Sri Lankan Teenager In Line For Test Debut Against Pakistan

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UPDATES with Pakistan XI

Sri Lanka’s teenage spinner Dunith Wellalage has been included within the last 12 for the second Check towards Pakistan in Galle, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne mentioned on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Wellalage, a left-arm orthodox who awaits his Check debut, appears a possible substitute for injured spinner Maheesh Theekshana because the hosts look to bounce again within the two-match sequence after their opening loss.

“Dunith Wellalage is again within the squad” after being launched from the Check squad for a home match, Karunaratne informed reporters.

“Asitha Fernando is again within the 12. These are the one adjustments,” he added on the eve of Angelo Mathews’ landmark a centesimal Check beginning Sunday.

Wellalage, additionally useful with the bat, performed a key function along with his 9 wickets in Sri Lanka’s 3-2 one-day sequence win over Australia final month, and will associate with Prabath Jayasuriya within the last Check.

Pakistan rode on opener Abdullah Shafique’s unbeaten 160 to chase down a report 342 on the Galle Worldwide Stadium on a tense fifth day to go one up.

Jayasuriya waged a lone battle along with his left-arm spin to assert a match haul of 9 wickets, however discovered little assist from the opposite finish.

“We did fairly properly within the first Check however the situations had been to not our help,” mentioned skipper Karunaratne.

“One other space that we have to work on is first innings batting.”

Pakistan added left-arm spinner Nauman Ali to the staff introduced Saturday, instead of injury-hit tempo spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Shaheen claimed 4 wickets within the first innings of the opener and coach Saqlain Mushtaq mentioned he could be missed.

“He’s inspirational, leads the bowling unit from the entrance, and we’ll miss his aggression and his presence,” he mentioned.

“The way in which he comes and offers us the breakthrough in the beginning… hopefully the opposite bowlers will step up.”

The pitch at Galle has modified character in all three matches performed previously few weeks, together with two Checks towards Australia.

Sri Lankan gamers believed the pitch went flat on the ultimate two days when Pakistan batted, however Saqlain mentioned his batsmen had been as much as the duty.

“I consider the pitch turned from day one and it stored spinning, however I feel our boys confirmed some actually good character on this match,” mentioned the previous off-spinner.

“It was a present of dedication, persistence and temperament by our gamers.”

Sri Lanka 12: Oshada Fernando, Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Dinuth Wellalage, Prabath Jayasuriya, Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando

Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (capt), Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, Naseem Shah