Indian bowlers stage late recovery as SLC XI reach 363/8 in warm-up c…

The Indian bowling attack endured a tough opening spell against Sri Lanka's emerging batting talent before a spin-led fightback, spearheaded by Kuldeep Yadav, restricted SLC XI to 363 for 8 on the opening day of their three-day warm-up match in Colombo on Friday.

As it is a friendly game, both teams will bat 90 overs on the first two days and split 45 overs each on the final day. Nonetheless, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill, who sat out the day after suffering an impact injury in training, will have plenty to think about.

Playing red-ball cricket for the first time in five weeks, the pacers struggled for rhythm, while off-spinner Saransh Jain (0/54 in 11 overs) found it difficult to make an impact. Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets (2/64 in 15 overs) despite looking rusty, leaving Kuldeep (2/76 in 18 overs) and Manav Suthar (1/30 in 11 overs) as the standout slow bowlers. mieszalniakolorado.pl

Sri Lanka's emerging batters test India's attack

The day largely belonged to the young home batters on a flat Nondescripts Cricket Club surface that only began offering assistance to Kuldeep late in the evening.

Opener Nishan Fernando set the tone with a brisk 66 off 65 balls, comfortably taking on senior Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj (0/44) and Prasidh Krishna (0/32). Gurnoor Brar (1/49) proved to be the most threatening seam option. Fernando shared a 110-run opening stand with Ravindu Rasantha (71) before a mix-up ended his innings.

Later, left-handed batter Sonal Dinusha scored 52 off 72 balls, showing excellent technique to pick Kuldeep's variations and launching a straight six. Dinusha combined with Ramesh Mendis (32) for a swift 64-run seventh-wicket partnership, relying heavily on the slog-sweep.

India found success late as Kuldeep bowled well, dismissing Ahan Wickramasinghe via a top-edge sweep and trapping Anjala Bandara with a brilliant delivery. Suthar maintained disciplined control, deceiving Rasantha in flight before later bowling Dinusha with the second new ball.

India will face Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series starting on August 15 with a WTC final place on the line.

(With inputs from PTI)

Paris [France], August 8 (ANI): Indian chess will enjoy its strongest-ever representation at the Esports World Cup (EWC), with four Grandmasters set to compete in the Chess tournament at EWC 2026, scheduled to take place in Paris from August 11 to 15, according to a press release.

Grandmasters Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram, and Pranesh M, representing esports and gaming content powerhouse S8UL Esports, will be joined by Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, who will compete under the banner of Gen.G Esports. Together, they will take on the world’s best players for a share of the USD 1.5 million (Rs INR 14.2 crore) prize pool.

Nihal, Pranesh and Arjun secured direct qualification to the Group Stage through their performances in the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) 2025-2026, while Aravindh earned his place through DreamHack Atlanta earlier this year and will begin his campaign in the Play-In stage.

This marks a significant milestone for Indian chess at the EWC. Last year, Nihal and Arjun were the only Indians to compete in the tournament. Nihal, who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), reached the quarterfinals, while Arjun, who qualified through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT), finished fourth. This year, the number of Indian participants has doubled, making it the country’s largest-ever contingent at the event.

Returning after its debut last year, the Chess competition at EWC 2026 will feature a revised two-phase format. The first phase, new to the tournament, is the Play-In stage, featuring nine players who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) and DreamHack Atlanta. These players will compete in a double-elimination bracket, with each match consisting of two games.

The top performers from the Play-In stage will advance to the Group Stage, where they will join players who qualified directly through the CCT and other qualifying events. The 16-player Group Stage will be divided into two groups of eight, with each group following a double-elimination format featuring two-game matches. The top four players from each group will advance to the Playoffs.

The Playoffs will follow a single-elimination format, with four-game matches in the quarterfinals and six-game matches in the semifinals. The winner of this year’s tournament will be decided after a grueling Grand Final contested over three sets.

The competition features one of the strongest fields assembled in Chess, led by defending champion Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid). He will be joined by Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Natus Vincere), Hans Moke Niemann (GodLike Esports), alongside several other Grandmasters from around the world.

With four Indian Grandmasters in contention, the country will look to build on last year’s breakthrough and challenge for its first-ever EWC Chess title. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Australia's coach Andrew McDonald is committed to judiciously overseeing player availability during the IPL. With a jam-packed international calendar on the horizon, ensuring the well-being of fast bowlers is paramount. Collaboration with medical and coaching teams will empower players to make informed choices. Insights gleaned from 2023 will inform their strategy for juggling numerous commitments.

Golaghat (Assam) [India], August 7 (ANI): Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain met the Assam flood-affected victims in Golaghat on Friday and expressed concern over the prevailing situation, describing the destruction as severe.

Notably, large parts of Assam’s Golaghat district remained inundated on Friday morning after the water levels of the Dhansiri and Doyang rivers continued to rise, forcing several families to leave their homes and take shelter in relief camps.

Borgohain, while speaking to ANI, said many people have lost their homes and are struggling without shelter, despite receiving food and clothing. She urged authorities to prioritise providing housing to help affected families recover.

“The conditions here are absolutely dire; we could see the devastation all along the way. Homes have been completely destroyed, there is nothing left, and the people are in a terrible state. Right now, they don’t even have a roof over their heads; they are forced to spend the night wherever they can find a spot. One wonders how or when things will get back to normal. It will take a long time for things to recover," she said.

“We just pray that the situation improves quickly and that these people find the strength to overcome this crisis. Shelter is the urgent need here. They are receiving plenty of food and clothing, but they have no homes to store these things in; that is the real problem. If the government could ensure they get housing as soon as possible, it would be a huge relief," she added.

At the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Borgohain secured her maiden CWG medal, settling for silver in the women’s 75kg boxing event, losing a closely fought final to Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree.

At the final bell, both boxers raised their hands in confidence, believing they had done enough to claim the title. However, after a tense wait, the judges awarded the contest to Greentree by a 4-1 split decision, leaving Lovlina to add a Commonwealth Games silver medal to her distinguished international career, which so far includes an Olympic bronze, multiple World Championship medals including a gold, an Asian Games silver and multiple Asian Championships medals, including a gold. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Ravichandran Ashwin opened up about the initial sting from Sanjay Manjrekar's critical comments, which fueled his desire to elevate his fitness and refine his bowling. Manjrekar later praised Ashwin in an article, acknowledging his remarkable performances. As a testament to his skill, Ashwin concluded his career as India's second-highest international wicket-taker with 765 wickets, solidifying his status as one of the country's finest all-rounders, still active in T20 leagues.