India’s Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul (ANI Photo)

Devdutt Padikkal’s long wait for a breakthrough in Test cricket has finally turned into a statement innings, and KL Rahul believes the left-hander’s success in Galle is the reward for years of quiet work behind the scenes. Padikkal produced a magnificent 167 in the first Test against Sri Lanka, his maiden Test century, as India posted 462 all out in their first innings on Day 3. The left-hander’s marathon knock, his third Test appearance, stood out as India built a commanding total despite rain interruptions and a late fightback from Sri Lanka’s spinners.Speaking in a video posted by the BCCI, Rahul revealed that Padikkal had spent the last couple of years patiently waiting for his opportunity while working on his game.“In the last couple of years he’s been waiting for his opportunity and quietly toiling in the nets and trying to get better at some aspects of his batting,” Rahul said.

Rahul: Padikkal was ready for the opportunity

Padikkal’s preparation for the Sri Lanka tour began well before the first Test. He had represented India A in Sri Lanka and also scored a century in the warm-up game, giving him valuable exposure to the conditions. Rahul said those experiences, combined with their conversations, helped Padikkal understand what would be required once he got his chance at the highest level.“He’s someone who’s come here before, scored some runs in India A as well. So just getting used to the condition, he scored 100 in the warm-up game as well. He’s been amongst runs, he’s someone who loves batting and scoring big runs,” Rahul added.Padikkal walked in after India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early and gradually took control of the innings. He combined patience with elegant strokeplay, eventually reaching his maiden Test hundred and continuing all the way to 167, his highest score in the format. His innings included 15 fours and a six.

‘Very important to get that early in your career’

For Rahul, the significance of Padikkal’s hundred goes beyond the numbers. He believes getting a first Test century early in a career can remove a major psychological barrier and allow a batter to play with greater freedom.“I’m really happy that he could get the first hundred and that’s really special for everybody and very important to get that early in your career so you can get that out of the way and then start enjoying your cricket and start enjoying your batting and take your batting to the next level,” Rahul said.“I think he’s at a stage where he understands his batting really well and he’s scoring lots of runs so I think he’ll make that move into scoring bigger knocks for India and being more consistent,” Rahul added.

India’s first innings: 462 all out

India eventually finished on 462 in 116.4 overs, taking a substantial advantage into Sri Lanka’s first innings. Padikkal was the star with 167, while Rahul contributed 82 and Dhruv Jurel added a valuable 51. Rishabh Pant made 39, while the lower order ensured India crossed the 450-mark despite Sri Lanka’s late fightback.Sri Lanka’s spinners eventually made inroads, with Prabath Jayasuriya taking 4/109 and debutant Keshara Nuwantha claiming 3/175. The pair accounted for seven of India’s wickets.

India heads back to Sri Lanka after a nine-year gap, kicking off a two-Test series at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on August 15, 2026.

Both matches count toward the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, where India currently sit fifth in the table with 52 points and a points percentage of 48.15 from nine Tests so far.

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Shubman Gill takes charge as captain, though his build-up hasn’t been entirely smooth. He picked up a finger injury during a training session in Colombo and had to sit out part of the warm-up match as a result.

He’s since returned to batting and looked more than ready heading into the opener, with reports suggesting he’ll slot in at number four.

Jasprit Bumrah, India’s premier pace bowler, is out of the entire tour with an injury, which is a significant blow given his usual impact with the ball. A

uqib Nabi has been drafted into the squad as his replacement, but he is lower down the pecking order behind Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Gurnoor Brar.

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Sri Lanka vs India 1st Test: Toss result & Live updates

India already has Sri Lanka on the ropes

Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav continue to wreck havoc on the Sri Lankan top order as Lahiru Udara and Kamindu Mendis are both sent back to the dressing room.

India strike on the very first over

Sri Lanka stumbles on the second ball of the innings as Mohammad Siraj quickly dismisses Nishan Madushanka for a duck. The bowler continues to extract bounce from a pitch that isn’t exactly made for it.

India get wrapped up for 462 runs

Asatha Fernando finally gets Prasidh Krishna back to the dressing room wrapping India’s innings at 462 runs.

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End of Day 2: India 460/9

India cross the 450-run mark and will now aim to get to 500 runs in the first session of third day. 

Jadeja departs as India inching closer to 400 runs

One more Indian wicket falls as Jadeja departs but India are closing towards the 400-run mark. 

TEA: India – 364/5

This session belongs to Sri Lanka. Their spinners have stifled the Indians, and Padikkal is the latest to depart. Jadeja has joined Jurel, but both have looked shaky. 

Sri Lankan spinners starting to have an impact

The pitch is starting to assist the slow bowlers, and both Pant & Rahul have been dismissed by Keshara. Padikkal & Jurel are in the middle, and they are playing some cautious cricket. 

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Sri Lanka strike with the new ball

A crucial breakthrough for Sri Lanka as Pant departs for 39. Silva turns to Keshara with the new cherry, and the move pays off instantly. Pant advances down the pitch, the delivery drifts away from him, and once again the wicketkeeper hands his wicket away cheaply.

India batting updates: 288/2

Pant & Padikkal are out in the middle, and India will look to score quickly on a rain-delayed Day 2. 

Rain interrupts morning session on Day 2

It has been raining heavily in Galle, and the start of play has been delayed. However, the downpour has finally relented, and there will be an official inspection at 1:40 pm. Play will start at 14:35.

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End of Day 1

End of day’s play as Padikkal remains not out on 131. Indian batters dominated the first day of the Test match, which was interrupted twice by rain. 

Rain interruption again

Another rain interruption as the players have gone off the pitch. The covers are on.

Century for Padikkal

The RCB gets to his century on the first day. What a return to international cricket. 

Start of Session 3, Day 1

KL Rahul limps off the pitch in pain, retired hurt as Gill comes out to bat. 

TEA: Sri Lanka toil as Rahul & Padikkal score freely

It has been a tough day out under the sun in Galle for the Lankans. A slice of luck helped them get the first wicket of Jaiswal, but since then it has been one-way traffic. Rahul & Padikkal have played risk-free cricket and yet the runs have continued to flow. Tall order for SL spinners in the third session. 

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Rahul & Padikkal frustrate SL bowlers

Much was said about Jayasuriya before the Test match, but the spinner has hardly troubled the Indian batters in Galle, his fiefdom. Rahul has been cautious in his approach, whereas Padikkal has stuck to his natural game. Runs have come comfortably from both ends, and Sri Lanka need some individual brilliance to break this partnership. 

Rain delay in Galle

The start of the second session has been delayed due to rain. However, the sun is out, and the covers have been taken off. Umpires are out in the middle. Live action to begin at 2 pm.

Rahul & Padikkal bat comfortably 

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After the horror of Jaiswal’s run-out, Rahul & Padikkal have steadied the Indian innings, and the scoring rate hasn’t dropped. Padikkal is playing fluently while Rahul continues to be cautious. At lunch, the first session is definitely India’s. 

Jaiswal run out dampens India mood at Galle

India had a great start to the innings until Jaiswal was run out due to a misunderstanding with KL Rahul. The former was batting fluently, but hard luck. Rahul looked livid as a disappointed Jaiswal trudged towards the dressing room. 

Toss: India won the toss and opted to bat. 

Sri Lanka vs India 1st Test: Playing XI

India playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

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Sri Lanka playing XI: Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando

Sri Lanka vs India 1st Test: Win percentage

Sri Lanka vs India 1st Test: Betting odds

India are the favourites to win this match at 1.24 on Dafa, while the odds for Sri Lanka to win are 4.10 at the moment. 

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Best hitter matchups for this week include the Guardians, Reds and Red Sox

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Aug 16, 2026

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Amid the Wellington fallout, Brook led England to important ODI and T20 series wins in Sri Lanka, as well as the semi-finals of the World Cup that followed. His own form was superb. In the maelstrom, he drew on an experience from three years earlier.

In 2023, his only season in the pressure cooker of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Brook struggled. After his one significant score for Sunrisers Hyderabad – admittedly an unbeaten century – he said he was glad to “shut up” supporters that had been “slagging me off”.

“I got into a little bit of a rabbit hole with scrutiny and social media when I was at the IPL,” says Brook.

“It didn’t help me as a person on the field or off the field. I decided to, not stay away from social media, but also not go out of my way to look at it.

“On the other hand, I actually feel it’s a little bit of a compliment if people are giving me scrutiny and have an opinion about my game.

“I know it’s not a nice thing to see people slagging you off, but it means people care and people think I can put in a better performance than I have done that day.”

There are comparisons that can be drawn between Brook and Stokes. Maverick players from working-class backgrounds, often finding themselves outnumbered by the well-to-do members of the dressing room.

But, like Stokes, Brook is authentic in the way he plays and speaks, even if that can get him into trouble. One example would be Brook’s “who cares” line about batters being caught in the deep after an ODI against Australia two years ago.

“I would say that I’m an extremely honest person,” says Brook. “I’m honest with myself and honest with my game.

“A lot of people say honesty is the best policy. I probably have got into trouble a few times being too honest.”

Authenticity bleeds into Brook’s batting, for better and worse. He is probably the most thrilling batter to wear an England shirt since Kevin Pietersen and no batter with at least 3,000 Test runs has scored more quickly than Brook, whose strike rate is almost 87 runs per 100 balls.

But Brook can delight and frustrate in equal measure, nowhere more so than on an Ashes tour when an average just under 40 was a disservice to his ability.

Costly crimes included his drive at Scott Boland in the calamitous second-innings collapse in the first Test and trying to hit Mitchell Starc for six over extra cover in the first innings of the second Test. “Shocking shots” were how Brook described them in Australia.

“If supporters get frustrated, imagine how frustrated I get,” says Brook.

“It’s something I’ve been really trying to work on, trying to assess conditions quicker, and read the surface better. To go out there knowing what shots are going to be hard and what is going to be easier.

“I practise every single shot and have done since the age of eight. In the nets, I’d do a 360 challenge with my dad. He’d throw balls and I’d have to try to hit it to a certain place: that corner, then that corner.

“I have the ability to hit it everywhere, I just have to figure it out quicker in games.”

SC Delhi produced a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat debutants FC Raengdai of Manipur 5-1 on Sunday and set up a semifinal clash against Kolkata heavyweights East Bengal in the Durand Cup.

After Chongtham Kishan Singh’s (9th) stunning long-range strike had put Raengdai ahead in the first half, substitute Joseph Sunny’s (57th, 67th) second-half brace turned the game around.

Rodriguinho (82nd), Juan Sebastian Pena (90+3) and Augustine Lalrochana (90+8) were the other SC Delhi goal scorers in the quarter-final match.

In Kolkata, a first-half header from PV Vishnu saw East Bengal FC edge past a spirited Indian Army FT side 1-0 in another quarterfinal.

The East Bengal versus SC Delhi semifinal will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on August 19.

In Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium, it was FC Raengdai who took the lead in spectacular fashion against SC Delhi.

Chongtham Kishan Singh unleashed a bullet of a shot from around 20 metres that dipped late, struck the inside of the crossbar and bounced into the net, leaving SC Delhi goalkeeper Nora Fernandes with no chance.

SC Delhi immediately went looking for the equaliser and created a flurry of attacks. Raengdai’s defensive unit, led by Rojen Meetei, Lanchungrei Pamei and Amitkumar Singh, remained disciplined and repeatedly denied SC Delhi.

At the other end, Khaidem Amarjit Singh looked lively for the debutants as the contest developed into an end-to-end affair.

SC Delhi emerged with greater purpose after the restart, and the introduction of Sunny proved decisive.

