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India elect to bat after Gill wins toss in Galle Test

Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bat first as India began their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium.

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India elected to bat first after captain Shubman Gill won the toss in the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium on Saturday.

India’s playing XI features Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Gill as captain, Devdutt Padikkal, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

Sri Lanka fielded Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, captain Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando.

Gill’s fitness had been a concern after a finger injury during training in Colombo, but he was passed fit to captain the side.

Play commenced at 10:00 am IST, with India looking to capitalise on batting-friendly conditions early in the match.

The Test additionally marks the 50th match to be played at the Galle International Stadium.

Galle International Stadium, set beside the historic Galle Fort on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, is regarded as one of the most picturesque Test venues in world cricket and has traditionally offered assistance to spinners as matches progress.

India’s line-up for the Test includes Dhruv Jurel and Manav Suthar, both part of a young squad being built around Gill’s captaincy as India transitions its Test leadership.

Sri Lanka’s playing XI is led by Dhananjaya de Silva, with wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella and spinner Prabath Jayasuriya among the key figures named in the home side’s line-up.

Gill’s finger injury, sustained during a training session in Colombo before the tour’s warm-up match, had put his availability for the Test series in doubt, though he was cleared to lead the side after a gradual return to batting practice.

This is the two-match series opener, with the second and final Test to follow, as Sri Lanka and India resume Test cricket ties in what is a milestone 50th Test staged at the Galle International Stadium.

Photo by Price Zero, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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India’s Asian Games gold tally reaches seven with archery win

India’s women’s compound archery team won gold at the Asian Games 2026 on September 30, beating China 238-234 in the final and equalling the world record score of 238, India’s seventh gold medal of the Games.

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India’s gold medal tally at the Asian Games 2026 reached seven with a win in women’s compound archery.

The team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep and Chikitha Taniparthi beat China 238-234.

India’s score equalled the team world record of 238.

The win came on September 30.

India’s squash team also advanced on the same day, beating Singapore in the quarterfinals.

It is India’s seventh gold medal at these Asian Games.

Jyothi Surekha Vennam is one of India’s most experienced compound archers, with multiple international medals to her name.

Compound archery uses a bow with a system of pulleys and cables, distinct from the recurve bows used in Olympic archery.

The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

India’s women’s squash team also advanced at these Games on the same day, beating Singapore 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

India’s overall medal tally has continued to grow through the Games, spanning shooting, athletics, boxing, hockey, cricket and now archery.

Archery has been a consistent medal source for India at recent multi-sport Games, particularly in the compound category.

Team archery events combine the scores of three athletes shooting a fixed number of arrows per round.

China has traditionally been one of the strongest archery nations in Asia, alongside South Korea.

India’s archery programme has grown significantly over the past decade, supported by dedicated training academies.

Compound archery was added to the Asian Games programme more recently than recurve archery.

India has also produced strong individual compound archery results at recent World Cup events.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games venue for archery has hosted several high-scoring matches across the competition.

Team selection for archery events typically depends on qualification scores from national and international ranking events.

India’s women’s compound archery team won gold at the Asian Games 2026 on September 30.

Archery (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, public domain

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India’s squash team joins growing medal count at Asian Games

India’s women’s squash team beat Singapore 2-0 in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals on September 30, with Anahat Singh and Tanvi Khanna both winning their individual matches to secure India a team medal.

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India’s women’s squash team has secured at least a medal after beating Singapore 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

The win came on September 30, the same day India won archery gold.

Tanvi Khanna and Anahat Singh both won their individual matches.

India’s team now advances to the semifinals of the Asian Games 2026.

Anahat Singh had earlier won an individual silver medal in squash.

Anahat Singh had earlier won an individual silver medal in squash at these Games.

India’s squash programme has produced strong individual and team results across this Games.

The women’s team now advances to the semifinals of the team event.

Team squash events are typically decided by best-of-three or best-of-five individual matches between the two competing nations.

The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

India’s overall medal tally has continued to grow through the Games, including a gold in women’s compound archery on the same day.

Singapore has traditionally been a competitive squash nation in Asia.

India’s squash federation has invested in junior development and international exposure in recent years.

Anahat Singh has been one of India’s most prominent young squash players over the past two years.

Team squash matches are typically played as best-of-five games per individual tie, similar to individual squash scoring.

India’s men’s and women’s squash teams have both been competitive at recent multi-sport Games.

Singapore has a well-established junior squash development system that regularly produces internationally competitive players.

Semifinal opponents in team squash events are determined by the results of the other quarterfinal matches.

India’s overall squash programme has benefited from increased international exposure tournaments in recent years.

India’s women’s squash team beat Singapore 2-0 in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals on September 30.

Tanvi Khanna beat Wai Iynn Au Yeong 3-1 in the first match.

Squash player (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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India’s medal tally rises to 53 after Day 10 at Asian Games

India’s women’s 4x400m relay team won gold at the Asian Games 2026 on September 29, clocking 3:29.69 to beat Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser-led squad, India’s first athletics gold of the Games and its sixth relay title in the event since 1998.

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India’s overall medal tally at the Asian Games 2026 rose to 53 after Day 10’s results.

The women’s 4x400m relay team won gold, India’s first athletics gold of the Games.

Neeru Dhanda also won trap shooting gold on the same day.

Two Indian boxers reached their respective finals.

Gulveer Singh completed a hat-trick of medals in distance running.

Bahrain took silver in 3:30.21.

The winning time did not surpass India’s national record of 3:26.89, set at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

It is India’s first athletics gold of these Asian Games.

It is India’s sixth Asian Games women’s 4x400m relay title, and the first since the 2018 Jakarta Games.

The win came on Day 10 of the Asian Games, a day that also saw Neeru Dhanda win trap shooting gold and two boxers reach their finals.

India’s overall medal tally at the Games rose to 53 following Day 10’s results.

Day 10 also saw Gulveer Singh complete a hat-trick of medals in distance running events.

The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

India’s relay squads have traditionally been among the country’s stronger track and field medal contenders at multi-sport Games.

The women’s 4x400m relay requires each of four runners to cover one lap of the track before handing off a baton.

India’s athletics contingent at these Games has featured a mix of experienced internationals and emerging talent.

Bahrain has fielded several naturalised athletes with strong individual international records in recent major athletics events.

Track and field events make up a significant share of the total medals on offer at any Asian Games edition.

India’s athletics federation has focused on strengthening relay training and baton-changing technique in recent years.

India’s women’s 4x400m relay team won gold at the Asian Games 2026 on September 29.

4x400m relay race (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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