SPORTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2015 Smith named Australia’s new Test

SYDNEY: Batsman Steve Smith was yester- the job. At 26, he is a fine young man with Bangladesh in September and October. Test at The Oval later this month. day named Australia’s new Test captain to extraordinary talent, excellent leadership Marsh said Warner, who has attracted con- Australia chairman Wally replace Michael Clarke, who announced his qualities and a terrific temperament. troversy over several incidents including Edwards endorsed the side’s new leader- retirement after his side’s drubbing in the “He is highly regarded by the selectors punching England’s in 2013, had ship. “We have all seen Steve Smith’s clear current Ashes series, Cricket Australia said. and we congratulate him on being appoint- “matured and developed into an important leadership potential and believe he can per- David Warner, 28, will be the Test team’s ed to the role on an ongoing basis. He senior figure in the Australian team”. form an excellent job for Australian cricket vice-captain. Smith, who skippered should be incredibly proud.” Smith, who “He has come a long way,” Marsh said. over many years,” said Edwards. Australia in Tests against India during the was widely expected to replace Clarke and “He had valuable experience captaining the “We supported the recommendation to last home season when Clarke was side- whose appointment was endorsed at Sunrisers in the IPL () appoint David Warner as vice-captain, not- lined with a hamstring injury, was the natu- Cricket Australia’s August board meeting earlier this year and we are confident he will ing his role as a leading batsmen, his devel- ral choice for the position, Cricket Australia on Friday, will also be Australia’s T20 cap- provide strong support to Steve as his opment and emergence as a leader within said. tain during their tour of the British Isles, due deputy. the team.” “When Michael made his decision to to ’s injury. The meeting also “We believe that he will respond well to Smith, who scored a in every retire last week it was a very straightforward endorsed a recommendation that opening the added responsibility of leadership.” Test he captained in Australia last summer, decision for us to nominate Steve as his suc- batsman Warner serve as Smith’s deputy in Clarke, 34, announced he was retiring after had promised to be less defensive if hand- cessor,” national selector Rod Marsh said in Test matches and become vice-captain in England completed a crushing innings and ed the job of captaining the nation’s eleven. a statement. the upcoming one-day international series 78-run victory at Trent Bridge in the fourth “If I am named the captain I would like “He has big shoes to fill but everything in Ireland and Britain. Test to take an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the to lead from the front with my performanc- about him suggests he is the right man for Australia’s next Test series is against five-match Ashes series. He will play his final es, for sure,” he said this week. — AFP Brilliant Chandimal turns the tables on India

GALLE: smashed an hundred will be known if we win the match. unbeaten 162 off 169 balls to lead a brilliant The happiness of winning the match will be revival by on the third day of the greater than the happiness of scoring a hun- first Test against India at yesterday. dred. The hosts, who trailed India by 192 runs in the first innings, were reduced to 95-5 in Rahane sets record their second knock before Chandimal set a new world record for launched an audacious counter-attack to most catches by a fielder other than a wick- steer his team away from imminent disaster. et-keeper when he claimed eight catches in Sri Lanka went on to make 367, setting the Test-three in the first innings and five in India a tricky target of 176 runs to take the the second. lead in the three-match series. India ended Rahane said he had worked hard on his the day at a shaky 23 for one after Lokesh fielding and catching close to the , but Rahul was trapped leg-before by Rangana celebrating the new record was not on his Herath for five. First-innings century-maker mind. Shikhar Dhawan was unbeaten on 13 and “I was surprised when team-mates told nightwatchman Ishant Sharma was on five. me of the record, but my focus now is entire- The 25-year-old Chandimal hit four sixes- ly how we bat tomorrow,” the