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In Case You Missed It: Australia thump New Zealand, Pakistan welcome Sri Lanka

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Pakistan fans chanted "Sri Lanka! Sri Lanka!" at Rawalpindi  •  Muhammad Reza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Pakistan fans chanted "Sri Lanka! Sri Lanka!" at Rawalpindi  •  Muhammad Reza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

No rain, cold or bitter breezes could put a damper on the first Test match in Pakistan since the 2009 terror attacks on the Sri Lankan team. Sri Lanka's poignant return may have ended a draw, but it made for no less of a gripping match. Elsewhere, it continues to not be New Zealand's year after Australia handed them a sound defeat in the first Test on a lively Perth pitch. India lost their first ODI to West Indies after sealing a series win in the T20Is, but they have two more matches to take the fight back to the Windies. It's been an interesting week of cricket. Here's everything that happened.
Starc-struck New Zealand slump to heavy defeat
A disciplined and determined Australia routed New Zealand in the first Test by 296 runs. Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc ended the match as the leading wicket-takers in Tests in 2019.
Abid Ali, Babar Azam provide rousing finish to dank Test
In a match interrupted by rain, in front of a capacity crowd, the batsmen brought up tons after a sporting declaration from Sri Lanka. A draw it may have been, but it was a day all of Pakistan was waiting for, says Danyal Rasool.
Unbeaten streaks and unexpected triumphs - Pakistan's high points from 2009 to 2019
Danyal Rasool maps a rollercoaster of a decade for Pakistan since cricket was lost, and returned. And Andrew Fidel Fernando, battling flight cancellations and bad roads to travel to Rawalpindi to mark the historic return of Test cricket to Pakistan, found that being Sri Lankan made him quite the VIP everywhere he went.
Ben Stokes crowned Sports Personality of the Year after 2019 heroics
Allrounder becomes first cricketer since Freddie Flintoff in 2005 to win the BBC award, and the fifth overall. Andrew Miller says this is a PR triumph for an ever-needy sport.
Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope hit centuries as West Indies go 1-0 up
After India took the T20I series, in the first ODI, Iyer and Pant had given India a good total to defend, but Hetmyer's aggression and Hope's composure won the day.
Mark Boucher appointed South Africa head coach till 2023
Newly appointed acting director of the CSA, Graeme Smith, also picked Enoch Nkwe to work with the former wicketkeeper-batsman as assistant coach. Since his appointment, Boucher has said he's open to asking AB de Villiers to come out of retirement, and also sounded a warning to England to not underestimate the Proteas in the upcoming Test series at home. And he isn't the only one - Mark Nicholas had a word of advice as well.
Is the IPL ready for Kesrick Williams' notebook and Sheldon Cottrell's salute?
It's the time of the year again and this time the IPL has an exciting pool to pick from, and not least from West Indies. Deivarayan Muthu picks five West Indies players who could make a splash at next week's auction.
Twenty last-ball Test thrillers from the last 20 years
Ben Stokes, VVS Laxman, Graham Onions, Courtney Walsh and Fidel Edwards star in Anantha Narayanan's list (with Brian Lara making a cameo).
Roston Chase: 'I see myself as someone who could be the No. 1 allrounder some day'
The West Indies allrounder is happy to take the opportunities that come his way and not rush things, although, a maiden ODI hundred, against India, would be a sweet way to end the year, he tells Saurabh Somani.
BPL plows on despite missing stars and slashed budgets
The likes of Pollard, Rashid and de Villiers aren't part of the new season, but there's plenty of local talent to get excited by, says Mohammad Isam.
How T20 has recalibrated cricket
Paul Edwards reviews Cricket 2.0, which explores how the format has influenced the sport and the lives of those who play it.
The long waits of Wriddhiman Saha
For India's wicketkeeper, life has been about biding his time endlessly, being always ready for the opportunity that comes without warning. Sidharth Monga follows his story.