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Hans India
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Every Test like a knockout in WTC for Sri Lanka, says Dhananjaya de Silva
Colombo: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva hailed the significance of the World Test Championship (WTC) after his side thumped Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here to secure their first win of the current cycle. De Silva, reflecting on Sri Lanka's position in the global competition, acknowledged that with his team playing fewer Tests than most, every match takes on the feel of a knockout encounter. 'The WTC is like other World Cups — a lot of matches are like knockouts for us,' de Silva said after the victory. 'We've talked about how we win when we make the fewest mistakes, and we need those wins to get those extra points. In the last cycle, we made a few mistakes, and that's what cost us. Hopefully, we can correct that this cycle.' Sri Lanka, who are currently scheduled to play only a two-match series in this WTC cycle, relies heavily on the 'percentage of points won' system that allows teams with fewer matches to remain in contention for a top-two finish. De Silva underlined how the WTC had changed the mindset of his players. 'It's become a competitive trophy. We've even started thinking about our run rates in light of what's happening. The Championship is a great thing for Test cricket,' he said. 'We saw last time how well South Africa did and how they performed well recently, and they deserved to win it. They hadn't won an ICC trophy, and the Test Championship meant a lot to them. As a country, they can value that highly.' But while Sri Lanka's Test ambitions remain high, their schedule paints a stark picture — the team is not slated to play another Test until May 2026. For their red-ball specialists, this presents a unique challenge. 'We only have domestic matches,' de Silva said. 'Right now there's a One-day tournament, and after that, there will be a three-day tournament. There's also the National Super League. That's how we'll have to keep our form. Unfortunately, there are no Tests. We've made requests to SLC to play more Tests. I think they are talking about it with other teams. Even if we can play three or four extra Tests, we'll be able to continue the good things we're doing.' De Silva also shed light on the team's tactical evolution in the series against Bangladesh. Beyond scoring at a brisk pace, Sri Lanka's bowlers focused on building pressure with more maiden overs — an area the captain said they had specifically targeted. 'Whenever we come into a Test series, we have some key performance indicators,' he explained. 'One of the things we analysed this time was that our maiden percentage needed to be higher. So that's what we planned to do. We have to keep some pressure on the opposition in Tests, in order to get some wickets at the other end. I think our bowlers did that very well.'
The Advertiser
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
The cheapest supermarkets revealed and which states have the most exxy groceries
Aldi is the cheapest supermarket for Australians, according to Choice. It found a full basket of 14 items cost $55.35 at Aldi, $58.92 at Woolworths, $59.22 at Coles and $69.74 at IGA. The basket included 10 fresh items and four frozen items. Choice has revealed what was inside the basket for the first time as part of its investigation, which was released on June 25. Items included bulk-packed chicken breasts, carrots, Royal Gala apples, Cavendish bananas, strawberries, butternut pumpkin, garlic, brown onions, Sanitarium Weetbix, full cream milk, drinking chocolate, vegetable stock, sour cream, and quick oat sachets. The Choice analysis also found that where you lived made a difference to how much you paid, with Western Australians usually paying more than their eastern state counterparts. Shoppers in NSW paid less than in other states at Woolworths and IGA; those in the ACT and NSW got the best deal at Aldi; and Queensland shoppers paid less at Coles. READ MORE: NSW state budget 2025: all the regional winners and losers revealed Choice chief executive Ashley de Silva said Aldi had the best prices on a range of items. "Without specials, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin, while Coles had the best deal on apples," said Ms de Silva. "At IGA, you paid less for carrots and garlic than at the three other supermarkets. "For all other products in our basket, Aldi is your best bet." She advised people to check the unit pricing, keep an eye on specials, shop around, and try homebrand products. Aldi is the cheapest supermarket for Australians, according to Choice. It found a full basket of 14 items cost $55.35 at Aldi, $58.92 at Woolworths, $59.22 at Coles and $69.74 at IGA. The basket included 10 fresh items and four frozen items. Choice has revealed what was inside the basket for the first time as part of its investigation, which was released on June 25. Items included bulk-packed chicken breasts, carrots, Royal Gala apples, Cavendish bananas, strawberries, butternut pumpkin, garlic, brown onions, Sanitarium Weetbix, full cream milk, drinking chocolate, vegetable stock, sour cream, and quick oat sachets. The Choice analysis also found that where you lived made a difference to how much you paid, with Western Australians usually paying more than their eastern state counterparts. Shoppers in NSW paid less than in other states at Woolworths and IGA; those in the ACT and NSW got the best deal at Aldi; and Queensland shoppers paid less at Coles. READ MORE: NSW state budget 2025: all the regional winners and losers revealed Choice chief executive Ashley de Silva said Aldi had the best prices on a range of items. "Without specials, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin, while Coles had the best deal on apples," said Ms de Silva. "At IGA, you paid less for carrots and garlic than at the three other supermarkets. "For all other products in our basket, Aldi