Padikkal smashes glorious ton in warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cric…

Devdutt Padikkal assured his spot in India’s playing XI for the opening Test with a stylish century on Day Two of the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI, while seasoned Rishabh Pant (2) and his understudy Dhruv Jurel (1) failed to make the most of favourable batting conditions.

India finished its first innings at 357-6 in 90 overs. Padikkal’s artistic unbeaten 142 and a gritty 63 (retired out) by veteran Ravindra Jadeja were the highlights, while Manav Suthar (41) also impressed with the bat on his maiden overseas international assignment.

Ravindra Jadeja celebrates after his half-century on Saturday newsbetting.club

Padikkal hit 18 boundaries to show that he is ready to reclaim his rightful place now that first-choice No. 3 batter Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of the series. With Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) falling off the second delivery, KL Rahul (40) and Padikkal added 96 for the second wicket.

While Rahul played himself in, the sinewy Padikkal was a treat to watch, opening with a couple of cover drives off fuller deliveries before unleashing some delectable cuts both in front of and behind point. Anything short from pacers or spinners was pulled with disdain. The famous ‘Nataraja Shot’ also came out of the closet against the pacers.

A pull shot off off-spinner Ramesh Mendis brought up his ton in just 121 balls before he was asked to retire. By then, he had added 72 with Jadeja, who again showed his value as a middle-order batter overseas.

The biggest disappointment of the day was certainly Pant, who once again played an indiscreet shot against off-spinner Mendis (2-77), trying to hit him over long-on against the turn. The leading edge flew to long-off. Towards the end, Padikkal once again came out to bat and added four more boundaries to his quota of 14.

18
No of fours smashed by Devdutt Padikkal against SLC XI on Saturday

65
Padikkal’s highest score, which came in his debut innings against England; the top-order batter has scored a total of 90 runs in two Tests

2024
The year Devdutt Padikkal played his last of two Tests

8
No of 50-plus scores by Jadeja in his last 13 Test innings

According to Brett Lee, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showcases outstanding cricket skills. Following a stellar IPL season, he was quickly called to join India's T20I team, where he shone in the Zimbabwe tour, being honored as Player of the Series. Lee underscores the need to safeguard the young prodigy from extreme pressure, stressing that his biggest hurdle will be maintaining mental fortitude as he progresses in his career.

Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 9 (ANI): A brace from Alaaeddine Ajaraie, complemented by late strikes from substitutes Macarton Louis Nickson and debutant Etyan Gonzalez Morales, powered defending champions NorthEast United FC to a commanding 4-1 victory over Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC in a Group F clash of the 135th Durand Cup at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Saturday.

The victory strengthened NorthEast United FC’s push for a place in the knockout stages while extending their unbeaten run in the Durand Cup to 14 matches. The defending champions have now gone unbeaten in the competition since their last defeat in 2023, according to a release.

NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali set his side up in an attacking 4-2-4 formation, and the defending champions immediately asserted their authority, dominating possession and pinning Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC deep inside their own half.

The pressure paid off in the seventh minute when NorthEast United were awarded a penalty after Junior Onguene Nkengue brought down Alaaeddine Ajaraie inside the box following a corner. The Moroccan forward stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, sending goalkeeper Jaspreet Singh the wrong way to give the Highlanders an early lead.

NorthEast continued to press for a second, with Redeem Tlang narrowly missing the target after being set up by Ajaraie. The Highlanders controlled the tempo and repeatedly exposed the spaces in the Karbi Anglong defence, but the debutants remained in the contest.

Against the run of play, Karbi Anglong found an equaliser in the 28th minute. A misplaced pass from NorthEast defender Soraisham Dinesh Singh gifted possession to Junior Onguene Nkengue, who made amends for his earlier mistake by keeping his composure to finish from close range and make it 1-1.

NorthEast responded by stepping up the pressure once again. Ajaraie came close to restoring their lead with a superbly struck free-kick, but Jaspreet Singh produced an outstanding save to keep the effort out. Redeem Tlang also continued to threaten, but Karbi Anglong defended in numbers and held firm to take the teams into the interval level.

