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Karnataka rookie D Nischal brings up maiden first-class ton; Hyderabad enforce follow-on against Assam

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2017

Manish Pandey’s counter-attacking 238, his highest first-class score, ran Uttar Pradesh ragged for a second day running in Kanpur. Karnataka, resuming on 327 for 3, were still going strong at 642 for 7 at stumps on day two. Pandey was well complemented by rookie D Nischal, who struck his maiden first-class ton (195) – as the pair added 354 for the fifth wicket.Pandey, who wasted a strong start and was out for 70 in his first Ranji outing of the season last week in Alur, rattled along, striking 31 fours and two sixes in his 301-ball knock before falling to seamer Imtiaz Ahmed. In comparison, Nischal, who was returning to fill the void left by KL Rahul’s departure to join the Test team, battled along for 425 deliveries. He hit 23 fours in his knock. Not even the pair’s dismissal with Karnataka well in control forced R Vinay Kumar, the captain, to insert Uttar Pradesh in towards the fag end of the day. Imtiaz and Dhruv Pratap Singh, the seamers, picked up six wickets between them.With 23 points in four games, Karnataka are currently Group A toppers. A first-innings lead will seal their quarter-final berth. Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, are placed sixth with little but pride to play for.Hyderabad kept themselves in contention for a quarter-final berth with a superb bowling display that helped them enforce the follow-on against Assam in Guwahati. Fast bowler Mohammad Muddassir ripped through Assam’s line-up to return five wickets on first-class debut and bowl them out in just 48.5 overs for 136. Ravi Kiran, their other frontline seamer, took 3 for 30.Having to wipe out a 190-run deficit, Assam continued to falter in the second innings, slipping to 36 for 2 at stumps. Riyan Parag, the 16-year-old who was part of India’s Under-19 squad that returned from the Asia Cup earlier in the week, had a forgettable first-class debut, falling for 3 to take his match tally to 12 runs. Sibsankar Roy was the second batsman to be dismissed, with Ravi Kiran and Ravi Teja taking one wicket apiece. Assam still need to score 154 to prevent an innings defeat.Hyderabad, currently on nine points in four games, will look for a bonus-point win that could bring them back into the mid-table jostle with Delhi and Railways for the second qualification spot from the group. But the two washouts earlier in the season mean Hyderabad’s hopes are also hinged on how Delhi fare.

Crouching behind the stumps at the Wankhede on Wednesday, Jos Buttler had a bat’s eye view of Chris Gayle at his brazen best

