Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 29 (ANI): The contracted players have reported to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for pre-season testing and have undergone some mandatory fitness tests ahead of a hectic domestic and international season.
The official X handle of BCCI posted pictures of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Rinku Singh and Shreyas Iyer among players who reported for the fitness tests.
The BCCI handle posted, “The pre-season testing for the contracted players was conducted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence The players who had to undergo the mandated fitness arrived in batches and completed their respective tests ahead of a busy season.”
https://x.com/BCCI/status/2093669744507257265
India recently secured a 1-0 series win in Sri Lanka away Tests, with the second Colombo Test ending in a draw courtesy of incredible resilience from the Lankan lower-order batters and Sonal Dinusha, who topped the run-charts with 420 runs and three centuries, one fifty.
Coming to the match, India opted to bat first, with centuries from Devdutt Padikkal (117 in 193 balls, with 12 fours), Dhruv Jurel (115* in 177 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) and half-centuries from Rishabh Pant (63 in 89 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and skipper Gill (50 in 108 balls, with six fours) taking India to 503/9, with Asitha Fernando taking four-fer.
In their first innings, SL was skittled out for 290, with Dinusha’s second century (103 in 162 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and a fine 80 from Pasindu Sooriyabandara (in 133 balls, with nine fours) standing out. Prasidh Krishna and Suthar were among the wickets for India with three each.
During the follow-on, India had SL down for 218/6, but a 112-run stand between Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha (46 in 150 balls, with four boundaries) pushed Sri Lanka towards a sizeable lead. Dinusha (133* in 264 balls, with eight fours and two sixes) reached his third ton of the series, with the resistance from lower order, who soaked in deliveries to support him. SL ended at 429/9, drawing the Test.
Padikkal was India’s top run-getter with 328 runs in three innings at an average of 109.33, with two centuries and a best score of 117. Now in four Tests and six innings, he has made 418 runs at an average of 69.66, including two centuries and a fifty.
Suthar finished the series with 16 wickets in two matches at an average of 21.06, with a four-fer and six-fer in the first Test, giving him his first career ten-fer. His best bowling figures were 6/55. (ANI)
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