Sri Lanka Archives - Read Selective

Terrorists found ‘safe haven’ in Canada, we support India’s ‘strong’ response: Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said that he was “not surprised” with Trudeau’s “outrageous and unsubstantiated” allegations linking India’s role behind Nijjar’s killing.

Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India Ali Sabry

Sri Lanka has come out in support of India amid the latter’s ongoing row with Canada, saying that terrorists have found “safe haven” in Ottawa and that Trudeau made “outrageous” allegations about India’s role without providing any solid evidence.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, in an interview with news agency ANI, said that he was “not surprised” with Trudeau’s “outrageous and unsubstantiated” allegations linking India’s role behind the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

“Some of the terrorists have found safe haven in Canada. The Canadian PM has this way of just coming out with some outrageous allegations without any supporting proof. The same thing they did for Sri Lanka, a terrible, total lie about saying that Sri Lanka had a genocide. Everybody knows there was no genocide in our country,” said the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister.

He also said that Trudeau’s ‘genocide’ comment on Sri Lanka has negatively affected the relations between the two countries and asked the Canadian PM to refrain from interfering in the matters of a sovereign country.

“I don’t think anyone should poke their nose into other countries and tell as to how we should govern our country. We love our country more than anyone else. That’s why we are in our country… We have to look after our region. We need to work together. That’s how we can create a peaceful environment. We should not be dictated by anyone else as to how we should conduct our affairs,” he told ANI.

In May, Trudeau announced that the Canadian Parliament has marked May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, which was sharply rebuked by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry for “politically-motivated statement for domestic political consumption”.

We support India on this matter: Sri Lankan envoy

Meanwhile, outgoing Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India came out in India’s defence in the matter, saying that Colombo supports New Delhi’s “firm and direct” response to the Canadian PM’s remarks.

In a press conference, Milinda Moragoda said, “I think India’s response has been inequitable and also firm and direct. And I think as far as we are concerned, we support India on that. Having said that, also, in my lifetime now, I’m 60 years old, 40 years of my life, we have spent facing various forms of terrorism in Sri Lanka. I have lost many friends, and colleagues to terrorism.”

He further said that the people of Sri Lanka have a zero tolerance for terrorist activities as its people have suffered to terrorism for a very long time.

India-Canada row

Tensions between India and Canada reached a boiling point after Trudeau alleged India’s role in the fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep S Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Nijar, a designated terrorist in India, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

India angrily rejected the Canadian PM’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to a similar move by Ottawa. India also temporarily suspended visa services for Canadian nationals in view of “security threats” and called for a reduction of Canadian diplomats in New Delhi.

Source: https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/sri-lanka-foreign-minister-ambassador-to-india-supports-india-s-stance-on-diplomatic-row-with-canada-khalistan-hardeep-singh-nijjar-latest-updates-2023-09-26-894718

Asia Cup 2023: Mendis, Asalanka Shine As Sri Lanka Beat Pakistan In Last-Ball Thriller To Set Up Final vs India

PAK vs SL, Asia Cup 2023 Super 4: Sri Lanka (253/8) Beat Pakistan (252/7) By 2 Wickets Via DLS To Set Up Sunday’s Final vs India. Kusal Mendis (91), Charith Asalanka (49*), Iftikhar Ahmed (3/50)

Charith Asalanka played one of the coolest shots in ODI cricket history to score the final two runs required off the last as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 2 wickets in the Super 4 to reach the Asia Cup 2023 final in Colombo.

Needing 2 runs off the last ball, Asalanka walked across the stumps and flicked a full delivery from Pakistani debutant Zaman Khan to take two runs and bring an end to a thrilling contest at the R Premadasa stadium in the Sri Lankan capital on Thursday.

Sri Lanka win rain-marred contest

Chasing a rain-revised target of 252 for victory, Sri Lanka rode on the superb knocks from Kusal Mendis (91) and Asalanka, who fell short of his 10 ODI fifty by 1 run, to cross the finish line and set up the summit clash against India, which will be played at the same venue on September 17.

Sunday’s match will be Sri Lanka’s 12th appearance in the Asia Cup final while India will be playing its 10th summit clash in the tournament’s history.

The Men in Blue have won the title a record 7 times with Sri Lanka a close second with 6 trophies.

“We had the game under control, but the losing of wickets took it till the last over. We gave them a chance to come back in the game, but we knew Charith could get us home.