Andrew Miller in Mumbai17-Mar-2016

Crouching behind the stumps at the Wankhede on Wednesday, Jos Buttler had a bat’s eye view of Chris Gayle at his brazen best, as he watched England’s hopes of an opening match victory disappear into the Mumbai night on 11 contemptuous occasions.For a man whose next assignment after this tournament will be a maiden stint with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Gayle’s performance was an education for Buttler in both the short and the medium term. But the rough treatment that he doled out, in particular to the spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, will have long-term implications for England’s tournament hopes if they fail to bounce back with victory on Friday night against their most familiar recent foes, South Africa.”We came up against a great innings from someone who can do that,” said Buttler. “We weren’t the first side and we certainly won’t be the last, either. I think it highlights that you really have to be 100% on your game against someone who’s capable of that sort of innings, but we have to park that game. We know it’s gone now, and to advance in this tournament we need to focus all our energy on the next game.”England, understandably, opted against a practice session this morning – a period of quiet contemplation by the hotel pool is more than enough prep for a team whom England have faced in 11 matches and three formats since December. And it is not as if West Indies’ methods left anything to the imagination where the Wankhede is concerned either. The pitch is full of runs, bowling is fraught with danger, and Buttler knows that forewarned will be forearmed.”Against these top players you have to execute your skills,” he said. “You can have as many plans as you like, but if you can’t execute a skill to that plan then you’re stuffed anyway. If you need to be able to bowl a yorker in front of thousands of people to one of the world’s best batters, then you’ve got to be able to do it or they’re going to hurt you like we saw last night.”Gayle’s brilliance implied that no total would have been safe, and yet Buttler admitted that England had let their chances slip earlier in the match, by failing to press on to a total that could have given their bowlers the protection that they needed.In particular, Buttler suggested, the opening partnership of Jason Roy and Alex Hales failed to press on in the way that might have been hoped after negotiating a promising platform in the Powerplay. And he was critical of his own finishing as well, as a threatening effort of 30 from 20 balls ended with a tame miscue to square leg off a low full-toss from Dwayne Bravo.”With the bat we were probably par at best,” Buttler said. “I think probably in the first six [overs], those two guys who have been so consistent in getting us off to good starts, when they catch fire they could put on even more. And then again at the end, we finished the innings well. Myself or someone else could have had a couple of really big overs, and instead of getting a 30, we could have make it a 60 and taken us up to that 200 score.”Overall, Buttler was eager to remain phlegmatic. Tournament cricket invariably serves up precarious scenarios on the back of untimely defeats, but such is the structure of this year’s World T20, England could once again be leaving the party before it has started if they cannot turn their fortunes around immediately.”You come to these tournaments, they’re hard games,” said Buttler. “Especially the format, to go to the semi-finals you’ve got to win games. But that’s tournament cricket. If we lose one game and win five in a row and win the World Cup, we’d be happy with that.”You just have to take it as it comes,” he added. “You do the same things. It’s still a game of cricket, you still have the same emotions and the same thought processes – it’s still 20 overs, it’s still 22 yards. We’ve got to focus on that and learn from what happened last night because playing against good teams, you’ve got to be right up there on your game to win these matches.”South Africa, Buttler conceded, will offer few surprises coming into the contest. England know their methods from claustrophobically close analysis over the past few months, and doubtless recognise that Friday night’s showdown could be a trial by rapier rather than broadsword if AB de Villiers follows Gayle’s big show with his own unique stylings.But, as their errors in the West Indies contest comprehensively demonstrated, England’s focus has to be on self-improvement rather than worrying unduly about what their opponents have to throw at them. It has, after all, been the mantra of their recent upturn in white-ball cricket. Fear is the enemy when one’s natural game is the aim, and Buttler admitted that nothing that happens in the next few days will come close to the misery of their colourless capitulation at the World Cup.”I think we need to put a bit of perspective on it,” he said. “Ten months ago at the World Cup was some of the worst feelings I’ve ever had on a cricket field. But you still come back from them, you just dust yourself down and go again.”Guys who are inexperienced are loving the thought of playing the World Cup and playing these big games, especially in India where cricket is just so high-profile,” he added. “The only way you can get more experienced is by playing, so they’ll have learnt from that and grow from that. And of course, if anything was a shock to anyone last night, or was different, then of course it’s not going to be tomorrow night.”De Villiers, with his recent record at the Wankhede, might have something to say about that. But it is hard to fault the optimistic sentiments from a team that is still learning on the hoof.

Sabbir Rahman’s aggressive style of batting could tip the balance in his favour on what is expected to be a turning pitch in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam07-Feb-2018

Sabbir Rahman’s return to the Test squad leaves Bangladesh with a dilemma: will they pick him for the No. 7 position or continue with Mosaddek Hossain? Both are free-flowing batsmen but Sabbir is more aggressive of the two and quick runs could prove valuable on what is expected to be a turning pitch in Mirpur.The previous two Tests in Mirpur had also assisted spin with both matches not going into a fifth day. Sabbir’s style of batting could be more suited to the team, despite his iffy form in the last five months.On his return to international cricket after suffering an eye infection, Mosaddek managed only 16 runs in two innings in Chittagong. He had got out to a poor shot in the first innings, but soaked up 53 balls in the second after a wobble to put the match beyond Sri Lanka’s reach. Mahmudullah, the stand-in captain, said that he was particularly impressed with Mosaddek’s measured innings on the final day in Chittagong.”He started well in the first innings but he had a rush of blood to get out,” Mahmudullah said. “He worked hard in the second innings but since we needed to survive, he curbed his shots. Mid-on and mid-off were up so he had to contain himself. A wicket would have put us under pressure so he did that well during our partnership. I am sure he can perform better.”Shakib Al Hasan’s absence has shaken up the balance of the team, and Bangladesh, perhaps, are now willing to gamble on an aggressive batsman. Sabbir might be out of form, but his ability to take the game away from the opposition is recognised by the team management.At the same time, Mosaddek is also one of the most talented young batsmen in the country, but his relative lack of Test experience – coupled with Sabbir’s shock value – could put him out of the XI in Mirpur.When asked how the team management evaluated a quick-fire fifty to a match-saving innings, Mahmudullah looked back at the home Tests against Australia and called for intent with the bat.”A lot of it depends on the conditions,” Mahmudullah said. “Even when there was a lot of help for spinners in the Dhaka wicket last year, the Australian batsmen played with a lot of intent. They didn’t allow the bowlers to settle down by sweeping at them and going down the wicket. You have to know your strong zones and which bowlers to take on.”While it doesn’t say much, Mahmudullah reveals just about enough on who will be Bangladesh’s No. 7 in Mirpur. Picking Sabbir might be a quick fix for Bangladesh, but it will be hard on Mosaddek, who has long been considered as an exciting talent.

