‘Consolation ODI win and return of old hands a boost for Tests’ – Mathews
Sri Lanka snatched the fifth and final ODI by 8-wickets at Abu Dhabi but Pakistan won the five-match series 3-2 as the bilateral series moves to the longer version of the game. According to skipper Angelo Mathews, his team’s win on Friday has restored Sri Lanka’s momentum for the approaching three-match Test series which begins on Tuesday at the Sheik Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Angelo Mathews (2nd from left) rushes to join his celebrating team mates in the fifth ODI against Pakistan. - AFP
“It’s a fact that we lost the ODI series. We lost the first game by 11 runs but bounced back with a deserving victory in the second outing. I admit that we were not to our potential in the third and fourth games. But the win in the final ODI game has brought back the confidence into the camp for the upcoming Test series,” Mathews said at the post-match press conference.
Mathews further stated that he is happy to have top-order batsman Mahela Jayawardene and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath back in the side. In addition to Jayawardene and Herath, Kaushal Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene, Dilruwan Perera, Shaminda Eranga, Nuwan Pradeep and uncapped paceman Vishwa Fernando will join the Sri Lanka Test squad. The eight cricketers arrived in Abu Dhabi last Thursday, a day prior to Sri Lanka’s victory in the final ODI.
“We missed Mahela (Jayawardene) and Rangana (Herath) in the ODI series. They are two great seniors with huge amount of experience. But overall I must commend the youngsters faired, especially the two newcomers, Ashan Priyanjan and Kithruwan Vithanage. Now it’s time to focus on the Tests and we are in a positive mind-set after coming back to our full strength. We know that Pakistan has a strong bowling attack but we have strong list of batsmen to counter them. Our bowling department has been beefed up for the Tests. Overall we are well geared up and looking forward to a successful Test series,” Mathews added.
After the retirement of opener T.M. Dilshan from Test cricket, this will be Sri Lanka’s first series in the longer version as they explore for a potential replacement. 27-year-old Kaushal Silva is more likely to fill Dilshan’s void as one of the openers. According to Sri Lanka team sources Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne will be the openers at the first which begins on Tuesday. Silva, who made his Test debut in 2011 in Dubai, has played three matches so far and he has been in fine form back in the Sri Lanka domestic competition.
In addition the upcoming Test series will be a good opportunity for the Sri Lankans to trial an off-spinner in place of off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who made his past appearance on 2010. The selectors have rested their confidence on 31-year-old Dilruwan Perera as a prospective. Perera who won the ODI cap in 2007 will be the 125th Sri Lankan Test cricketer if he is named in the playing XI on Tuesday. Perera, who leads Colombo Colts in the Sri Lankan domestic circuit, has captured 448 first class wickets after playing 140 matches. He won the best allrounder’s award at last year’s annual Sri Lanka Cricket Awards.
After a layoff of over an year wicketkeeper/batsman Prasanna Jayawardene has been included in the Test side but his slot in the playing XI is at doubt. Team sources reveal that the selectors will wait until the last moment to decide Prasanna Jayawardene’s inclusion as the final XI. Depending on the conditions the selectors might go for an option from Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara or Dinesh Chandimal to keep wickets.
One of the surprise inclusions to the side is Vishwa Fernando, a paceman who has played 15 first class games and captured 37 wickets. Fernando, an old boy of St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa represents Bloomfield in the current domestic competition. In addition an injury on Lahiru Thirimanne has opened the slot for Mahela Jayawardene at No.4 in the batting order.
“The management has not made a final decision on Thirimanne, whether to keep him or send him home. It will be decided in a day or two but so far the team physiotherapist has assured us that Thirimanne can play in the second Test,” Mathews revealed. Tuesday’s match against Pakistan will be Sri Lanka’s first Test outing in nine months and the fourth for the Islanders in 2013.
Sri Lanka Test squad: Angelo Mathews (Captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne, Prasanna Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Shaminda Eranga, Vishwa Fernando, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Pradeep, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera.