Sri Lanka pick uncapped Pushpakumara for first Test vs India

Uncapped left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara was the lone new face while batting all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva and paceman Nuwan Pradeep made their way back into the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against India, starting here on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) also announced veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath as the stand-in skipper for the first game after regular Dinesh Chandimal was ruled out with pneumonia.

Left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan and paceman Dushmantha Chameera have been dropped from the squad, which beat Zimbabwe in the one-off Test in Colombo earlier this month.

Yet to earn his Test cap, the 30-year-old Pushpakumara has for long been prolific at the first-class level, picking 558 wickets at an average of 19.85.

While the first Test will be played at Galle, the second game will be played in Colombo from August 3-7 followed by the third and final at Pallekele from August 12-16.

Squad: Rangana Herath (Captain), Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (WK), Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Malinda Pushpakumara, Nuwan Pradeep.

--IANS

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