A 139-run third-wicket partnership between opener Jaahid Ali and captain Babar Azam set up a four-wicket win for Pakistan A over Sri Lanka A in Northampton

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2016
File photo – Pakistan A captain Babar Azam propelled his side’s successful run chase with a 77-ball 73•Getty Images

A 139-run third-wicket stand between opener Jaahid Ali and captain Babar Azam set up a four-wicket win for Pakistan A over Sri Lanka A in Northampton. The partnership, coming off 154 balls, helped Pakistan A ride a mini-collapse to win with 11 balls to spare.Sri Lanka A made brisk progress after opting to bat, largely thanks to Niroshan Dickwella’s 31-ball 44 and Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s 63-ball 56. But wickets fell at regular intervals – by the 34th over, Sri Lanka A had slipped to 173 for 6.Thisara Perera, coming in at No. 8, chipped in with 45 off 40, hitting five fours and a six to give the innings a late boost, but Sri Lanka A were bowled out for 254, failing to utilise three overs from their full quota.Pakistan A started shakily as Sharjeel Khan and Fakhar Zaman were dismissed within the first nine overs. It was at this point that Jaahid (77) and Azam (73) took charge with a century stand that put their side firmly in control.However, their dismissals within two overs of each other, both falling to Lahiru Gamage, left Pakistan A in a hint of trouble 186 for 4 in 36 overs. Sri Lanka had a whiff of an opportunity, but it was snuffed out by handy lower-order contributions from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz. Though neither of them stayed to see the job through, they had done enough to ensure that Pakistan A won with time to spare.The win was Pakistan A’s second in three matches, while Sri Lanka A are languishing at the bottom with three losses in as many matches.

يحل فريق ليفربول ضيفاً على نظيره توتنهام هوتسبير، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة عشر من مسابقة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.

وسيخوض ليفربول مواجهة اليوم أمام توتنهام على ملعب “توتنهام الجديد” في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، برصيد 36 نقطة، بينما يأتي توتنهام هوتسبير في المركز الحادي عشر برصيد 23 نقطة.

ويسعى ليفربول إلى تحقيق الانتصار بالعلامة الكاملة اليوم، بعد أن سقط في فخ التعادل في آخر مواجهتين أمام فولهام ونيوكاسل يونايتد.

اقرأ ايضاً.. جوتا: سأشتري “ورقة وقلم” حتى يجدد نجم ليفربول عقده

ودفع آرني سلوت المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، بالدولي المصري محمد صلاح بالتشكيل الأساسي في مواجهة اليوم. تشكيل ليفربول اليوم أمام توتنهام في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمي: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: أندرو روبيرتسون – فان دايك – جو جوميز – ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد.

خط الوسط: دومينيك سوبوسلاي – أليكسيس ماك أليستر – ريان جرافينبيرخ.

خط الهجوم: محمد صلاح – لويس دياز – كودي جاكبو. بدلاء ليفربول اليوم أمام توتنهام في الدوري الإنجليزي

كيليهر، واتارو اندو، داروين نونيز، كورتيس جونز، هارفي إليوت، جوتا، تسيميكاس، كوانساه، نيوني.

The Reds to take on Spurs 👊🔴 #TOTLIV — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 22, 2024

The 39-year old record-breaking left-arm spinner also said he considers his future before every series he plays

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle 11-Mar-2017

Rangana Herath conceded 400 career wickets would be “nice to have”, while reiterating that at 39, he considers his future in the game after every series. Having taken 6 for 59 in Sri Lanka’s victory in Galle, Herath is now the most successful left-arm spinner in Tests, surpassing Daniel Vettori’s career tally of 362. This was also his 29th five-wicket haul – only Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Richard Hadlee and Anil Kumble have achieved more.”If you can get to a target like that it would be terrific, because very few people have taken 400 Test wickets,” Herath said. “I’d love to get there, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be in this form forever. But I’ll keep playing and contributing as I can for the team and for the country, and hope that the wickets keep coming.”That Herath is now among the most successful bowlers in the game is all the more extraordinary, given he did not have a long run in the team until he was 31. Before 2009, when he became a fixture in Sri Lanka’s Test XI, Herath had played only 14 Tests at sporadic intervals.”I have no regrets about starting late,” he said. “I have already played 79 Tests and I am happy with what ever I have achieved so far.”Herath needs 34 more Test wickets to get 400, and if matches are played per-schedule, Sri Lanka play six further home Tests this year before they are due to go overseas for a bilateral tour. In those matches, Herath may find himself sharing the spin duties with two other slow bowlers, however – Sri Lanka now having fielded three specialist spinners in each of their last four Tests on the island. Unusually, in this match, they also played two seamers, bringing the number of frontline bowlers to five. As acting captain, Herath said having so many bowlers at his command provided him with a wealth of possible strategies.”We talked a lot about playing six batsmen and five bowlers, and ultimately it was the selectors who made that decision,” Herath said. “I look at it the positive way. I have loads of options when you have three spinners. When we bowl long spells bowlers will get tired, so in that situation having five bowlers is a clear advantage.”As you saw today, playing against three spinners with such a large score to get is difficult for the opposition. The pitch wasn’t turning as much as usual, but we had the bowlers who did well – Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan gave a lot of support.”Though Sri Lanka were rarely pushed in this match, they did drop three catches in the first innings. Catches had been liberally spilled in recent tours of South Africa and Australia as well. 

”After a game we look at the weak points in all three departments, and we have to be more cautious when it comes to fielding, as we missed a few chances,” Herath said. “But we are learning. We will work hard and come good.”

The seamer’s maiden five-wicket haul sent Himachal Pradesh hurtling to 167 all out. Vidarbha, meanwhile, made Bengal follow on, while Goa gained a slender lead against Services

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2017

Seamer Shahnawaz Hussain’s career-best figures of 6 for 53 helped Chhattisgarh bowl out Himachal Pradesh for 167 and hand them a thrashing by an innings and 114 runs. Shahnawaz’s maiden five-wicket haul gave Chhatisgarh their first outright win of the season and with it seven points.After Chhattisgarh posted 456 in their first innings to secure a 281-run lead, Himachal Pradesh were bowled out in 49.5 overs in their second dig. Himachal Pradesh’s innings was devoid of any momentum right from the start, as they slipped to 9 for 2, 88 for 5 and 121 for 7 at various stages. Only Nikhil Gangta (41) and Paras Dogra (35) played reasonably substantial knocks, but Shahnawaz cleaned up the middle and lower order. Earlier in the morning, Chhattisgarh added 67 runs to their overnight 389 for 6. Rishi Dhawan, Pankaj Jaiswal and Sidharth Sharma claimed three wickets each.Vidarbha held the whip hand at the end of day three after bowling out Bengal for 207 in their first innings and making them follow on in Kalyani.Resuming their first innings on 89 for 3, Bengal didn’t lose a wicket until the 15th over of the day, but once captain Manoj Tiwary (50) and Wriddhiman Saha (0) fell in quick succession, things went downhill for them in no time. From 132 for 3, they slipped to 172 for 7, and they were eventually bowled out for 207, conceding a 292-run first-innings lead.Offspinner Akshay Wakhare picked up three wickets, while seamers Rajneesh Gurbani and Lalit Yadav finished with two apiece. Following on, Bengal were in early trouble as they slipped to 10 for 3. Lalit struck three times in the space of two overs to remove Abhishek Raman, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Koushik Ghosh. There was some damage control done, however, by Sudip Chatterjee (40*) and Tiwary (36*) who ensured Bengal didn’t suffer any more jolts, moving them to 86 for 3 by stumps. They still trail Vidarbha by 206.A last-wicket stand of 27 between Keenan Vaz (70, 167b, 7×4) and Heramb Parab helped Goa secure a slender seven-run lead against Services at the Palam ground. At stumps, Services were 108 for 3 in their second innings.In the morning, resuming their first innings at 150 for 6 in reply to Services’ 263, Goa looked like they would concede the first-innings advantage when they slipped to 193 for 8. It was thanks largely to Vaz and overnight batsman Amogh Desai (52) that Goa eventually edged past Services. Vaz added 50 for the ninth wicket with Felix Alemao before the seamer Sachidanand Pandey – who would finish with five wickets – dismissed the latter. Vaz and Parab eventually ensured Goa achieved the lead.