“We had a discussion before batting and we discussed the mistakes we made in the India game. We gave away wickets in the first 10 overs, and Kusal and Sadeera played brilliant knocks,” Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka said after the match.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/asia-cup-2023-kusal-mendis-charith-asalanka-shine-as-sri-lanka-beat-pakistan-in-last-ball-thriller-to-set-up-final-vs-india

Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2023: Matheesha Pathirana Sets Up Big Win For Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka started their 2023 Asia Cup campaign with a win on Thursday.

Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka made resolute fifties after Matheesha Pathirana’s hostile bowling as Sri Lanka slayed Bangladesh by five wickets in their Asia Cup opener in Pallekele on Thursday. Pacer Pathirana’s 4 for 32 restricted Bangladesh to 164. The home side then rode on Samarawickrama’s 54 off 77 balls and Asalanka’s unbeaten 62 off 92 balls to overhaul the target in 39 overs. Samarawickrama is going through a career rejuvenation this year after fading from the scene.

He earned a recall to the Lanka Test side after five years against Ireland this July, and he also made a return to their ODI unit after a gap of four years during the home series against Afghanistan in June.

Samarawickrama made his Test return count with a hundred in the second match against Ireland. On Thursday, his fifty was the cornerstone of Lanka’s crucial win over Bangladesh.

But Lanka had to overcome a few uncomfortable moments before that.

Bangladesh bowlers had reduced Sri Lanka to 43 for three in 9.2 overs, dragging their side back into the match after their batsmen’s shoddy effort.

In Lankan cricketing circles, Samarawickrama has always been known as a stylish batsman.

Even on a slowing down pitch, the right-hander produced some sparkling shots using a wafer-thin bat and supple wrists.

His ability to find gaps around the field was visible when he drove pacer Shoriful Islam through covers with disdain for four, and later flicked left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Samarawickrama had an equally composed partner in Asalanka as they produced 78 crucial runs for the fourth wicket.

The left-handed Asalanka, who has been in fine fettle this year in ODIs, was never hesitant to take the odd risks for a boundary, and it helped Samarawickrama to bat assuredly at the other end.

But off-spinner Mahedi Hasan snapped the partnership.

Hasan had Samarawickrama stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim with a tossed-up delivery that beat the batter.

Bangladesh did get a couple of quick wickets, but they just did not have enough runs on the board to defend.

For that, Sri Lanka should thank their bowlers who worked around a resilient fifty by Najmul Shanto, who made 89 off 122 balls with seven fours.

However, other batsmen did not pick up any hint from Shanto as Pathirana and spinner Maheesh Theekshana (2/19) combined to strike at regular intervals after Bangladesh opted to bat first.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/asia-cup-2023/bangladesh-vs-sri-lanka-asia-cup-2023-matheesha-pathirana-sets-up-big-win-for-sri-lanka-4346502

Chinese dual use facilities in Myanmar and Sri Lanka raises security concerns in India

Beijing’s expanding ground stations in the region could potentially be used to intercept sensitive information about Indian assets, say sources

Yuan Wang 5, the Chinese research vessel which docked at Hambantota port in Sri Lanka. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The construction of a military facility on Coco Islands in Myanmar and a proposed remote satellite receiving ground station system in Sri Lanka, both coming up with Chinese help, have raised concerns in India of possible surveillance across the region.

Recent satellite images show the construction of a military facility on Coco Islands, located very close to India’s Andaman and Nicobar island chain. In the second case, sources said China has proposed setting up a remote satellite receiving ground station system through a collaborative effort between the Aerospace Information Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Ruhuna in southern Sri Lanka. Given its critical location, it can be used to spy on Indian assets and intercept sensitive information and also across the region, sources in the security establishment said.

A source in the security establishment, on the condition of anonymity, cited intelligence inputs on what is believed to be a complete military base being built entirely by the Chinese in the Coco Islands, about 60km from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “There are obvious concerns. There was a radome [dome-shaped structure to protect radars] spotted on the island recently through satellite images,” the source said, adding that the island is being connected to the southern landmass using a new bridge that is 175m in length and approximately 8m wide. The facility can always be used by the Chinese military when required, the source stated.

Hangars and causeway

Last month, London-based think tank Chatham House published a report based on the satellite imagery of January 2023 from Maxar Technologies, which showed large-scale construction activity on the strategic archipelago. “Visible are two new hangars, a new causeway and what appears to be an accommodation block, all of which are visible in proximity to a freshly lengthened 2,300-metre runway and radar station. Visible as of late March on the southern tip of Great Coco, just beyond the causeway connecting the islands, is evidence of land clearing efforts indicating construction work to come,” the report said.

