GALLE // The former captain Chris Gayle hit an explosive double century to propel West Indies to 362 for two on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
The tall left-hander smashed the ball in all parts the ground, batting throughout the day to finish unbeaten on 219 off 247 balls.
Gayle's effort comprised eight sixes and 26 fours on a placid pitch. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was also 20 not out when stumps were drawn.
"The last time I toured here I didn't get many runs and struggled," an elated Gayle told reporters. "I was very happy to get an opportunity like this.
"It was a good day for us and now we just have to try and get about 500 runs."
Gayle, who has a top Test score of 317, reached his 13th century by hitting Ajantha Mendis for two consecutive sixes in an expensive over which cost the spinner 18 runs.
He celebrated with arms raised, flashed a broad grin, took off his helmet and lay flat on the ground to milk the applause.
Gayle was less exuberant upon reaching his double century with a single.
"I'd love to get past 317, that would be a milestone," he said. "The wicket is good to bat on. If I can get past the first hour tomorrow anything is possible."
Gayle had a scare on 65 when Sri Lanka used the referral system for an lbw decision off Mendis and television replays showed he got an inside edge on to his pads.
The opener was particularly severe on Mendis and fellow spinner Suraj Randiv, who went for a combined total of 234 runs.
Gayle and Adrian Barath put on 110 for the first wicket after Darren Sammy won the toss on his debut as Test captain.
Barath was dropped by Randiv on 35 after offering a head-high return catch but the spinner eventually got his man when he was caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene on 50.
Darren Bravo then helped Gayle in a second-wicket partnership of 196, a record for any wicket between the two countries.
Bravo made his maiden Test half-century and was then dropped at short leg by Tharanga Paranavitana on 50.
He finally fell eight runs later when he top-edged a pull off Mendis to square leg.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Zayed Sustainability Prize
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
