Sri Lanka have made two significant changes to their squad for the second Test against India in Colombo, after Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis were ruled out through injury.
Chandimal was ruled out after sustaining a concussion during the first Test at Galle, while Mendis was sidelined with a hamstring issue that kept him out of the series opener entirely.
Uncapped duo Kamil Mishara and Sahan Arachchige have been added to the squad in their place, both selected on the back of strong recent domestic form.
Arachchige’s call-up follows an impressive outing for Sri Lanka A against India A, where the all-rounder scored 127.
Sri Lanka’s pace options for the second Test include Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando and Milan Ratnayake, with Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha as the spin options.
The changes come with Sri Lanka trailing 0-1 in the two-match series after India’s 165-run win in the first Test at Galle, with opener Pathum Nissanka also unavailable as he continues to recover from wrist surgery.
Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 in the first innings at Galle was a maiden Test century, an innings that laid the foundation for India’s eventual 165-run victory.
Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar finished with a 10-wicket haul across the match at Galle, the standout bowling performance of the opening Test of the series.
The second Test will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, starting August 23, a venue with different conditions to the spin-friendly pitch used at Galle.
With two experienced middle-order batters unavailable, both uncapped call-ups could find themselves in line for their Test debuts when the Colombo match gets under way.
India go into the Colombo Test already holding a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, meaning a win or draw would be enough to seal a series victory.
Photo by Price Zero, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