The substitute came close to making an immediate impact in the 52nd minute after a brilliant run, before squaring the ball to Rodriguinho. The forward’s effort appeared destined for the net, but Kamei Pantiga produced a superb save to preserve Raengdai’s lead.

Five minutes later, however, the goalkeeper could do nothing. Pena produced a clever move before releasing Sunny, who collected the ball on the edge of the box and fired a precise low finish between two defenders into the bottom-left corner to level the contest. 

The equaliser transformed SC Delhi’s confidence. Ten minutes later, Pena was once again at the heart of the attack, producing a sublime no-look pass that released Sunny with an inch-perfect run into the penalty area. The substitute found himself one-on-one with Pantiga, and calmly finished past the goalkeeper to complete the turnaround.

Rodriguinho scored four minutes later. The forward showed excellent composure to work his way past two defenders while controlling the ball before slotting a left-footed finish beyond Pantiga to put SC Delhi 3-1 ahead.

The final stages turned into a goal fest. In the third minute of stoppage time, Pena produced a superb dribbling run into the box before calmly applying a no-look finish to make it 4-1.

SC Delhi added one more goal before the final whistle. Substitute Augustine Lalrochana picked up the ball on the left in the eighth minute of added time, drove all the way into the box and finished stylishly into the far corner to complete the emphatic 5-1 victory.

At the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, East Bengal stamped their authority on the contest from the opening whistle, dominating possession and pinning the Army men deep inside their own half.

Indian Army struggled to put together sustained passages of possession, often relying on aerial and long balls to relieve the pressure.

East Bengal’s best opportunity of the first half came in the 29th minute when Jay Gupta delivered a pinpoint cross for Vishnu, who found himself unmarked in a one-on-one situation. However, the forward’s grounded effort went straight into the arms of the grateful goalkeeper.

East Bengal finally found the breakthrough in the 38th minute. Christopher Ikonomidis delivered an inviting cross into the box and Vishnu made amends for his earlier miss, rising highest to meet the delivery with a perfectly timed header into the right corner. Thakuri got his fingertips to the effort but could not keep it out as East Bengal took a deserved 1-0 lead.

The Red-and-Gold Brigade maintained their control for the remainder of the half, with Mohamad Basim Rashid trying his luck from distance shortly before the interval, although his effort drifted wide.

East Bengal nearly doubled their advantage around the hour mark when substitute Jesin TK intercepted a long ball from Rashid and raced past the advancing goalkeeper. However, his attempt struck the crossbar, denying the substitute an immediate impact.

In the 80th minute, Bipin Singh set up Jesin TK with a precise pass, but the forward failed to convert from close range. Moments later, Jesin returned the favour by putting Bipin through, only for the winger to squander another one-on-one opportunity.

Jesin had another chance to seal the result in the 87th minute when he met a cross from Edmund, but his header went straight at Thakuri.

With five minutes of stoppage time added, Indian Army almost produced a dramatic equaliser against the run of play.

In the 91st minute, Abhishek Shankar Pawar unleashed a dangerous effort that briefly threatened to spoil East Bengal’s dominant display, but the Kolkata side survived the late scare.

Kate O’Connor finished day of the Women’s Heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham in third place overall.

The Dundalk St Gerard’s AC star produced personal bests in the 100m hurdles and the high jump in this morning’s session.

In the opening event of the seven-event competition the Irish woman finished fourth in a time of 13.30 seconds to collect 1,080 points.

She matched her PB of 1.86m in the high jump – clearing it at the third attempt – as she added 1,050 points to her total.

In the shot put in the evening session, the recent Commonwealth Games gold medallist produced a best effort of 13.96m, before running a 23.79 personal best in the final heptathlon event, the 200m.

Heading into day two on Saturday, the Newry, Co Down-born athlete sits in third position.

He lead is currently held by Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert on 3,968 points. Sofie Dokter from The Netherlands, who won heat 3 of the 200m this evening, is currently in the silver medal position on 3,944 points, with O’Connor in third on 3,926.

