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Mehidy Hasan under observation as Bangladesh eye Galle advantage in Sri Lanka Test

Galle, June 16 (IANS) As Bangladesh gear up for the opening Test of their Sri Lanka tour in Galle on Tuesday, all eyes are on the availability of key allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who remains under medical observation due to a bout of fever.

While his recovery is reportedly progressing, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the team will make a last-minute decision on Mehidy’s inclusion in the playing XI. “Mehidy is still under observation, but his health is improving. A lot depends on his availability,” Shanto told reporters on the eve of the Test. “If he is in the team, we can go into the Test with a good combination.”

The absence of Mehidy, a vital spin-bowling asset and lower-order contributor, could force Bangladesh to alter their balance on a pitch that is known to dramatically assist spinners as the match progresses.

Shanto is confident that Bangladesh’s batters can cash in on the early advantage in Galle before the pitch starts to break down and favour spin. In the last five years, the batting average in Galle has dipped drastically each day — from 45.64 on Day 1 to just 20.65 on Day 5 — underlining the importance of making early runs.

“Playing spin may be challenging, but there’s also a lot of runs in the first two or three days in Galle,” Shanto said. “We want to take that opportunity. There will be challenges for the batters, as spinners take a lot of wickets here.”

Bangladesh last played a Test in Galle in 2017, and Shanto himself has fond memories of scoring his maiden Test century in Sri Lanka during the 2021 tour in Pallekele. But this will be his first as captain of the island nation.

With Tamim Iqbal retired and Shakib Al Hasan unavailable for Tests, Bangladesh continue to navigate a transition period in their red-ball setup. Shanto acknowledged their contributions but stressed the need to focus on the present. “They [Shakib and Tamim] have not been in the team for the last two or three years. We don’t want to think about the past,” Shanto said. “We have experienced players now who will do well here. I hope those in the team will take the team forward.”

The team’s struggles this year — with just two wins in ten completed matches across formats — have led to scrutiny. They exited early from the Champions Trophy, lost a home Test to Zimbabwe, and were beaten in the T20I series by both UAE and Pakistan.

Still, Shanto believes in the resilience of his squad. “We came back well in the Zimbabwe series after the Sylhet loss. It will motivate us,” he said. “We are playing in familiar conditions. We just need to play good cricket, especially the batters. The top order has to provide a good start.”

The Bangladesh squad features a balanced blend of youth and experience, and Shanto is pleased with the team’s unity and clarity heading into the Galle Test. “I am happy with the squad. It’s a balanced side with options in batting and bowling. We can pick the XI depending on the opposition and conditions,” he said.

–IANS

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Badminton Asia U17 & U15 C’ships: Shaina, Diksha clinch gold as India finish with best medal haul

Chengdu, Oct 26 (IANS) Shaina Manimuthu (U15) and Diksha Sudhakar (U17) clinched gold medals in their respective age categories as India registered their best-ever performance in the Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Championships 2025 on Sunday.

In the U15 girls’ singles final, Shaina defeated Japan’s Chiharu Tomita 21-14, 22-20 before Diksha Sudhakar got the better of compatriot Lakshya Rajesh 21-16, 21-9 in the U17 girls’ singles final.

Diksha also became the first Indian singles player ever to win a U17 title at the Junior Asian Championships. Sunday’s results meant that the India contingent will return home with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

The last time India won two gold medals was in 2013 when Siril Verma won the U15 boys’ singles title while Chirag Shetty and MR Arjun claimed the U17 boys’ doubles crown.

On Sunday, Shaina became the fourth Indian girls singles player to clinch the U15 crown as she dominated Tomita in the opening game and then staved off a late challenge in the second game to close out the match in 44 minutes.

Later, Diksha became the first Indian girls singles player to clinch the U17 title, dominating the 27-minute all-Indian final.

Jagsher Singh Khanggura, in boys’ singles, and the mixed doubles pair of Jangjeet Singh Kajla and Jananika Ramesh had bagged bronze medals on Saturday after falling in the semi-finals.

In the mixed doubles semis, Jangjeet Singh Kajla and Jananika Ramesh went down 17-21, 21-18, 21-16 against I An Chang and Yo Han Wang of Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, Jagsher Singh Khangurra lost his boys’ singles semi-final against China’s Hong Tian Yue 21-11, 21-16.

Indian medal winners

Diksha Sudhakar – gold medal in U17 girls’ singles

Shaina Manimuthu – gold medal in U15 girls’ singles

Lakshya Rajesh – silver medal in U17 girls’ singles

Jagsher Singh Khangurra – bronze medal in U17 boys’ singles

Jangjeet Singh Kajla and Jananika Ramesh – bronze medal in U17 mixed doubles

–IANS

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Olise strike leaves Wolfsburg in final-day battle to avoid relegation

Berlin, May 10 (IANS) Michael Olise’s second-half goal lifted Bayern Munich to a 1-0 win at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, leaving the latter side level on points with St. Pauli ahead of their survival clash in the final round.

Wolfsburg created several chances at the opening stages. Jonas Urbig denied Vinicius Souza, before Wolfsburg continued threatening and forced the Bayern goalkeeper into further saves, reported Xinhua.

Bayern then had a major chance when Olise was fouled and VAR awarded a penalty, but Harry Kane slipped as he struck and sent it wide.

Bayern began to mount pressure after the interval. Olise scored in the 56th minute, cutting in from the right and curling a shot in off the underside of the bar.

Wolfsburg substitute Matthias Svanberg hit the post in the 89th minute.

Wolfsburg will play away to St. Pauli for a final-day relegation showdown, with both sides locked on 26 points and Wolfsburg holding 16th place on goal difference. St. Pauli sits 17th, while Heidenheim remains bottom on 23 points with a game in hand.

“We saw a team that believes in itself. But the danger against Bayern is that even when you play well, there are phases when you must suffer, and that was exactly when they scored. Late on, of course, we had a huge chance to equalize,” Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking said.

Elsewhere, RB Leipzig secured UEFA Champions League qualification with a 2-1 win over St. Pauli. Stuttgart beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 to sit in fourth place, Hoffenheim edged 10-man Werder Bremen 1-0, and Augsburg beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1.

–IANS

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