Sri Lanka have received a major boost ahead of the second and final Test against Australia to be played at Galle. Opener Pathum Nissanka has been declared fit after missing the first Test due to a groin strain.
Apart from Nissanka, the home side has also called upon the offspinner Ramesh Mendis into the squad to bolster the spin department. His inclusion clearly suggests the plan of the home side to attack Australia with more spin despite succumbing to it in the last Test.
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Pathum Nissanka fit for 2nd Test vs Australia
Pathum Nissanka has been declared fit and even took part in a practice session on February 2 in Galle. Nissanka practiced with the whole team which trained in the same pitch which was used for the first Test of the series.
Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka is fit and took part in a practice session yesterday in Galle, where the team trained using the same pitch from the 1st Test. pic.twitter.com/m7vEWFd6cb
— Cricwire (@CricWireLK) February 3, 2025
Pathum Nissanka is Sri Lanka’s designated opener across all the formats of the game. The youngster has done quite well and is one of the best performers of the team in both the red-ball and white-ball formats.
He played his last Test at Gqeberha against South Africa in December last year where he struck a fine 89 off 157 balls in the first innings of the match. Nissanka is likely to replace Oshada Fernando at the top and could be seen opening with Dimuth Karunaratne in the upcoming Test.
Pathum Nissanka has played 15 Tests in his career so far in which he has scored 917 runs at an average of 38.20. The 26-year-old has struck 2 hundreds and 7 fifties in his Test career so far.
Ramesh Mendis called up to Sri Lanka’s squad
In another change, offspinner Ramesh Mendis has also been called upon to strengthen the spin attack. It is likely that the home team will include him in the Playing XI. Mendis is a highly experienced spin bowler and knows how to pick up wickets in these conditions.
Ramesh Mendis has been added to the squad to strengthen the spin attack ahead of the crucial must-win second Test. pic.twitter.com/zLriDK1sXa
— Cricwire (@CricWireLK) February 3, 2025
The 29-year-old Is also a capable batter lower down the order and can score vital runs in the lower order. He has played 15 Tests and picked up 69 wickets at an average of 30.65 with 5 five-wicket hauls.
Ramesh Mendis has scored 380 runs at an average of 18.09 with the best of 45*. He last played a Test in September 2024 against New Zealand on the same ground at Galle. In home conditions, Ramesh Mendis has been the trump card for his team in the last few years.
Australia 1-0 ahead in the series
Australia won the first Test of the series in a comprehensive fashion by an innings and 242 runs. It was Australia’s biggest Test win over Sri Lanka. The victory was also Sri Lanka’s biggest defeat in Test cricket.
The win was set up by Usman Khawaja’s terrific double-hundred. Khawaja scored 232 off 353 balls while stand-in-skipper Steve Smith and Josh Inglis also chipped in with vital centuries.
In the bowling department, offspinner Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann wreaked havoc. Lyon picked up seven wickets while Kuhnemann finished with nine wickets in the match.
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