By Sri Lanka have reshaped 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 suffering a concussion in the first Test at Galle, while Mendis missed the opener entirely with a hamstring problem.
Uncapped duo Kamil Mishara and Sahan Arachchige have come into the squad, both rewarded for strong recent domestic form.
Arachchige’s inclusion follows a score of 127 for Sri Lanka A against India A.
Sri Lanka’s pace options for the Test include Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando and Milan Ratnayake, alongside spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha.
Sri Lanka go into the match 0-1 down in the series after India’s 165-run win at Galle, with opener Pathum Nissanka also sidelined as he recovers from wrist surgery.
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.
The Galle Test was the opening fixture of India’s tour of Sri Lanka, with both sides having fielded largely unchanged squads before the injury disruptions that followed.
Sri Lanka’s selectors have historically leaned on domestic performances to fill sudden squad gaps, a pattern repeated again with the call-ups of Mishara and Arachchige for this Test.
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.
Photo by Price Zero, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
