Illness prompts team shuffle
UNCAPPED left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara was the lone new face while batting allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva and paceman Nuwan Pradeep made their way back into the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against India, starting in Galle today.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) also announced veteran leftarm spinner Rangana Herath as the stand-in skipper for the first game after regular Dinesh Chandimal was ruled out with pneumonia.
Left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan and paceman Dushmantha Chameera have been dropped from the squad, which beat Zimbabwe in the oneoff Test in Colombo earlier this month.
Yet to earn his Test cap, the 30-year-old Pushpakumara has long been prolific at first-class level, picking 558 wickets at an average of 19.85.
While the first Test will be played at Galle, the second game will be played in Colombo from August 3 to 7, followed by the third and final at Pallekele from August 12 to 16.
Meanwhile, India opener Lokesh Rahul was ruled out of the first cricket Test after the right-hander was down with viral fever.
“The BCCI medical team confirms that opening batsman K L Rahul is down with viral fever. There are no major health concerns and he is making rapid progress, much to the satisfaction of the medical team,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said.
“As a precautionary measure, Rahul is advised further rest and so will not be available for selection for the first Test match against Sri Lanka.
“The medical team will continue to monitor Rahul’s progress and keep you posted accordingly,” it added.
In Rahul’s absence, Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund will open the innings alongside southpaw Shikhar Dhawan, who earlier replaced Murali Vijay before the team departed for the island nation.