Chandimal pleased with SL's 2018 despite 'big areas for improvement'

2:16 AM ET Andrew Fidel Fernando Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal rued the first-innings mistakes in Christchurch that had allowed New Zealand to build an advantage and set the tone for the game, but in reflecting on Sri Lanka’s Test year, suggested there were some promising signs. Sri Lanka have lost four of their last five Tests, but had won away series against Bangladesh and West Indies, as well as…

December 30, 2018
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Tim Paine's Australia in dire need of Steven Smith and David Warner's return

‘No real experienced heads in the batting line-up’ – Cummins (4:29) Cummins added that it was hard for Australia to have two of their best players in Steven Smith and David Warner missing from action (4:29) 12:38 AM ET In the shadows of a defeat that left the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Indian hands, Australia’s captain Tim Paine made his bluntest admission that the national team is in dire need of…

December 30, 2018
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Virat Kohli hails 'outstanding' Jasprit Bumrah

Laxman: Bumrah is the No. 1 bowler in the world (7:43) Sanjay Manjrekar says the India fast bowler is already the finished product despite being in only his first year as a Test player (7:43) 11:00 PM ET ESPNcricinfo staff In his first year of Test cricket, Jasprit Bumrah has claimed five-wicket hauls in overseas wins in Johannesburg,Nottingham and Melbourne. He hit a new high in the Boxing Day Test…

December 30, 2018
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Australia call up Labuschagne as Mitchell Marsh slumps

10:53 PM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Australia have added allrounder Marnus Labuschagne to their squad for the final Test against India in Sydney which they need to win to level the series. Labuschagne made his debut in the UAE earlier this year and played both Tests against Pakistan where he showed some promise with bat and ball, making a top score of 43 alongside claiming seven wickets with his legspin. However,…

December 30, 2018
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Bumrah finishes with nine as India retain Border-Gavaskar trophy

Close Deputy Editor Andrew arrived at ESPNcricinfo via Manchester and Cape Town, after finding the assistant editor at a weak moment as he watched England’s batting collapse in the Newlands Test. Andrew began his cricket writing as a freelance covering Lancashire during 2004 when they were relegated in the County Championship. In fact, they were top of the table when he began reporting on them but things went dramatically downhill….

December 30, 2018
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'Matt Henry's catch was the key moment' – Kane Williamson

8:47 PM ET If it’s cliched to suggest that New Zealand are greater than the sum of their parts, and that their team spirit adds a dynamic dimension to their game, it’s because they keep providing examples of their cohesiveness. Take what captain Kane Williamson said was the key moment in New Zealand’s victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka, for example. In a game in which two batsmen…

December 30, 2018
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Injured Angelo Mathews almost certain to miss Australia tour

8:00 PM ET Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour, and will almost certainly miss Sri Lanka’s two Tests in Australia as well early next year, after scans revealed a grade two strain in his left hamstring. Mathews picked up the injury while completing a run late in the afternoon session of day four of the Christchurch Test, immediately pulling up lame,…

December 30, 2018
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Wagner, Boult bowl New Zealand to record win

3:00 AM ET New Zealand 178 (Southee 68, Lakmal 5-54) and 585 for 4 dec (Latham 176, Nicholls 162) beat Sri Lanka 104 (Mathews 33*, Boult 6-30) and 236 (Mendis 67, Chandimal 56, Wagner 4-48) by 423 runs New Zealand required only 14 deliveries to wipe out Sri Lanka’s tail and claim a 423-run victory in the second Test at Christchurch, by extension winning the series, and moving up the…

December 29, 2018
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Manish Pandey handed Karnataka captaincy across formats

1:51 PM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Left out of India’s limited-overs squad for the series in Australia and New Zealand, Manish Pandey has been handed the Karnataka captaincy across formats. ESPNcricinfo understands that Pandey’s availability for the next two months was central to the KSCA’s decision of a leadership change, one “taken with outgoing captain R Vinay Kumar’s consent.” Pandey had already taken over the limited-overs captaincy from Vinay halfway through…

December 29, 2018
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Andrew Strauss's wife dies aged 46 after cancer battle

8:20 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff The wife of Andrew Strauss, England’s former captain and managing director, has died aged 46 following a battle with lung cancer. “It is with great sadness and immense grief that we have to announce that Ruth passed away today as a result of her rare lung cancer,” read a statement from Strauss on behalf of his family. “Sam, Luca and I will miss her terribly….

December 29, 2018
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