Colombo, Sri Lanka: Despite facing an 11-month Test hiatus after the upcoming second match against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s captain Dhananjaya de Silva is determined to make his mark, doubling down on his strategic preference for pace bowling. This series marks his first full World Test Championship (WTC) cycle at the helm, and he is keen to implement his vision for the team.
De Silva has consistently advocated for blooding seamers in home conditions to prepare them for challenging overseas assignments. For the second Test, he indicated a strong possibility of fielding three fast bowlers. “We’ve got 12 in the squad, and we’ve got options, because our weather is changing from time to time as well,” he stated on the eve of the match, adding, “We were hoping to go with three seamers, but it’s hard to tell exactly – the pitch also looks flat.”
A key part of Sri Lanka’s strategy stems from their past success against Bangladesh, where pace bowlers have been particularly effective. De Silva highlighted that in their last two series, seamers accounted for approximately 70% of the wickets taken, with Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Kasun Rajitha topping the wicket-takers’ list in the most recent encounter. For this match, Asitha Fernando is almost certain to play, with Rajitha and Vishwa also strong contenders for the XI. Uncapped right-armer Isitha Wijesundara is also in the squad.
Dhananjaya to Occupy Vacant No. 4 Slot
A significant change for Sri Lanka will be de Silva himself moving up the order to the vacant No. 4 position, following Angelo Mathews’ retirement. While he has been highly effective at No. 6, averaging 43.95, this move presents a calculated risk given his previous average of 20.33 in six innings at No. 4. “If you think I’m good enough, I’m ready to bat at four,” de Silva quipped, confirming his readiness for the role. He also had a mixed record at No. 3 between 2017 and 2018, averaging 32.88 with two centuries.
However, de Silva has shown significant improvement in his batting in recent years, averaging 43.85 since 2020, compared to 34.47 pre-2020. This leaves open the question of who will fill the No. 6 slot.