With a prolific 2016-17 domestic season and now an impressive summer in England, George Worker is eager to return to the international side after missing out on the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2017

As New Zealand’s limited-overs tour of India comes closer, George Worker is looking to push for a place in the squad after he followed a prolific 2016-17 domestic season with an impressive club season in England.Worker, who is currently touring India with the New Zealand A side, was the highest run-scorer in New Zealand’s domestic one-day competition last summer with 659 runs in 10 games at an average of 82.37. Even though that earned him a recall to the ODI side after nearly two years for two matches in the tri-series against Ireland and Bangladesh in May, he was left out of the Champions Trophy squad the next month.”I guess there’s a few spots available for that ODI tour after the A tour,” Worker told . “I won’t be worrying about it. I’ll be going out there trying to perform and carry on my good form like I have over the last couple of seasons.”Worker, 28, hasn’t been able to nail down his spot in New Zealand’s limited-overs side after his ODI debut against South Africa in 2015. He has played only four ODIs and two T20Is, with one half-century in each of the formats.During the English summer this year, Worker represented Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club in the Birmingham Premier League. He scored 1569 runs, including nine centuries, at an average of 142.64 in 15 innings during his stint. Having accounted for 28 dismissals at an average of 12.75 in the league, including his best figures of 7 for 32, Worker’s left-arm spin could further strengthen his case for a place in the limited-overs side for the conditions in India.”Hopefully, I’ll just have to see. The conditions will be favourable to a bit of spin,” Worker said. “The standard of club cricket is pretty good. It’s renowned as the best in England.”The one thing that helped me was the pitches were good. You come across wickets that are a bit green and a bit wet and you have these slow dibbly-dobbly bowlers. It does make a difference because the wickets are good.”Worker was prolific with the bat in New Zealand’s first-class competition too – the Plunket Shield – last summer, scoring 486 runs from eight innings at an average of 60.75, including four half-centuries and one hundred.

Vice-captain sees the absence of key names as an opportunity for new faces to stake their claim

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-20181:37

‘Need to play as much as we can’ – Finch

Aaron Finch says that the inexperience in Australia’s one-day squad could prove to be a blessing in disguise as they finalise their preparations for next week’s first ODI against England at The Oval, and beyond that, next year’s World Cup.Finch made a solid 78 on Thursday night to set up Australia’s hard-earned 57-run win against Sussex at Hove, which was also their first outing in national colours since the end of their seismic Test tour of South Africa in April.The Australia squad was forced to lie low for a few months after returning home from South Africa, as the ball-tampering scandal erupted around them, but Finch said that he could feel an eagerness to get stuck in in the new-look squad, adding that “there’s only so many laps of ovals you can run before you start to go crazy”.Australia ready to ‘cop some banter’

Australia’s match against Sussex on Thursday was their first encounter with English crowds since the ball-tampering scandal broke, and Finch admitted that their jibes were something that the team would have to take in its stride as the tour progressed.
“I think anytime you are touring you’re going to cop some great banter,” he said. “The chants and the songs and the stick that they give us in all in good fun, but you’re going to keep copping it if you don’t interact with them, if you don’t get on board with them and have some fun. It’s a part of playing over here, you expect that, and it’s all in good jest most of the time.”

