Gunathilaka (injury) and Tharanga (suspension) ruled out :
PALLEKELE: Friday - Sri Lanka who put up a gallant fight back in the second one-day international against India here on Thursday will be without opening batman Danushka Gunathilaka for ten days and captain Upul Tharanga who has been suspended by the ICC for slow over rate for two matches.
Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have been recalled to the team to replace them for the rest of the series. The third ODI is scheduled to be played at Pallekele on Sunday.
Gunathilaka left the field in the 33rd over after landing heavily on his elbow in a dive to stop a shot from MS Dhoni at cover point and has been ruled out for a period of 10 days with an injury to his right shoulder. Gunathilaka’s injury is another addition to the spate of injuries Sri Lanka has suffered during the Indian series with Suranga Lakmal, Asela Gunaratne and Nuwan Pradeep all being sidelined.
Tharanga has been handed a two-match suspension by the ICC for Sri Lanka’s slow over rate where they were found to be three overs short.
This will be Tharanga’s second suspension for slow over rate in three months. He was penalised for the offence during the Champions trophy in early June and sat out two matches.
Chandimal and Thirimanne were both not part of Sri Lanka’s ODI squad in their last series against Zimbabwe because of poor form.
While Chandimal is expected to fill Tharanga’s position in the batting at number four, Thirimanne who has been out of contention since January last year is likely to fill Gunathilaka’s place as an opener. It is a position that Thirimanne is accustomed to and has had success in the past having scoring three of his four ODI centuries.
Meanwhile Chamara Kapugedera who appeared in his 100th ODI on Thursday will take over the reins from Tharanga and lead Sri Lanka in the third and fourth ODIs. He has been Tharanga’s deputy for the series.
Kapugedera made a valuable 40 in a 91-run stand with Milinda Siriwardana to help Sri Lanka recover from 121-5 to 236-8. He has not led his country before.
Sri Lanka trail India 0-2 in the five-match series.
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