Sri Lanka’s preparations for second Test hampered by Covid-19 outbreak

By Shehan Daniel reporting from Galle

Sri Lanka will field a new-look bowling attack for the second Test against Australia, which begins in Galle tomorrow, but its final composition remains unclear after the home team was hit with a number of positive Covid-19 cases on Thursday.

Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya was released from the squad after his poor returns in the first Test last week, with Dhananjaya de Silva and Jeffrey Vandersay among four players currently in isolation after a Covid-19 outbreak in the home team camp.

Asitha Fernando, who was the sole fast bowler in the series opener last week, also tested positive for Covid-19 today joining left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama in isolation from the rest of the squad.

Earlier this week, Sri Lanka drafted in four additional spin options in Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Prabath Jayasuriya and Lakshan Sandakan, with at least two to feature in this Test.

While Karunaratne suggested that Sri Lanka were leaning towards playing left-arm spinner Jayasuriya, who was the leading wicket-taker in the National Super League inter-provincial tournament earlier this year, in place of Embuldeniya, there is also a possibility of Wellalage receiving his first Test cap if the hosts opted for a third specialist spinner.

“If all the players are available, most probably we (will) use Prabath as a left-arm spinner, and we might also think of playing Maheesh, because we don’t have a second off-spin bowler, (considering that) they have a few left-handers in the top order,” Karunaratne said.

Kamindu Mendis, the top run scorer in the National Super League, could also debut tomorrow, if Sri Lanka decided to make a like-for-like change for de Silva, instead of a specialist batsman in Oshada Fernando.

“He’s a good option and someone with a good future. He has the capability to fill in the role that Dhananjaya played for us, and is the best option for us, to do that, in our squad,” Karunaratne said.  

The Sri Lankan captain added that more focus had been placed on the batting, after they were bowled out for 212 and 113 of the first Test.

“I don’t think the blame (for the defeat in the first Test) lies squarely on the bowlers, because we won the toss, batted first, and when conditions were best, we were bowled out for 212. The Australians showed how much they had prepared to play in these conditions, by scoring over 300, and that proves how poorly we batted against their spinners.”

“They have two good spinners, and we’ve been working on a few things in practice, but what matters is what we go and do out there. Our coach (Chris Silverwood) emphasized that we needed to sweep more, but that’s only one way to handle spin bowling. There are other good options. There are also some things that our batsmen are familiar with, so I encourage them, to play freely, the way they are familiar with rather than playing in a way they are not familiar.”

Australia meanwhile, could further reinforce their spin options by bringing in Glenn Maxwell in place of fast-bowler Mitchell Starc.

“Same 12 (as in the last match), we are going to have a look at the wicket today, maybe in the morning as well and see what they end up doing with it,” Cummins said on the eve of the match.

“The wicket may be different to last week,” he said. “Last week we probably didn’t need two quicks but we know Mitchell Starc’s class, so wait and see.”

Maxwell last played a Test in 2017, and Cummins said that he would come in as a spinning all-rounder at (number) eight, if he was selected.  

“I thought he was the pick of the bowlers in the one-day series. He was excellent,” Cummins said.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis/Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya/Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha/Vishwa Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell/Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepsonw