Sri Lanka arrive in India for seven-week tour without batting coach Thilan Samaraweera

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sent their national squad to India for a seven-week tour. The team will tour India without batting coach Thilan Samaraweera as he didn’t get his visa on time to fly with the team. The Sri Lankan team arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday morning but Samaraweera stayed back at home to wait for his visa.

For the tour, Samaraweera had been confirmed as the batting coach on November 4 and the former middle-order batsman, who lives in Melbourne, arrived in Colombo on Monday. Before the schedule was announced for the tour of India, Samaraweera was not able to conduct any training sessions for the team but was expected to accompany them. He will now fly to Kolkata once he gets the visa, as they still have eight days in hand for the start of the series.

The first Test will start at the Eden Gardens on November 16. Before the first Test, Sri Lanka will play a two-day match against BCCI XI on the 11th and 12th November. Meanwhile, this is Sri Lanka’s first Test tour to India in eight years. So far they haven’t won a single Test in India. So far 17 Tests have been played in the country between the two teams; the hosts won 10 and seven were drawn.

Hatharusingha in line to be the head coach

However, this time Sri Lanka’s bowling mainstay Rangana Herath said that it would be great if they win a Test in India. As their interim head coach, Nick Pothas has looked impressive Sri Lanka are looking for head coach, batting and bowling coach.

Chandika Hathurusingha has been interviewed for the post of head coach it is expected that SLC will sign a deal wit Hathurusingha by January 2018. Alongside Hathurusingha, three Australian cricketers showed their interest to ply the role of national coach of Sri Lanka. Dean Jones, Jason Gillespie and Andrew McDonald are the candidates who are interested in the position.