Kamindu Mendis scores century against Pakistan in Lahore ODI Tri-series final

In the world of cricket, there are bowlers who have gained recognition due to their speed, physical condition, and consistently outstanding performances. Former fast bowler from the West Indies, Courtney Walsh, is one such player who set a new standard through his perseverance, physical fitness, and magnificent bowling.

Walsh was born on October 30, 1962, in Kingston, Jamaica. He became the first bowler in the history of world Test cricket to reach the milestone of 500 wickets. During his career, he played 132 Test matches, taking 519 wickets. His average was 24.44, and his strike rate was 57.8.

Walsh played during the golden age of West Indian fast bowlers, playing alongside legends such as Malcolm Marshall and Curtly Ambrose. Initially, he focused on fulfilling manual labor duties, but later, thanks to experience and skill, he became the team's leading bowler.

Courtney Walsh achieved his 500th Test wicket in 2001 when he dismissed South African legend Jacques Kallis with an LBW in Port-of-Spain. He became the first player to reach this milestone in his Test career. Throughout his Test career, he demonstrated exceptional effectiveness, taking five or more wickets in 22 matches. His best performance in a Test match was 7 wickets for 37 runs.

The partnership between Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose created a unique mark on world cricket. In 49 joint matches, they took 421 wickets. While Ambrose was distinguished by his height and accuracy, Walsh's pace, bounce, and ability to remain consistently in the game posed serious problems for batsmen.

Many of Courtney Walsh's performances remain in the memory of fans. Among them are the tense victory of the West Indies over Australia in Adelaide in 1993, which was won by one round; the dangerous match against Mike Erton in Jamaica in 1994; and his crucial role in saving the team during their tour of India in 1995.

Walsh's physical fitness was impressive: he bowled 30019 deliveries in Test matches. His ODI performance was also significant. He took 227 wickets in 205 ODI matches with an average of 30.47. In this format, his best performance was 1 wicket for 5 runs.

Although Walsh's batting was not a strong suit, he was dismissed for a duck 43 times in Tests. However, this statistical figure does not define his career, given his contribution to bowling.

Following the loss in the third T20 match in Wellington against India, New Zealand captain Michelle Jenner admitted that it is extremely difficult to stop such aggressive players as Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

In Wellington, the Indian team reached the target score of 199 runs in just 13.2 overs. Abhishek scored 113 runs off 38 balls, while Vaibhav scored 45 runs off 19 balls. Thanks to this, India won by six wickets and gained an undeniable 3-0 advantage in the five-match series.

Jenner noted that he had seen a similar style of play before, for example, during the Indian Premier League (IPL), and now he was facing it in New Zealand. He emphasized that once these batsmen get into rhythm, it becomes very hard to stop them.

Speaking about his team, Jenner pointed out that losing the coin toss again did not favor the team. Nevertheless, the partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Beban Jackson offered hope of reaching a score around 200. In Jenner's opinion, 200 runs would be a good result on this type of pitch.

He highly praised the performance of the Indian bowlers, noting their brilliant work in the final overs and the effective use of yorkers, which made it difficult for the New Zealand batsmen to score runs. Jenner also acknowledged that bowling after the dew sets in becomes challenging.

According to him, the powerplay is a critical part of this format, and India demonstrated how to play in the first six overs.

Jenner also mentioned positive aspects of his team's play. He stated that various batsmen are capable of turning a good start into a large total. Glenn Phillips performed well in the previous match, and Daryl Mitchell scored runs in the current one.

The captain noted that it is a good sign for the team when the opening batsmen can stay on the field and reach a score of around 80 runs. Increased player confidence will contribute to their presence on the field. However, he admitted that scoring runs against India and defending a large total is not easy.

Jenner revealed that New Zealand used various bowling variations against the Indian batsmen. After observing Axar Patel's play in the first innings, he felt there was no significant advantage for spinners on the pitch, whereas fast bowlers received some assistance from the seam. He added that when the Indian batsmen settle in, the bowlers have to change pace. Initially, Michael Bresshaw was tested against two left-handed batsmen, but the Indian players handled the spin well in that over.

After falling behind 3-0 in the series, the task of a comeback fell to New Zealand. Jenner stated that the team needs to further refine its tactics against Indian batsmen. He mentioned the next venue, Eden Park, noting that the ground there is potentially small on all sides. Under such conditions, stopping India's aggressive play could become even more difficult.

India has gained an undeniable advantage by winning three consecutive matches in the five-match series. The fourth T20 will take place on Friday (October 30th), and New Zealand will try to win this match to start their count in the series.

The Sri Lankan national team has suffered a significant blow just before the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan. Star opener Pathum Nissanka was unable to fully recover from a hamstring injury, resulting in his exclusion from the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series against Pakistan.

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board officially confirmed this decision. Initially, Pathum Nissanka was included in the starting lineup conditional on receiving medical clearance, but he did not recover in time.

He was previously absent from the T20 series against Pakistan, as well as the ODI three-series between England and host nation Pakistan. Following Nissanka's exclusion, Lahiru Udara was included in the squad.

Lahiru Udara was already in Pakistan with limited Sri Lankan teams for the ODI three-series. It is worth noting that in 2026, Udara demonstrated outstanding performance in the WTC series against the West Indies, scoring his best career Test score of 188 runs.

The Sri Lankan team, under the leadership of Kusal Mendis, will commence this two-match Test series against Pakistan on November 9th at the Rawalpindi Stadium. The second and final match of the series will take place on November 17th at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Although Nissanka's absence is a setback for Sri Lanka's batting order, it provides Udara with an excellent opportunity to prove his worth.

The updated Sri Lankan squad includes Kusal Mendis (captain), Anjali Bhandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya D Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumar, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Chamindu Mendis, Kesara Nuwanta, Milan Ratnaka, Pasindu Suriyabanda, and Lahiru Udara.

The first Test is scheduled from November 9th to 13th in Rawalpindi, and the second Test will be held from November 17th to 21st in Lahore.