17 stories from 3 sources

Bangladesh nears history as Afghanistan seals a dominant ODI sweep

Day’s Recap

Supporting Articles

6:49 AMESPN Cricket

Australia still thinking of victory despite three days on the back foot

Summary

Josh Hazlewood said Australia remain focused on winning despite Bangladesh controlling much of the first three days. He pointed to the possibility of variable bounce on the fifth day as a potential advantage for the hosts.

Australia's route back into the match depends on the pitch creating uncertainty and allowing their

Why it matters

The result may turn on whether late pitch deterioration can outweigh Bangladesh's substantial advantage.

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4:38 AMESPN Cricket

Bangladesh chip away to keep famous victory in sight

Summary

Mehidy Hasan's half-century pushed Bangladesh's lead beyond 200 on the third morning, despite Josh Hazlewood taking two wickets. Australia's progress was undermined by two dropped catches and another frustrating session.

Bangladesh has turned a competitive position into a substantial advantage, while Australia's missed chances have

Why it matters

The dropped chances have shifted the match toward Bangladesh and increased the pressure on Australia's attack.

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6:36 AMBBC Sport Cricket

Bangladesh move closer to historic win in Australia

Summary

Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissed Steve Smith on day three as Bangladesh tightened their grip on the Test in Darwin. Australia remain under pressure while Bangladesh pursue their first Test victory on Australian soil.

Smith's wicket removed one of Australia's most reliable anchors and strengthened Bangladesh's position in the

Why it matters

A Bangladesh win would mark a major shift in the balance between the two Test teams.

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4:50 AMAl Jazeera

Bangladesh rock Australia as historic Test win in sight

Summary

Australia ended day three on 161-4 against Bangladesh, still 67 runs behind the tourists' first-innings total. Bangladesh are now within reach of a historic Test victory in Australia.

Australia's deficit and four lost wickets leave Bangladesh in control, with the hosts needing a

Why it matters

Bangladesh are close to their first Test win in Australia, a result that would redefine this contest and raise their standing.

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2 stories · 2 sources

2:59 PMESPN Cricket

Rahmat Shah century seals Afghanistan's highest ODI chase

Summary

Rahmat Shah's unbeaten century led Afghanistan through a successful chase of 299, supported by a 201 run third wicket partnership with Sediqullah Atal.

Afghanistan's record chase showed that its batting can now sustain pressure over a full ODI

Why it matters

The record chase strengthens Afghanistan's claim to be a serious ODI force with both experience and emerging batting talent.

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2:34 PMBBC Sport Cricket

Rahmat steers Afghanistan to victory over Ireland

Summary

Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah scored an unbeaten 143 at Stormont as Afghanistan completed a 4-0 one day international series win over Ireland.

Afghanistan turned a dominant series into a clean sweep, with Rahmat providing the innings that

Why it matters

The 4-0 result confirms Afghanistan's rising status while exposing Ireland's lack of competitiveness across the series.

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11:26 AMESPN Cricket

Padikkal's maiden century leads India's dominance

Summary

India reached 288 for 2 on a rain-affected day after Devdutt Padikkal made an unbeaten 131 at No. 3. KL Rahul retired hurt on 77, leaving India in a commanding position but raising questions about his fitness.

Padikkal has turned a new role into a decisive opportunity, anchoring India's innings while the

Why it matters

India's strong platform improves its position, but Rahul's fitness is now the main uncertainty around an otherwise dominant day.

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1:56 AMESPN Cricket

Padikkal comes in as India opt to bat in Galle; Nuwantha debuts for Sri Lanka

Summary

India chose to bat first in Galle and brought Devdutt Padikkal into the XI, while Sri Lanka handed Nuwantha a debut and recalled Niroshan Dickwella to Test cricket after three years. India also selected Kuldeep Yadav as one of three frontline spinners.

India's decision to bat first and field three specialist spinners suggests they expect the pitch

Why it matters

The toss and team selections set up a direct test of whether India's spin strategy can exploit a wearing Galle pitch.

