• Meanwhile, England produced one of their best ever away wins, stunning India with a 28-run victory in a heart-stopping finish to the first Test in Hyderabad.
Image: FILE
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has lifted its suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with immediate effect.
SLC was suspended in November because of government interference — as the country’s ministry of sport sacked the national cricket board after poor results at the men’s World Cup.
That decision was reversed by a court but the ICC still imposed the sanction. The ICC says it kept SLC under review and is satisfied the body is no longer in breach of membership regulations.
After the sanctions were imposed, Sri Lanka was stripped of hosting the Under-19s men’s World Cup, which is currently taking place in South Africa.
Sri Lanka, who won only two of their nine matches at the 2023 World Cup, are set to tour England this summer.
Meanwhile, England produced one of their best ever away wins, stunning India with a 28-run victory in a heart-stopping finish to the first Test in Hyderabad.
Inspired by one of the all-time great innings by Ollie Pope and a beguiling 7-62 from debutant spinner Tom Hartley, England set India 231 to win, then hustled the hosts out for 202 in the extra half-hour at the end of the fourth day.
Beating a team that had lost only three of their previous 46 home Tests is remarkable in itself, but England did it with a vastly inexperienced attack and with senior spinner Jack Leach hampered by a knee injury.
England recovered from a first-innings deficit of 190 - only twice before in Test history have they overturned such a margin to win. India have never previously lost a home Test when taking a lead in excess of 100.
After England began on 316-6, Pope pushed on to 196, the highest second-innings score ever made by an England batter in India. The tourists were bowled out for 420 on the stroke of lunch.
The target should have been within India’s reach, even on the wearing pitch, but the hosts buckled. England were led by the brilliant Hartley, who also made 34 with the bat.
A collapse of 4-24 ripped the guts out of the India middle order and reduced the home supporters to an eerie silence. With India on the brink, KS Bharat and Ravichandran Ashwin combined for a rearguard partnership of 78 that made the crowd believe again. India had the momentum, only for Hartley to bowl Bharat with a beauty.
The extra time was allowed, the shadows closed in. Ashwin danced past Hartley to be stumped, but still India were not beaten.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj swiped 25 for the final wicket before Siraj was stumped off Hartley to spark wild England celebrations. The second Test begins in Visakhapatnam on February 2.