Sri Lanka seamer Chanaka Welegedara was Saturday ruled out of the second and final Test against England due to a groin injury and replaced by Shaminda Eranga. All-rounder Angelo Mathews returned to the 14-man squad for the Test starting at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Tuesday after missing the first match in Galle with a calf injury. Chief selector Ashantha de Mel said Mathews, who replaces Chamara Silva in the squad, will play as a specialist batsman if he was picked in the final XI.
“Mathews has been declared fit to play as a batsman, but he will not be able to bowl,” de Mel said. Mathews could come in place of Dinesh Chandimal, who scored 27 and 31 at number six in the first Test which Sri Lanka won by 75 runs to take the lead in the short series. Welegedara, a left-arm seamer, claimed just one wicket in Galle, but contributed 19 and 13 as a tail-end batsman. Eranga, 25, took the wicket of Shane Watson with his first delivery in the only Test he has played so far, against Australia at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo last year. England need a win to stay on top of the Test rankings. A draw or a defeat will see Andrew Strauss’ men slip to second spot behind South Africa.
Sri Lanka squad for second Test: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Suranga Lakmal, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Dhammika Prasad, Shaminda Eranga, Tharanga Paranavitana.
