Sri Lanka National Cricket team’s short visit to Australia will come to an end after the 2nd Test match which is scheduled to commence on the 1st of February at Manuka Oval, Canberra. This is going to be the inaugural Test to be held on this ground as the visitors will look to bring their A-game against the rejuvenated hosts.
The Sri Lankan batsmen couldn’t cope with the pace and bounce of the Aussie seamers who didn’t let them settle on a customarily rapid Gabba pitch and were bundled out for less than 150 runs in both innings.
The only respectable fight from the bat came from the wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dikwella, who put on a counter attacking batting display with his adventurous strokes, and Lahiru Thirimanna, who showed a strong defense against the Aussie pace attack before getting ruled out in a controversial manner. The hosts’ vice-captain Pat Cummins was the chief destroyer in both Sri Lankan innings as he added a 10-fer to his name at the end of the Test which only lasted two and a half days.
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Sri Lanka will look for a few changes in the batting line-up as they have a few reserves in the squad. Either in form left hander Kusal Janith Perera or 23-year-old Sadeera Samarawickrama will most probably fit in to the XI for the Canberra Test.
>>Thirimanne was the only batsman who looked solid | 1st Test <<
Adding salt to their wounds, a couple of the island’s young pacers have been hit by injuries as Lahiru Kumara whom Sri Lanka’s bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake praised before the series, highlighting him as their great hope for the future, has been sidelined for six weeks due to a hamstring tear and Dushmantha Chameera who bowled 21 overs at Gabba picked up an ankle injury during the second day of play. Previously, while bowling in the tour game against Australia XI, Nuwan Pradeep too was injured and returned home even before the series has started.
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Left arm quick Vishwa Fernando and young bowling all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne have been sent to Australia as cover for the wounded pacers while Kasun Rajitha who wasn’t picked to play the first test and Suranga Lakmal who bowled his heart out in punishing weather conditions to be rewarded with 5 wickets will complete the fast bowling quartet who are available for the selection for the second Test.
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After the embarrassing innings defeat, the Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha has been relieved of his selection duties on tour with Sri Lanka Sports Minister Harin Fernando issuing a directive to the selection committee headed by Asantha De Mel on the same.
Read : Hathurusingha no-more a selector! What next?
To make matters worse, Sri Lanka’s batting coach John Lewis has gone on leave due to a family commitment and won’t be with the team for the 2nd Test; Avishka Gunawardene has flown to Canberra to fill the void in Lewis’s absence.
Also Read : Avishka Gunawardena appointed batting coach for Canberra Test
Australia will be breathing more comfortably than they did in previous months as their bowlers and batsmen found some form and much needed confidence after the recent loss to India. Opener Marcus Harris, debutant Kurtis Patterson, middle order batsmen Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, all were in fine nick with the bat while ever reliable Pat Cummins and exciting newcomer Jhye Richardson had no issues rattling the opposition’s batting line-up.
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Though Marcus Stoinis was added to the squad mid tour, it is expected that the home team will field the same XI who played in Gabba for second Test too.
Probable XI
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal (C), Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando.
Australia: Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Tim Paine (C & WK), Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jhy Richardson.
Sri Lanka have played 14 Tests in Australia so far with no wins and 12 losses. The visitors haven’t won an international game since October (12 International matches ago) and their last Test win came in July, seven Tests ago against South Africa.
