this match, and it continues to play its part. Stay tuned for further updates as we keep a close eye on the situation.
Meanwhile, records are tumbling down at the MCG. ANNABEL SUTHERLAND has become the first female cricketer to score a century in a Test inning at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. How fitting it should be, that a Victorian becomes the first centurion in Women's Tests at the scenic MCG. It is a packed house and the Sutherland family's joy knows no bounds in the stands. This is also Sutherland's third century in Test cricket, joining Jill Kennare and Betty Wilson as the only Women to score three centuries in Test cricket for Australia. Sutherland averages close to 88 in Test cricket, having scored 3 centuries in 9 innings. That's a century every 3 innings! And the kid is not even aged 24! Talking about the match, Australia Women have now reached 220/3, leading England exactly by 50 on Day 2 of this 4-day Test. All of sudden, the wheels have started to come loose for England with catches being dropped right, left and centre in the last half hour or so. 49 overs are still left in the day, so they need to step up in that department.