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1:54 AMESPN Cricket

India and Sri Lanka meet in a vastly different Test landscape

Summary

India and Sri Lanka enter the series in the middle of the World Test Championship table, with both needing a 2-0 victory to remain realistic contenders for the final. The series therefore carries major consequences beyond the bilateral rivalry.

The need for a clean sweep turns every Test into a points race, sharply reducing

Why it matters

A 2-0 result could keep either team alive in the WTC race, while anything less may make qualification increasingly unlikely.

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8:00 AMBBC Sport Cricket

Soaring heat, falling crowds - The Hundred's peculiar summer

Summary

The Hundred has recorded lower attendances than in 2025 during its first season under private ownership. The decline comes despite a high-profile tournament schedule and unusually hot summer conditions.

The attendance drop gives the new owners an immediate commercial problem: the tournament must prove

Why it matters

Falling crowds could weaken the case for further private investment and force changes to how The Hundred is marketed and staged.

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7:58 AMESPN Cricket

Azhar Ali attributes Pakistan's Test slide to department cricket shut down

Summary

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali blamed the decline of the national Test side partly on the shutdown of department cricket. He called the system a crucial development pathway that is now being pushed aside.

The closure removed a major source of structured competition and employment for domestic players, weakening

Why it matters

Pakistan's Test problems may reflect a weakened domestic system rather than a short-term failure of form.

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Other Developments

A curated list of other prominent stories from this day.

7:25 AMESPN Cricket

Babar to miss remainder of practice match after blow to right hand

Summary

Babar Azam will miss the rest of Pakistan's practice match after being struck on his right hand. He is expected to return to action early next week and train before the first Test against England.

The immediate impact is limited to the practice match, but the injury creates a short

Why it matters

Pakistan's Test plans remain intact only if Babar's hand recovers on schedule.

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6:29 AMESPN Cricket

Hazlewood becomes ninth Australian to take 300 Test wickets

Summary

Josh Hazlewood has become the ninth Australian to reach 300 Test wickets. Only Glenn McGrath, Pat Cummins and Dennis Lillee have taken more wickets for Australia while maintaining a better average.

The milestone confirms Hazlewood's place among Australia's elite Test fast bowlers, built on sustained accuracy

Why it matters

Hazlewood's 300 wickets strengthen an already historic Australian pace attack and cement his standing among the country's best.

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4:23 AMBBC Sport Cricket

'Pressure will follow him' - Rocky Flintoff faces up to tests ahead

Summary

Rocky Flintoff is attracting calls for an accelerated route into international cricket after impressing as a talented teenager. The discussion centers on whether he should be fast-tracked or allowed more time to develop.

The immediate shift is that Flintoff's potential is now being judged against international expectations, not

Why it matters

How England manage Flintoff's rise could shape both his career and the wider debate over fast-tracking young talent.

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3:56 AMBBC Sport Cricket

Who am I? Guess The Hundred cricket star No 26

Summary

A quiz asks readers to identify the 26th featured player from The Hundred using as few guesses as possible. The feature is built around testing readers' knowledge of the competition's stars.

The story offers no new cricketing development beyond the identity challenge itself. Its value is

Why it matters

The quiz reinforces The Hundred's effort to build recognizable player brands and sustained fan attention.

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1:57 AMESPN Cricket

Gill and Jaiswal get in their drills ahead of Sri Lanka Tests

Summary

Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal spent useful time batting in the middle during India's practice game in Colombo. The session gave two key batters preparation ahead of the Sri Lanka Tests.

Gill and Jaiswal have gained match-like practice before the series, reducing the risk of entering

Why it matters

India's main batting options are building rhythm before a demanding Test series.

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1:13 AMESPN Cricket

Forde's all-round starrer takes Kings past Falcons in rain-reduced thriller

Summary

The Falcons scored 98 in a rain-shortened 19-over innings, then reduced the Kings to 33 for 7 while defending a revised target of 52 from eight overs. The Kings recovered to complete the chase, with Forde driving the result through an all-round performance.

The Kings' recovery from 33 for 7 turned a near-certain defeat into a win after

Why it matters

The Kings gained a valuable win in a match where one or two calm partnerships outweighed most of the previous play.

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