Herath for last hurrah against England
GALLE (Sri Lanka): Ranga n a Herath, the most successful leftarm spinner in history, will be looking to bring down the curtain on his long and glittering Test career with some big name England scalps in Galle this week.
Sri Lanka’s Herath, aged 40, has taken five-wicket hauls against all the Test nations during his 19-year career and he stands 10th on the all-time bowlers’ list with 430 dismissals.
Picturesque Galle, which hosts the first match of the three-Test series beginning tomorrow, has always been a special venue for the spin warhorse.
He made his international debut at there against Australia in 1999, rejuvenated his career at the age of 31 by taking five wickets in Galle against Pakistan and, in 2016, claimed a hat-trick at the ground against the same nation.
Now Herath, the last active Test player to have made his debut in the 1990s, needs just one more scalp to reach 100 wickets at his favourite hunting ground.
While injuries have limited recent appearances, he will be making one last effort to join Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan (Galle, Kandy and SSC Colombo) and England paceman James Anderson (Lord’s) as the only bowlers to register a century of Test victims on the same ground.
England know they have to resist Herath’s threat if they want to secure a winning start on their quest for an elusive away series win.
Joe Root’s side will be desperate to rectify their dismal recent away record when the series begins.
England outplayed India 4-1 at home this year, but have won just once on their travels — in South Africa almost three years ago — since their famous 2012 victory in India.
Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Alika Dananjaya, Dhananjaya De Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Dilruvan Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Kusan Rajitha, Lakshan Sandakan, Roshen Silva, Kaushal Silva
Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Ben Foakes, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.