Indian bats- one of them a spectacular reverse sweep off man said. Harbhajan Singh over the mid-wicket “We have to take it by the session, but we boundary-and 19 boundaries in his fourth also have to be positive and ensure the runs Test century. keep flowing. The morning session will be Chandimal put on 125 for the sixth wicket very crucial. “ is our strength and I am with (44) and 82 for the confident we can win the match.” Ashwin seventh with (49) to frustrate finished with 10 in the match, hav- India’s bid to force an early win. ing taken six in the first innings and four in Chandimal and Thirimanne, who joined the second. hands before lunch with their team still 98 Earlier, scored 40 in his runs away from wiping the deficit, batted penultimate Test and captain Angelo through a major part of the post-lunch ses- GALLE: Sri Lankan cricketer Dinesh Chandimal celebrates his century (100 runs) Mathews made 39, the pair adding 87 for the sion. during the third day of the opening Test match between Sri Lanka and India at fourth wicket after Sri Lanka lost nightwatch- the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle yesterday. — AFP man off the first ball of India miss DRS the match to make it 5-3. As the pair settled down, the Indians were absence of DRS meant India could not ask lot of pressure on us. But it was also impor- Sangakkara received a standing ovation left to rue the refusal by their powerful crick- for reviews from the television umpire. tant to score runs instead of just staying at from some 1,500 home fans as he walked et board to use the Decision Review System Chandimal said aggressive batting had the wicket. back after playing his final innings at the (DRS) for their bilateral matches. been necessary after five wickets had fallen “It is my best innings but the value of my Galle International Stadium. — AFP Both batsmen were fortunate to get into and praised Thirimanne and Mubarak for double figures after surviving three appeals their support at the other end. for catches close to the wicket-two against “I am really very happy with the way I SCOREBOARD Chandimal and one against Thirimanne-in a handled the situation today with the help of Scoreboard at stumps on the third day in the first Test between Sri Lanka and India yesterday 10-minute period before lunch. Replays Thirimanne and Mubarak,” he said. showed all three catches were clean, but the in Galle, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 1st innings 183 (A. Mathews 64, D. Chandimal 59; R. Ashwin 6-46). “The wicket was turning and there was a India 1st innings 375 (S. Dhawan 134, V. Kohli 103, W. Saha 60; T. Kaushal 5-134). Sri Lanka 2nd innings (Overnight: 5-2) 6-220 L. Thirimanne, 7-302 J. Mubarak, 8-319 R. Rahane sets new catches record D. Karunaratne b Ashwin 0 Herath, 9-360 T. Kaushal, 10-367 N. Pradeep. K. Silva b Mishra 0 : R. Ashwin 28.2-6-114-4, A. Mishra 17-2- GALLE: Ajinkya Rahane of India set a new Galle, 2015 D. Prasad c Rahane b Aaron 3 61-3 (nb-2), H. Singh 17- 0-73-1, V. Aaron 7-0-39-1 world fielding record when he took eight 7 - Greg Chappell (AUS) v England, K. Sangakkara c Rahane b Ashwin 40 (w-8), I. Sharma 13-0-77 1(nb-6). catches in the first Test against Sri Lanka in 1974 A. Mathews c Rahul b Mishra 39 India 2nd innings (Target: 176 runs) D. Chandimal 162 L. Rahul lbw b Herath 5 Galle yesterday. 7 - Yajurvindra Singh (IND) v England, L. Thirimanne c Rahane b Ashwin 44 S. Dhawan not out 13 Rahane grabbed three catches in the first Bangalore, 1977 J. Mubarak c Rahane b H. Singh 49 I. Sharma not out 5 innings and five more in the second to sur- 7 - (SRI) v New Zealand, R. Herath c Rahane b Mishra 1 Extras 0 pass five fielders, excluding wicket-keepers, , 1992 T. Kaushal c Saha b I. Sharma 7 Total (for 1 wickets, 8 overs) 23 who had all taken seven catches in a Test. 7 - Stephen Fleming (NZL) v Zimbabwe, N. Pradeep b Ashwin 3 Fall of wickets: 1-12 L. Rahul Most catches in a Test match (excluding , 1997 Extras (b-3 nb-8 w-8) 19 To bat: R. Sharma, V. Kohli, A. Rahane, W. Saha, R. wicket-keepers): 7 - Matthew Hayden (AUS) v Sri Lanka, Total (all out, 82.2 overs) 367 Ashwin, H. Singh, A. Mishra, V. Aaron. 8 - Ajinkya Rahane (IND) v Sri Lanka, Galle, 2004. — AFP Fall of wickets: 1-0 D. Karunaratne, 2-1 K. Silva, 3-5 Bowling: D. Prasad 2-1-2-0, R. Herath 3-0-13-1, K. D. Prasad, 4-92 K. Sangakkara, 5-95 A. Mathews, Silva 3-1-8-0.