is your best bet." She advised people to check the unit pricing, keep an eye on specials, shop around, and try homebrand products. Aldi is the cheapest supermarket for Australians, according to Choice. It found a full basket of 14 items cost $55.35 at Aldi, $58.92 at Woolworths, $59.22 at Coles and $69.74 at IGA. The basket included 10 fresh items and four frozen items. Choice has revealed what was inside the basket for the first time as part of its investigation, which was released on June 25. Items included bulk-packed chicken breasts, carrots, Royal Gala apples, Cavendish bananas, strawberries, butternut pumpkin, garlic, brown onions, Sanitarium Weetbix, full cream milk, drinking chocolate, vegetable stock, sour cream, and quick oat sachets. The Choice analysis also found that where you lived made a difference to how much you paid, with Western Australians usually paying more than their eastern state counterparts. Shoppers in NSW paid less than in other states at Woolworths and IGA; those in the ACT and NSW got the best deal at Aldi; and Queensland shoppers paid less at Coles. READ MORE: NSW state budget 2025: all the regional winners and losers revealed Choice chief executive Ashley de Silva said Aldi had the best prices on a range of items. "Without specials, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin, while Coles had the best deal on apples," said Ms de Silva. "At IGA, you paid less for carrots and garlic than at the three other supermarkets. "For all other products in our basket, Aldi is your best bet." She advised people to check the unit pricing, keep an eye on specials, shop around, and try homebrand products. Aldi is the cheapest supermarket for Australians, according to Choice. It found a full basket of 14 items cost $55.35 at Aldi, $58.92 at Woolworths, $59.22 at Coles and $69.74 at IGA. The basket included 10 fresh items and four frozen items. Choice has revealed what was inside the basket for the first time as part of its investigation, which was released on June 25. Items included bulk-packed chicken breasts, carrots, Royal Gala apples, Cavendish bananas, strawberries, butternut pumpkin, garlic, brown onions, Sanitarium Weetbix, full cream milk, drinking chocolate, vegetable stock, sour cream, and quick oat sachets. The Choice analysis also found that where you lived made a difference to how much you paid, with Western Australians usually paying more than their eastern state counterparts. Shoppers in NSW paid less than in other states at Woolworths and IGA; those in the ACT and NSW got the best deal at Aldi; and Queensland shoppers paid less at Coles. READ MORE: NSW state budget 2025: all the regional winners and losers revealed Choice chief executive Ashley de Silva said Aldi had the best prices on a range of items. "Without specials, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin, while Coles had the best deal on apples," said Ms de Silva. "At IGA, you paid less for carrots and garlic than at the three other supermarkets. "For all other products in our basket, Aldi is your best bet." She advised people to check the unit pricing, keep an eye on specials, shop around, and try homebrand products.
West Australian
24-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
CHOICE survey reveals cheapest supermarket grocery options for Aussies
New research has revealed which of Australia's grocery chains offer the cheapest supplies for Aussies this winter. Consumer group CHOICE recently conducted a detailed survey of 104 supermarkets in 27 locations across the country to identify which stores offered the best prices when it comes to a basket of specific, easy-to-find and commonly purchased groceries. Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA were assessed on their pricing of standard items like full cream milk, carrots, chicken breast fillets and strawberries, as well as winter staples like drinking chocolate, brown onions and garlic. The results were as follows: Aldi: $55.35 Woolworths: $58.92 Coles: $59.92 IGA: $69.64 The price of each chain's basket is updated each quarter. Aldi is still the cheapest and IGA is still the most expensive, but across the board prices have fluctuated slightly per basket. CHOICE CEO Ashley de Silva said Aldi's winter-themed items 'had the best deal for shoppers looking to keep cosy'. 'Without specials, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin,' Mr de Silva said. 'Coles had the best deals on apples. At IGA, you paid less for carrots and garlic than at the other three supermarkets. For all other products, Aldi is your best bet.' 'All up, if you're planning a hearty porridge breakfast, or wanting a cup of hot chocolate to keep you feeling snug, Aldi should be your first stop. 'But, as always, there are lots of other ways to save on your weekly grocery shop. Checking the unit pricing, keeping an eye on specials, shopping around, and trying out house brand products can all add up to significant savings.' Independent Tasmanian Senator Tammy Tyrrell said the findings were a win for public pressure on grocery companies. 'Aussies said they were fed up with cowboy behaviour and dodgy deals from major supermarkets,' she said. 'After shining a spotlight on their bad habits, this CHOICE report shows prices between ALDI, Coles and Woolworths are much closer than they were a year ago. It's a win for standing up to the big guys.' Senator Tyrrell wants ALDI to set up shop in her home state. 'Once again, CHOICE shows ALDI has cheaper prices than Coles or Woolies, yet ALDI continues to treat Tasmanians like the poor cousins of our mainland counterparts,' she said. 'We have a lack of supermarket competition, we're the state with the lowest wages and Tasmanians are paying the price for it – quite literally. 'I'm just a girl, standing in front of an ALDI, asking you to come to Tasmania.' The ACCC released a report in March that said that while Australia's grocery chains were some of the most profitable in the world, they had not engaged in any form of misconduct or price gouging.
