IND vs NZ | 1st Test: Ravindra Jadeja's efforts go in vain as New Zealand manage a draw

Ashes 2021-22 | Ben Stokes narrates his near-death experience

England all-rounder Ben Stokes might not be available for the first Ashes Test between Australia and England after a horrible accident with his pills. Narrating about the incident in his column for Daily Mirror, the left-handed batter explained how he had a near-death experience with tablets. “It was actually down to a simple tablet that went down the wrong way and got stuck in my windpipe causing me to choke horribly before the glands in my face went into overdrive to flush it out,” Stokes wrote. “Until it actually came out, I thought this might be the end. We’ve all had those moments when something gets stuck in the throat, and usually, someone can help you out. But I was on my own in my room and I couldn’t breathe as it became lodged and started to dissolve… it was a genuinely frightening experience,” the all-rounder added. The 30-year-old, who missed out on the T20 World Cup and the second leg of the IPL 2021 due to a mental health break, decided to turn up for Ashes after not being named initially in the squad. Revealing how it was the working mechanism of his body that got him out of the situation, Stokes wrote, “The team doctor came to see me straight away and she explained what had happened with the body reacting the way it did. I’m glad it did, even though I was a mess.” Ashley Giles, the Director of the England Men’s team said that the team doctors and physios would be working to get Stokes fit before the first game, but nothing is guaranteed as of now. “I’m hopeful and I’d always like to be confident, but we’ve got to treat Ben carefully, as we would anyone else who’s been in that position, of not having a lot of cricket under their belts. But he’ll be a difficult man to hold back if he’s ready to go,” he said.

SL vs WI | T20 World Cup hero for Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka makes his Test debut

Charith Asalanka, who was the hero for the Sri Lankan team with the bat in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, has been handed his Test cap. The left-arm batter and right-arm slow bowler was given his Test cap by skipper Dimuth Karunratane. The 24-year-old, who has played eight ODIs and 10 T20Is so far for the national team will become Test player number 157 for the island nation. He is making his debut in the second Test of the two-match series that Sri Lanka is hosting against West Indies as part of the World Test Championship 2021-23. The Sri Lankans lead the series 1-0 heaving won the last game at the same venue of Galle. Asalanka, who replaced Dinesh Chandimal in the T20 World Cup playing xi, hit 231 runs in six innings at an average of 46. For his first Test, the Galle born has replaced fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. Sri Lanka are going into the Test with just one pacer. On the other hand, West Indies replaced Shanon Gabriel and Rahkeem Cornwall with Kemar Roach and Veerasammy Permaul respectively.

BAN vs PAK | 1st Test: Shaheen Afridi bags fifer to put Pakistan in front

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi was on a roll in the second innings of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram after he scalped a fifer as the hosts were bundled out for 157. After taking the first innings lead, Bangladesh had a dismal start to the proceedings after they were reduced to 25/4 as Shaheen went through the Bangladesh top order. The left-arm pacer’s scalps included the dismissals of Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Shanto, Liton Das and Abu Jayed. The hosts were on the back foot when Das and Yasir Ali tried to steady the ship. But Yasir was retired hurt after he was struck on his helmet and was substituted by Nurul Hasan. While Das went on to score a fifty, Yasir scored 36 before leaving the ground. Apart from Shaheen, Sajid Khan and Hasan Ali were also among the wickets. Sajid picked up three while Hasan bagged a couple of wickets for Pakistan. The visitors then had a steady start to the chase after the openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique scored 38 runs without losing a wicket before the end of second session on Day 4.

Ravi Ashwin surpasses Harbhajan Singh to become third highest wicket-taker for India in Tests

India spinner R Ashwin surpassed Harbhajan Singh in the wickets tally in Test cricket during the second innings of the first clash against New Zealand in Kanpur. Ashwin achieved the feat after he removed Tom Latham during the second session of the final day. Latham played an outside off stump delivery on to the wood work behind him to get dismissed for a well-compiled 52. Harbhajan has bagged 417 wickets in 103 matches that he has played. Talking about the match, the home side handed a target of 284 runs to the Blackcaps on the penultimate day after the middle order chipped in with some valuable runs. The hots were struggling at 51/5 when Shreyas Iyer, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel came in for the rescue with the bat. Iyer and Saha notched up individual fifties during the course as India put 234/7 on the board. The Indian team then scalped an early wicket in the final session of the play after Ashwin trapped Will Young in front of the stumps for 2 but the visitors resisted well in the morning session of Day 5 as William Somerville and Tom Latham made sure that there were no fall of wickets. Ashwin is now the third highest wicket-taker in Tests for India and is behind Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434) in the list.