Ever since becoming the youngest cricketer to play Tests for India almost 21 years ago, Sachin Tendulkar has kept bettering records. As the master batsman took field on Monday, he equalled Steve Waugh's record of most appearances in Tests.
And Tendulkar, appearing in his 168th Test match, did make his presence felt by diving like a teenager to stop what would have been a sure-shot boundary off Kumar Sangakkara’s blade soon after tea.
Let's hope Tendulkar marks the occasion with a fine knock with the bat, something his teammates will be eagerly looking up to with Sri Lanka set to put up another huge score.
Yuvraj's never-ending tale of woes
Yuvraj Singh's ill fate seems to be never-ending. After scoring a splendid century in the tour game against the Sri Lanka President's XI, the dashing batsman woke up with a stiff neck.
Despite the trouble in his neck, the southpaw scored a fluent fifty in the first innings of the opening Test in Galle.
When one asked him about his health on the eve of the Test, Yuvraj quipped: “Choton se pareshan ho gaya hoon”. Well, even Yuvraj wouldn't have thought that there was more to come. Later on Sunday, Yuvraj had high fever and as a result, was ruled out of the Test.
{{/usCountry}}When one asked him about his health on the eve of the Test, Yuvraj quipped: “Choton se pareshan ho gaya hoon”. Well, even Yuvraj wouldn't have thought that there was more to come. Later on Sunday, Yuvraj had high fever and as a result, was ruled out of the Test.
{{/usCountry}}Going Extra mile for the spectators
Cricket stadia in the subcontinent try to fit in as many spectators as possible. Till recently, most stadia preferred concrete steps to bucket seats to make optimum use of space.
The stadia in Sri Lanka are an exception. While the Sinhalese Sports Club has four stands with chairs, it has two grass banks where the fans can enjoy themselves while watching the game. A bunch of youngsters made the most of it on Monday as they practiced high catches towards the end of the day's play. Even the Galle International Stadium, where the opening rubber of this series was played, was no different with most of the playing arena surrounded by grass banks.