“There’s a lot of excitement around, any time you bring young guys into the squad for their first or second tour, it brings a lot of energy around the group,” Finch said. “A lot of the guys have had time off over the last couple of months, the guys who weren’t in the IPL, so it’s a great chance to get stuck into cricket.”Australia will begin next week’s contest as rank outsiders against England’s No.1-ranked ODI team, but Finch sees the absence of so many first-choice candidates for next year’s World Cup squad as an opportunity for some new faces to stake a claim. In so doing, they may also lift Australia’s standards in a format in which they have lost each of their last three bilateral series, against New Zealand, India and England, as well as suffering an early elimination in the Champions Trophy.”There’s a few guys here that it’s the first time I’ve toured with,” he added, “and I’ve been around a little while now. But our one-day cricket hadn’t been that great over the last 18 months to two years, so who knows, if we give these young guys a few opportunities, they can do some wonderful things. There are some guys in this squad who are going to be great players.”Finch is Australia’s vice-captain on this tour, and will also captain the T20 team in the absence of David Warner, but he didn’t envisage a sea-change to the role that he has played for Ausralia since cementing his spot in the limited-overs team five years ago.Aaron Finch plays into the leg side•Getty Images

“Being vice-captain you lead by example on and off the field, but I think that, being an opening batter, you have the opportunity to set the tone for the team, so that’s not much of a change,” he said. “But with a young group, there’s not a lot of experience, so it’s about helping them as much as I can, along with Tim [Paine], Glenn Maxwell and other guys who’ve been around for a time.”The tour is also Justin Langer’s first as Australia coach, and Finch admitted that, while Langer’s first press conference had been full of smiles and jokes as he set about reframing the debate over sledging, Finch admitted that the new boss had a steely side that few players would want to encounter.”When we got to Brisbane for our training camp. it was the first time that JL had had a chance to address us all together,” said Finch. “He just laid down what he expected of the Australian cricket team, and how he sees the team going forward. There wasn’t anything that you wouldn’t expect a new coach to do.”But you don’t want to be in his glare!” Finch added. “I’ve been there before, not on this tour, but in the past. There were some easy comments you could make to him when he was coach of Western Australia. It was easy to wind him up.”Finch played most of his Australia career to date under the gaze of Darren Lehmann, who resigned from his post on the eve of the Johannesburg Test in March. “They are both great coaches in their own right. We’ve had a lot of success with [Darren] as an Australian coach, and JL I’ve no doubt will have a lot of success. With Perth, he’s done some wonderful things. And at the end of the day, whoever is coach of the side has the opportunity to mould the culture the way they want it.”

England will play their first three-Test series in Sri Lanka in 11 years, but the tour – which also features five ODIs and a T20I – may also clash with the island’s northeast monsoon

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Mar-2018

England will play their first three-Test series in Sri Lanka in 11 years, but the tour – which also features five ODIs and a T20I – may also clash with the island’s northeast monsoon.England’s tour of Sri Lanka 2018

Oct 10 – First ODI, Dambulla
Oct 13 – Second ODI, Dambulla
Oct 17 – Third ODI, Pallekele
Oct 20 – Fourth ODI, Pallekele
Oct 23 – Fifth ODI, Khettarama (Colombo)
Oct 27 – Only T20I, Khettarama
Nov 6-10 – First Test, Galle
Nov 14-18 – Second Test, Pallekele
Nov 23-27 – Third Test, SSC

The matches will be played in Dambulla, Galle, Kandy and Colombo, with the SSC set to host the only Colombo Test. As it is the Tests – set for November – are more likely to be affected by rain than the limited-overs games, which end by October.SLC generally only hosts sides in November if there is no alternative, and given both teams’ busy 2018 schedule, that does appear to be the case. November Tests were last played in Sri Lanka in 2012, when both matches against New Zealand yielded results. However the previous series that began in November – the 2010 Tests against West Indies – were infamously rain-affected, and all three games ended in draws.The ODI series kicks off the tour on October 10, before the one-off T20I is played on the 27th of that month. There are then nine days before the first Test – time perhaps for England to play at least one warm-up encounter. The Test series begins in Galle on November 6, then moves to Pallekele, before the tour finishes up in Colombo.England last played Tests in Sri Lanka in early 2012, that two-match series finishing 1-1. Their most-recent three-Test tour of the island was in 2007.