Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya has been included in Sri Lanka’s squad for the two Tests in South Africa, more than two years after he last played a Test. Also included was offspinner Nishan Peiris, who made his Test debut against New Zealand in September.
Bowling all-rounder Ramesh Mendis misses selection, although he claimed six wickets in his only Test appearance this year. Ramesh also knows how to bat.
Although Prabath Jayasuriya leads the spin contingent, this amounts to something of a shake-up in the ranks with Sri Lanka playing at Durban and Gqeberha, where the tracks are expected to take more spins than most South African surfaces, particularly as they advance the matches.
However, on the batting and bowling fronts, the team is largely as expected. Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha and all-rounder Milan Rathnayake make up the fast bowling team. Top-order batsman Oshada Fernando enters this team, but Nishan Madushka, who has made a brilliant start in ODIs, does not.
Both Embuldeniya and Oshada were chosen in part because of their strong performances in South Africa in 2019, when Sri Lanka had also played in Durban and what was then Port Elizabeth. Embuldeniya had taken six wickets at 23.83 in three innings on that tour, while Oshada had made 75 in the fourth innings not out alongside Kusal Mendis to see Sri Lanka home in what could have been a tough chase. However, neither player has been particularly impressive in domestic cricket over the past season, although Embuldeniya had a decent outing in the National Four-Day Super League.
Several Test specialists are already in Durban for a pre-series training camp, partially overseen by former South Africa batsman Neil McKenzie, who is acting as Sri Lanka’s consultant on this trip.
Kusal Mendis, Asitha, Kamindu Mendis and Pathum Nissanka were also withdrawn from the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, after Sri Lanka sealed that series on Sunday. This is so that those players can have a couple of extra days to recover and begin preparation for the Tests in South Africa.
The first trial is scheduled to begin on November 27 in Kingsmead, Durban.
Both Sri Lanka and South Africa have a chance to finish in the top two in the World Test Championship table.
Sri Lanka squad for Test series in South Africa
Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Oshada Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Lasith Embuldeniya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha
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