The action in the heptathlon begins again in the morning with the long jump and javelin during the morning session, with the 800m at 7.45pm Saturday evening.

“I feel fit, I feel healthy; and I’m leaving day one feeling pretty positive”

Ireland’s Kate O’Connor is in third place with three events left in the heptathlon, and following an excellent 200m race, she spoke to David Gillick #RTESport pic.twitter.com/1zou7vHMRO

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 14, 2026

“I’ve given myself a fighting chance”

Commenting on her opening day in the competition, Kate O’Connor stated:

“I’m happy with that one [the 200m], but in the shot I feel like I let myself down a little. I had a lead on certain people, and I swung the door back open, but it’s really hard to string seven perfect performances together.

“I’ve managed to put together three really strong performances and one that wasn’t quite as strong. I feel fit, I feel healthy and I’m leaving day one feeling positive and in a good position.

“I’ve given myself a fighting chance tomorrow.”

Women’s 10000m Final

Bandon AC’s Fiona Everard finished in 20th place in tonight’s final of the Women’s 10000m, finishing in a time of 33:08.60 at her first major track championship.

Leevale’s Niamh Allen, unfortunately didn’t look comfortable during the race, and was forced to retire from the race.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Roman Reigns is set to return on the Aug. 17 episode of WWE RAW after missing last week’s show, which featured major developments in the Bloodline saga. Jey Uso faced Solo Sikoa in a high-stakes impromptu match, with the stipulation that if The Yeet Man wins, The Street Champion would be forced to join the family. On the other hand, a Sikoa win would make him a free man from the Bloodline.

Thanks to Jimmy Uso’s interference, Jey Uso won the bout. As a result, this week, Solo Sikoa will be forced to rejoin The Bloodline in the presence of The OTC.

However, Roman could deny Solo Sikoa’s entry into The Bloodline.

The Tribal Chief could go off on Jey Uso for making his own rules and not bothering to ask him once before making such a big decision, which could have cost them if he had lost.

The OTC could also call out The Yeet Man and Big Jim for cheating to win, something Reigns has been avoiding himself.

However, The Usos breaking the rule could put them at odds with the Tribal Chief, who follows an entirely different philosophy. Therefore, Roman Reigns could deny Sikoa entry into the group and let him go for a while, creating a gripping segment, planting seeds of tension within the Bloodline, and potentially building toward another civil war.

Meanwhile, this would also help Solo Sikoa continue to grow as a babyface superstar on Monday Night RAW.

That said, the angle proposed above is speculative, and nothing has been officially confirmed yet.

Former WWE United States Champion takes shots at Roman Reigns ahead of RAW

The Original Tribal Chief is on a dominant run as the World Heavyweight Champion and has already defended his strap thrice.

AAA General Manager Rey Mysterio recently announced that Roman Reigns will defend his strap on the Sept. 14 edition of WWE RAW in Mexico City. The winner of the cross-brand Luchador tournament, featuring luchadores from RAW, SmackDown, AAA, and NXT, will earn a title shot.

Penta is one of those stars; he already punched his ticket to the tournament’s semi-finals and is just two steps away from a title match. The former United States Champion appeared on this week’s AAA episode and issued a chilling warning to Roman Reigns, claiming he would win the tournament.

“You have never faced a wrestler like Penta, you’ve never been in front of a man like Penta, a man who has fought for everything, even his life, to gain everything I’ve gained in my career. Roman, I’ve never need a family or a faction or a group to accomplish my objectives. Penta has fought for himself and for all his people, that is Penta. I respect you as a wrestler, but when I win this tournament, I’m going straight to Mexico City, I’m gonna see you face to face and show you who is Penta,” he said. (Translated from Spanish) (30:30 onwards)

With Sunday Night’s Main Event and 2026 Money in the Bank on the way, it will be interesting to see what plans Triple H and the WWE creative crew have in store for Roman Reigns and his Bloodline in the coming weeks.