In the past, there have been reports that China had set up a signals intelligence facility operational since the 1990s.

Noting that satellite tracking facilities are inherently dual-use in nature, sources said that the Chinese civil space programme is known to work closely with the Chinese military. China’s expanding ground stations in the region could potentially be used to intercept sensitive information about Indian assets, another source said on condition of anonymity. The source said that India’s satellite launch facilities in Sriharikota and the integrated missile test range in Odisha could come under the scanner of the ground station, and launches from there could be tracked to obtain sensitive data. China is also expanding its network of ground stations in South America and, in February, announced setting up one such station in Antarctica.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/chinese-dual-use-facilities-in-myanmar-and-sri-lanka-raises-security-concerns-in-india/article66741343.ece

‘Will stand by Lanka’: India approves $1bn line of credit

India announced a $ 1 billion line of credit to Sri Lanka on Thursday as part of its financial assistance to help the island nation deal with its economic crisis.

After an agreement to extend the line of credit was inked, ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has always stood with the people of Sri Lanka and will continue to extend all possible support to the country.

At a weekly media briefing, he said the assistance will be used for importing food, medicines and other essential items. “India has always stood with the people of Sri Lanka and we will continue to extend all possible support at this juncture. I think we are cognizant of the economic difficulties the country is facing,” Bagchi said.

Visiting Sri Lankan finance minister Basil Rajapaksa witnessed the signing of the agreement for the $1 billion line of credit being extended through the SBI.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/will-stand-by-lanka-india-approves-1bn-line-of-credit/articleshow/90301371.cms?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIMobile

India Hammer Sri Lanka In 2nd Test To Sweep Series: Here’s How The World Reacted

India registered a 2-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka by beating them 238 runs in the second Test in Bengaluru. Here is how the world reacted to Indias massive win in 2nd Test against Sri Lanka.

Indian cricketers with the trophy after clean sweeping Sri Lanka 2-0

India displayed another clinical performance to hammer Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the second Test and take the two-match series 2-0on Monday in Bengaluru. The Rohit Sharma-led side started Day 3 of the pink-ball day-night Test needing 9 wickets and they got that within a session and a half to extend their dominance on home soil. Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah were the stars of the show for India. The off-spinner picked up four wickets and also went past Dale Steyn in the highest wicket-takers’ list to lead India’s charge. Bumrah on the other hand, returned with three wickets to back his five-wicket haul in the first innings. For Sri Lanka, captain Dimuth Karunaratne played a brilliant knock, scoring his 14^th Test ton while Kusal Mendis slammed a breezy half-century. But it wasn’t enough as India bowled them out for 208 in the second innings to complete the series sweep. The hosts had won the first Test by an innings and 222 runs.

Shreyas Iyer was declared the Player of The Match for his twin half-centuries on a pitch that had a lot of help for the spinners and was not at all easy for batting. India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was named as Player of The Series for his impactful performances with the bat and assured keeping behind the stumps.

source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-sri-lanka-2022/india-hammer-sri-lanka-in-2nd-test-to-sweep-series-heres-how-the-world-reacted-2822359

Rishabh Pant Breaks Kapil Dev’s Massive Near 40-Year Record In Sri Lanka 2nd Test

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant scored the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter on Sunday when he completed his half-century in 28 deliveries on the second day of the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. With India having bowled Sri Lanka out for 109 early in the day’s play, the hosts extended their 143-run first innings lead with some quick scoring in their second innings. It was Rishabh Pant, batting at No. 5, who took charge of the innings and attacked the visiting bowlers to help consolidate India’s control.

With his brisk fifty, Pant broke Kapil Dev’s almost 40-year record of the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter.

Kapil Dev had scored a 30-ball half-century while batting against Pakistan in the Karachi Test in December, 1982. Despite his heroics, Pakistan went on to win the match by an innings and 86 runs.

Earlier on Sunday, Jasprit Bumrah took a fifer, his first in a home Test, as India ran through Sri Lanka’s lower order and bowled them out for 109.

Sri Lanka had resumed batting at 86/6 on Day 2 but could add only 23 runs to their total.

India started their innings well, with Rohit Sharma scoring 46 and Hanuma Vihari chipping with a knock of 35.