Sri Lanka rely on Aussie nemesis — the spinners
Australians showed scant comfort against spinners on slow turners during the ODI series and hosts Sri Lanka will look to exploit this weakness again in the two-match Test series starting on Wednesday in Galle. Accordingly, selectors have brought in right-arm leg-spinner Jeffery Vandersay into the 18-man squad which includes Test regulars Praveen Jayawickrema, Lasith Embuldeniya and Ramesh Mendis.Vandersay, still uncapped, comes into the side after a strong showing during the white-ball series and may well be in line to make his debut in Galle, having missed it previously. Vandersay was part of the squad that travelled to West Indies in 2018 but was recalled to Sri Lanka in the wake of a disciplinary breach over a night out in St. Lucia.
When the two teams squared off last time in Galle, Sri Lankan spin trio Rangana Herath (6), Dilruwan Perera (10) and Lakshan Sandakan (2) wove a web around the tourists as they finished off the match inside three days. With Herath and Dilruwan retired and Sandakan not in the reckoning for a spot, it’s left for the young spinners to challenge the Australians.
Additionally, the selectors have brought in the 19-year-old Dunith Wellalage and 22-year-old Lakshitha Rasanjana as standbys to give them exposure and experience.
Wellalage impressed on his debut ODI series against Australia, finishing the five-match series as the highest wicket-taker—9 wickets in five games—while Rasanjana, a right-arm off-spinner, had a fairly successful outing with Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the two-match unofficial Test series against Australia A, claiming 13 wickets including a five-fer. Wellalage, though young, has shown remarkable maturity in his brief international career, a reason for his inclusion into the squad. The 18-man squad does not carry major changes to the one that played in Bangladesh.
“The rationale is to expose them young to the national environment,” said Chief Selector Pramodya Wickremasinghe. “Wellalage bowled superbly during the ODI series while Rasanjana made an impact against Australia ‘A’.”
Back in the squad is Pathum Nissanka. The diminutive right-handed batter missed the Bangladesh series due to an ankle injury. There’s no place for Kamil Mishara, who was part of the Bangladesh series but was recalled early from the tour due a breach of discipline or for leg-spinner Suminda Lakshan.