Benali made two attacking changes at half-time, bringing on Parthib Sunder Gogoi and Macarton, and the move paid immediate dividends. Just three minutes after the restart, Gogoi picked out Ajaraie inside the box, and the Moroccan produced a precise left-footed finish to put NorthEast United back in front at 2-1. It was Ajaraie’s fifth goal of the tournament, taking him level at the top of the scoring charts.

The opening stages of the second half were played at a frantic pace as NorthEast searched for a third while Karbi Anglong attempted to respond on the counter. Ajaraie came close to completing his hat-trick in the 52nd minute when his header from a corner narrowly missed the target.

Karbi Anglong continued to look for openings and came closest through Junior Onguene Nkengue, who unleashed a powerful long-range effort after being set up by Joseph. The shot dipped dangerously, but NorthEast goalkeeper Dipesh Chauhan recovered at the second attempt after initially spilling the effort.

Benali introduced Spanish forward Etyan Jesus Gonzalez Morales just after the hour mark as NorthEast looked to put the contest beyond doubt. Ajaraie missed another opportunity in the 73rd minute, sending his left-footed effort over the bar, before Etyan also came close moments later, only to lift his attempted chip over the goalkeeper wide of the target.

The Highlanders eventually found their third in the 83rd minute. Buanthanglun Samte delivered a pinpoint cross into the penalty area, where Macarton Louis Nickson rose highest to guide a well-directed header past the stationary Jaspreet Singh and make it 3-1.

With five minutes of stoppage time added, NorthEast continued to push forward. Etyan had another opportunity after being picked out by Ajaraie but was unable to convert, although the Spanish debutant would have his moment soon after.

In the sixth minute of added time, Abdul Rabeeh produced a brilliant run down the left flank before delivering a low cross into the box. Etyan made no mistake this time, calmly tapping the ball into the net to mark his debut in Indian football with a goal and complete a comprehensive 4-1 victory for the defending champions.

NorthEast United’s second-half dominance ultimately proved decisive, with Benali’s attacking substitutions making a telling impact as the Highlanders maintained their unbeaten run in the Durand Cup. (ANI)

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With the two-Test series against Sri Lanka around the corner, one question stands out for India:

How important is it for Kuldeep Yadav to make himself India’s lead spinner?

The question becomes even more relevant with Ravindra Jadeja back in the squad and younger options such as Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain around him. Kuldeep has the experience and the skill set, but now he needs to take ownership of the role.

Kuldeep has also developed into a more rounded bowler over the years. He entered the Sri Lanka series with 79 Test wickets from 18 matches, while his recent Test numbers underline how effective he can be when given an extended role. He took 12 wickets in India’s two-Test series against the West Indies in October 2025.

The Wrist-Spin Advantage: Why He Doesn’t Need the Pitch’s Help

A wrist-spinner at his best doesn’t need much assistance from the pitch; he can create pressure and pick up wickets purely through skill, regardless of conditions. That’s what makes Kuldeep such a valuable option for India. Add to that his experience of playing in different conditions over the years, and the case for backing him grows stronger.

His biggest asset remains his variety. He can turn the ball both ways and has a quicker delivery in his armoury, giving him more than one way to trouble a batter, something that becomes especially important over the course of a Test match, where patience and doubt often decide a dismissal.

The Warning Signs- Fewer Revs, A Dropping Arm

Having said all that, Kuldeep is not in the best of form at the moment, and one of the concerns is that he is not imparting as many revolutions on the ball as he would ideally want. His bowling arm also appears to have become lower. For a wrist-spinner, even small changes like these can affect how much dip and turn he’s able to generate.

A higher-arm release, combined with a strong pivot, can help Kuldeep impart more revolutions on the ball. More revolutions can generate greater overspin and sharper dip, making it harder for batters to judge the trajectory and length.

So, for Kuldeep, it is not simply about turning the ball. It is about maximising the revolutions and bringing back the dip that can make his bowling even more difficult to read.

The Bottom Line

Kuldeep has the tools: the experience, the variety, and the ability to turn the ball both ways: to be India’s go-to spinner. What he needs now is to sharpen the basics that have slipped a little and turn potential into control. If he can do that, this series against Sri Lanka could be the moment he moves from being an option to being the leader of India’s spin attack.

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