Sri Lanka have announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in South Africa. Lasith Embuldeniya, Kasun Rajitha and Oshada Fernando are making a comeback to the team, led by Dhananjaya de Silva.
Left-arm spinner Embuldeniya played Test cricket more than two years ago. It was against Australia at home in 2022. In four Tests that year, he took just nine wickets at an average of 60.66. He made his Test debut in South Africa back in 2019. He took a five-wicket haul in the second innings on Test debut in Durban which Sri Lanka won by one wicket (Kusal Perera’s magical 153 guided them to a memorable win).
Rajitha has played a couple of Tests in 2024 and has taken 10 wickets. However, he injured his back before the second Test against Bangladesh in March. He did not play the Test series in England or against New Zealand at home. The 31-year-old fast bowler took nine wickets in Sri Lanka’s famous series win in South Africa in 2019.
Oshada Fernando last played Test cricket back in March 2023 before he was dropped. He racked up scores of 122 & 80 in the unofficial Test he played for Sri Lanka ‘A’ against South Africa ‘A’. His Test average currently reads 33.06.
Three spinners and five pacers in Sri Lanka squad
Nishan Peiris who made his Test debut against New Zealand and took nine wickets in the game has been picked as well. He is the third spinner in the squad along with Embuldeniya and Prabath Jayasuriya who will lead the spin attack.
The rest of the squad is on predictable lines. Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake and Kasun Rajitha form the pace attack. The batting is quite experienced with most of the batters having played in South Africa before.
Sri Lanka will be hoping to replicate the success they had in South Africa in February 2019 when they blanked the hosts 2-0. The first Test starts on the 27th of November in Durban before Port Elizabeth hosts the second game which starts on the 5th of December.
SRI LANKA SQUAD: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Oshada Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lasith Embuldeniya, Nishan Peiris.
