A blistering century from Kusal Mendis and 85 from Asela Gunaratne enabled the hosts to pile up 321 for 4 after 88 overs in the first Test against Bangladesh at the Galle International Stadium today.

They don't have a playground in their school. They don't have fans or lights in their classroom. They live in extreme poverty and their fathers temporarily migrate to big cities including Dhaka to pull rickshaws when they are done with the seasonal harvesting.

Almost exactly four years ago, this very setting was the scene of his highest personal peak. In a team that contained more obvious candidates for stardom, it was skipper Mushfiqur Rahim who confirmed what many thought but had not often voiced -- that he is the best batsman in Bangladesh -- with Bangladesh's first Test double-hundred.

Midway through the captains' press conference yesterday, on the eve of the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Galle, Mushfiqur Rahim quietly made one of the strongest statements of his tenure.

Much of the talk regarding the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka due to start at 10:30am (Bangladesh time) on Tuesday at the Galle International Cricket Stadium has surrounded Bangladesh's previous visit here in March 2013.

With it still being unseasonably pleasant in Bangladesh, the heat in Galle is the first thing that hits Bangladeshis coming here. But it is only one of the aspects of the examination that Bangladesh will face when they take on the home team in the first Test tomorrow.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has ended its contract with physio Dean Conway and has appointed Thihan Chandramohan to fill the vacancy on the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, a BCB press release informed today.

Bangladesh will have a chance to overtake the West Indies in the points table if it is able to pull off a victory in a two-Test series against Sri Lanka that starts in Galle on Tuesday.

With an eye on improving its less than impressive away record, Bangladesh will look to catch an under-strength Sri Lanka off guard when the two-Test series gets underway in Galle on Tuesday (March 7).

Bangladesh limited overs skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza bowled with a cricket ball for the first time in nearly two months yesterday.

India are confident they can end a string of batting collapses in their second innings and set Australia a competitive target to chase in the second Test, batsman Cheteshwar Pujara said on Sunday.

Tensions flared in a gripping opening hour of day two of the second Test, with rival skippers Steve Smith and Virat Kohli sharing a heated chat for several overs.

Fighting half-centuries from Shaun Marsh and Matt Renshaw helped Australia secure a crucial first-innings lead over world number one India in the second Test in Bangalore on Sunday.

The United States Soccer Federation has instituted a policy that requires players on a national team to "stand respectfully" during national anthems, the New York Times and other media reported on Saturday.

Veteran forward Diego Souza was called up to replace injured Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus as Brazil made three changes to their squad for upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay on Friday.

Comfit Composite Knit Ltd thrashed Interstoff Group 9-0, thanks to a four-goal haul from Piyash, in one of the two matches of the BGMEA Cup yesterday, said a press release from the organisation.

Former Australia Test batsman and current national selector Mark Waugh has labelled Virat Kohli's dismissal on day one in Bengaluru as a “brain fade”.

Open Imrul Kayes received the green signal from the selectors to join the national team in Sri Lanka, but the left-hander will still play the sixth and final round of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) which begins at the BKSP and Fatullah today.

As the highest-ranked side in the World Hockey League Round Two tournament, Malaysia should win it hands down, right?

Argentina defender Marcos Rojo's form for Manchester United has earned him a recall to a 26-man squad for World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia later this month.