Dinesh Chandimal set to return for Sri Lanka in 2nd Test vs India at Colombo
Sri Lanka national cricket team captain Dinesh Chandimal, who missed the first Test against Indian cricket team after getting hospitalised with pneumonia, checked into the team hotel in Colombo on Sunday
After being thoroughly outclassed by Virat Kohli and Co. -- beaten by 304 runs in the opening Test match at Galle -- Sri Lanka will be looking to turn things around, boosted by the return of their captain Dinesh Chandimal.
Chandimal, who missed the first of the three Test series after getting hospitalised with pneumonia, has been training at the Sri Lanka Cricket’s facility at R Premadasa Stadium for the last three days. He checked into the team hotel in Colombo on Sunday.
Sri Lanka’s cricket team’s manager, Asanka Gurusinha, said Chandimal should be back in the squad for the second Test against Indian cricket team which begins at SSC in Colombo on Thursday.
“Dinesh should be fit, he actually played this (Sunday) morning and he has batted the last couple of days,” Gurusinha was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
However, the Sri Lankan team management is worried about the injury of Rangana Herath, who is recovering from a finger injury sustained during the first Test.
“We have to see how he is going to come up in the next couple of days because his finger is pretty sore. We will give him till the last minute to make sure that he is fit,” said Gurusinha. “The day before the Test we will see whether he can drift the ball, it will come down to that. If he can without pain he will play, otherwise we will have to look at different options. The finger is not swollen but it’s sore and painful.”
Danushka Gunathilaka, who scored 16 and 2 in the first Test, is likely to be dropped if Chandimal returns to the playing XI.