Leg spinner Jeffrey Vandersay has bowled himself into the 18-member Sri Lanka Test squad for the 3-match tour of England from August 21 to September 6 following his match winning 6-wicket haul against India in the second ODI.
Vandersay, who replaced the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, wrought havoc in destroying India as Sri Lanka swept to an emphatic 32-run win. He followed it up with two wickets in the final ODI which Sri Lanka also won comprehensively by 110 runs.
The 34-year old’s recall following a solitary test appearance in 2022, has apparently been influenced by his great display against India as his leg-spin could be a potential decimating factor against England in spin friendly conditions.
Sri Lanka will be led by batting all-rounder, Dhananjaya de Silva, for the series against England.
Nisala Tharaka (33) and Milan Rathnayake (28) are the two uncapped players in the squad which also sees the return of Jeffrey Vandersay to the longest format.
Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis are Sri Lanka’s other spin options along with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva.
Tharaka has an impressive domestic record of 257 wickets from 107 first-class matches while Rathnayake has 79 wickets from 39 first-class outings and will be backups for the likes of Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha in the pace department.
The batting will revolve around the seasoned former captain Dimuth Karunaratne who has 12 test centuries to his credit who will pair with the much-touted young find, Nishan Madushka with Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and skipper Dhananjaya and Kamindu Mendis, the record twin-century maker forming quite a strong cast down the line.
Sri Lanka’s first Test against England will be played in Manchester from August 21. This will be followed by the second Test at Lord’s from August 29 while the final Test will be held at The Oval from September 6.
Sri Lanka Squad:
Dhananjaya De Silva (Capt.), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (Vice-Captain), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay and Milan Rathnayake.