Dhananjaya de Silva who was not good enough to be selected for the Zimbabwe series has been included in the 15-member squad named for the first cricket Test against India starting at Galle on Wednesday.
De Silva has had a poor run with the bat and in the two-day warm-up game for SLC President’s XI against India he was dismissed for a third ball duck.
De Silva has been included to replace captain Dinesh Chandimal in the squad. Chandimal has been sidelined by pneumonia and has been forced to miss the first Test.
Veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has been entrusted with the task of leading Sri Lanka in the Galle Test. He had previously performed a similar role in Zimbabwe when Angelo Mathews and Chandimal were both injured and won the Test series 2-0 and also in the home series against Bangladesh which was drawn 1-all.
Also included in the squad is 30-year-old left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara who has been a prolific wicket-taker in domestic cricket and has 558 first-class wickets from 99 matches. He replaces another left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan.
Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep also returns to the side after being sidelined by a hamstring niggle at the expense of Dushmantha Chameera.
LANKA FIRST TEST SQUAD: Rangana Herath (captain), Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Malinda Pushpakumara, Nuwan Pradeep.
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