Sky News AU
24-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Prices plunge at Coles, Woolworths, IGA while Aldi shoppers experience price hikes in March, consumer site CHOICE reveals
Prices have dropped at all major supermarkets except for one as the price gap between the cheapest grocery giant and the rest tightens. The latest quarterly supermarket price survey from consumer website CHOICE has once again shown Aldi is the cheapest supermarket for Aussies, but Woolworths and Coles are closing in on the German chain as Aldi's prices rise. CHOICE compared the prices of 14 items across 104 supermarkets in March and found Woolworths and Coles were only 30 cents apart on average. The basket, which included winter staples like drinking chocolate, butternut pumpkin and quick oats, would set Aldi shopper back $55.35, according to CHOICE. A Woolies consumer would spend $58.92, a Coles shop costs $59.22 and an IGA shopper was forking out $69.74 for the basket of goods. The site revealed that shoppers at every supermarket, except Aldi, experienced a price decrease compared to CHOICE's previous survey. A basket of 14 common food items at Woolies or Coles costed about $67, while at IGA it was about $74.90 and $51.36 at Aldi in December. CHOICE's chief executive Ashley de Silva noted that while Aldi was the cheapest in its March survey, better prices for different products were available across the variety of supermarkets. 'Without specials, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin, while Coles had the best deal on apples,' Mr de Silva said. 'At IGA, you paid less for carrots and garlic than at the three other supermarkets. For all other products in our basket, Aldi is your best bet.' He said shoppers should also keep an eye out for specials, with the discounts bringing the average Aldi shop down to $54.44, a Coles basket was $57.67, Woolies was $58.86 and IGA was $67.54. 'All up, if you're planning a hearty porridge breakfast, or wanting a cup of hot chocolate to keep you feeling snug, Aldi should be your first stop,' Mr de Silva said. 'But, as always, there are lots of other ways to save on your weekly grocery shop. 'Checking the unit pricing, keeping an eye on specials, shopping around, and trying out house brand products can all add up to significant savings.' Prices at Aldi since CHOICE started its survey in March 2024 have sat around $51 for every quarter except the most recent one. A basket from Woolworths or Coles has usually set shoppers back around the $65-$69 range, except for the March 2025 quarter, while a basket from IGA has varied between about $74 and $79.
NDTV
16-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Missed Big Chance To Feature In WTC Final: Sri Lanka Captain Dhananjaya De Silva
After South Africa broke the jinx and scripted a historic win in the World Test Championship final against Australia, Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva reminded his troops that it could have been them fighting for the coveted mace at Lord's as the new WTC cycle is on the horizon. Sri Lanka had a decent shot at punching their tickets to London for the WTC 2023-25 final at the 'Home of Cricket', requiring three wins out of their last four fixtures. They had two away fixtures against South Africa and as many home contests against Australia. When victory was the need of the hour, Sri Lanka lost all of its last four games, some brutally, and finished sixth in the WTC standings. This time around, de Silva doesn't want to leave any stone unturned as they embark on the quest for the WTC final yet again with two home Tests against Bangladesh. "We had a big chance to get to the final, but unfortunately, we couldn't do it. Even yesterday, when I talked to the boys, I reminded them where we could have been (at Lord's this week), and where we ended up. As we start a new cycle, we know we have to win our home series. We need to pick up all those points. It's a great opportunity to start a new cycle with a home series," de Silva said on the eve of the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. Among the problems Sri Lanka will encounter is that their WTC schedule is scant and unsteady. After the conclusion of the two Tests, Sri Lanka, who will play a total of 12 fixtures, will play their next contest in mid-2026, almost a year after their last appearance in the format. Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews, two experienced stars who were pivotal to the limited success Sri Lanka enjoyed, retired earlier this year. Despite the setbacks and challenges, the Sri Lankan captain wants his side to focus on winning what lies ahead of them. "Our job as professionals is to adapt to any situation. We have to play the situations we're given - we can't blame anyone. Last year, we got a few Tests, but this year, we didn't, and that's not something that is in our hands," he said. Sri Lanka handpicked six uncapped players in the 18-player squad based on their impressive domestic performances for the two Tests that will mark the beginning of the new WTC cycle. "We need to prepare for the situations that we do get. We've had a good National Super League (Sri Lanka's premier first-class tournament) recently, and we've had good preparation through that. We've also identified a few good youngsters through that. We're looking to embark on this next journey with them," he added. Sri Lanka squad for Bangldesh Tests: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Pavan Rathnayake, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Sonal Dinusha, Tharindu Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Akila Dananjaya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Isitha Wijesundara.
