Rex Clementine in London
Sri Lanka have brought opening batsman Pathum Nissanka back into the side for the second Test match against England that gets underway at Lord’s on Thursday. Trailing the three match series 1-0, the tourists dropped Kusal Mendis for Nissanka, who has not featured in a Test match for two years now.
Pathum’s form in white ball cricket is prolific and early this year he became the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred and in the process broke Sanath Jayasuriya’s record for highest ODI score in an innings. The record had stood for 24 years.
Captain Dhananjaya de Silva said that Pathum is the best batsman in the country at the moment and his return will be beneficial to the side.
“Pathum is the best batsman in the country. He has a good technique and his mindset is very good. Irrespective of the format, I am sure Pathum will adjust and come good. If he scores a hundred for us at Lord’s that will help the team immensely,” de Silva told journalists ahead of the second Test.
That’s not the only change Sri Lanka are making to the side. They have also brought in fast bowler Lahiru Kumara in place of left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando. Kumara was Sri Lanka’s best bowler during their series win in Bangladesh, but was overlooked for the first Test which they lost by five wickets.
England were forced to make one change bringing in Olly Stone for the injured Mark Wood and the hosts will miss Wood’s pace. He was the quickest bowler in the first Test regularly clocking over 95 miles per hour.
Sri Lanka have not won a Test match at Lord’s although they have come close on several occasions, notably in 2002 when they enforced the follow on. Their last five Test matches at Lord’s have been drawn.
The weather is sunny compared to the gloomy and wet conditions at Old Trafford and the Sri Lankans should enjoy the conditions here.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s first Test match in England and several players who featured in the 1984 game at Lord’s are expected to be in London. Duleep Mendis, Sidath Wettimuny and Amal Silva scored hundreds in that game with captain Mendis narrowly missing out on hundreds in each innings. Vinothan John and Ashantha de Mel finished with four wickets each in England’s only innings.
The third Test match gets underway at The Oval next week.