Sri Lanka announce squad for second England Test

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have announced their squad for the second Test against England. After losing the first Test, Sri Lanka will hope for an improved showing in the second game. For the second game, both sides will lock horns at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, from Thursday, August 29. 

One of the biggest changes in the side has been the inclusion of Pathum Nissanka and Lahiru Kumara to replace Kusal Mendis and Vishwa Fernando. Across the two innings in the first Test, Mendis scored 24 runs across two innings, while Vishwa Fernando got 2 wickets.

It is worth noting that Nissanka last played a Test match in 2022 when Sri Lanka played Australia in Galle. Furthermore, Kumara last played a Test in April 2023, and he will be keen on helping his side get back to winning ways. 

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Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment: Dhananjaya

With Nissanka’s inclusion in the side, Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva came forward and branded him as one of the best batters in the country. He opined that his adaptability will help him play any format of the game.

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 "Overall, Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment. He has a good mindset and he has a good technique. If we can get him into the team, that's great. I have been talking about it for a while now. I think he will adjust to any format,” Dhananjaya de Silva was quoted as saying by IndiaToday. 

Having lost the first Test, Sri Lanka will hope for an improved performance in the upcoming Manchester Test. With some changes in the side, it could be interesting to see how Sri Lanka fares against England.

Sri Lanka's Playing XI for Lord's Test:

Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva (C), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake.