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Sudipta Biswas
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Sri Lanka Cricket announced a 15-man squad for the first Test against India in Galle, starting from July 26. Batting allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva, uncapped left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara, and seamer Nuwan Pradeep have returned to the squad for the first Test of the three-match series. De Silva, who was left out of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, recalled replacing Dinesh Chandimal, while Pushpakumara displaces left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan, and Pradeep pushes out Dushmantha Chameera.
Pacer Pushpakumara, 30, is yet to make his debut though he has 558 wickets in first class wicket at an average of 19.85 and is among the top wicket takers in the Premier League Tournament.
De Silva’s return to the squad is a good sign in the absence of experienced batsman Chandimal, who would be unviable for the first Test due to pneumonia on Friday. Meanwhile, De Silva got out for a duck in the two-day warm up match against India. However, he had an impressing series in 2016 against Australia and Zimbabwe.
On the other hand, SLC had given rest to Pradeep, who is yet to recover from a niggle, but Sri Lanka he will be fine before the Galle Test. For the first Test Chammera replaced him. Chameera’s pace had made him one of the more promising quicks in Sri Lanka’s battery, and he appeared to be making a steady comeback.
Meanwhile, pace bowler Vishwa Fernando’s left-arm angle, and perhaps his wickets on Friday, are a positive sign for Sri Lanka. He had made his Test debut at Galle against Australia last year, in a match that was so heavily dominated by Sri Lanka’s lead spinners that Fernando was only required to bowl two overs. Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Kumara are the two other quicks in what is an especially pace-heavy squad.
In the first Test, Rangana Herath will sport the captaincy band.
Sri Lankan squad: Rangana Herath (capt), 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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