The three-match Test series between Sri Lanka and England begins on Tuesday in Galle.
Sri Lanka have not lost a series on home soil to England since 2001. Here is a look at the five players they will look to for inspiration to maintain that run over the next month.
The second Test is In Kandy from November 14 and the third Test is in Colombo from November 23.
Dinesh Chandimal
Is the calming influence in the team, not just as the Test captain but as an established batsman and with the respect he commands now as one of the senior members in the squad. He is looked up to as the man who can take Sri Lanka to the next level.
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Alastair Cook's retirement feels like the death knell for Test cricket
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Angelo Mathews
Has something to prove when umpires call play. Stripped from the captaincy and dropped from the one-day international squad because of fitness issues, the veteran of 75 Tests, 203 ODI’s and 72 T20I’s now gets the opportunity and will be determined that he still warrants a place in the side as a Test player.
Dimuth Karunaratne
He is established as a Test opener and appears to be in the form of his life, having hit an unbeaten 158 and three half-centuries in the two-Test series with South Africa in the summer. The left hander will be a crucial factor at the top of the order as Sri Lanka look to get the runs to put England under pressure.
Dilruwan Perera
At 36, the off-spinner brings in the experience as a Test player. He took 16 wickets in the two Tests against South Africa, including 10 in Galle. A useful batsman, he is expected to take over as Sri Lanka’s main spin attack, at least for the England series, when Rangana Herath steps down after the first Test.
Kusal Mendis
One knock stands out in his budding Test career. The 23-year-old left hander smashed 176 against Australia in the second innings to win the first Test in only his seventh match in the format in July 2016 in Pallekelle. He plays as a batsman and is a wicketkeeper in the series, but he will hope for better form with the bat after struggling against South Africa.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
MATCH INFO
Everton 0
Manchester City 2 (Laporte 45 2', Jesus 90 7')
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
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Points classification after Stage 4
1. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 124
2. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 81
3. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 66
4. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 63
5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 43
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
