With seamer Vishwa Fernando out with an injury, Sri Lanka has called up uncapped offspinner Nishan Peiris to the squad for the second and final Test match against New Zealand.

The fast bowler will receive rehabilitation at the board’s high-performance center, according to a statement released by SLC on Tuesday. “Vishwa Fernando had developed a tightness in his right hamstring while practicing,” the statement read.

Seam hasn’t played a big part in the Sri Lankan team thus far, so it’s unlikely that Vishwa would have made the squad for Thursday’s second Test against New Zealand. Sri Lanka won the first game by 63 runs.

Peiris, 27-years-old may, nonetheless, have a remote chance of cracking the starting lineup. He was included in the Test squad twice previously, in 2018 and March of this year, although he has not yet made an appearance. However, there is significant uncertainty regarding Ramesh Mendis’s place in the team after captain Dhananjaya de Silva criticized his performance after the first Test.

Mendis, who when at his best can be challenging to tackle with his dip and turn, claimed six wickets in the first Test match, three in each innings, including the crucial wicket of Daryl Mitchell in the second innings. However, he regularly lacked discipline, and the New Zealand batsmen were frequently relieved of pressure by his leakiness. Despite a notable improvement in his performance in the second innings, his economy rate remained the worst among all Sri Lankan spinners.

Peiris has amassed 172 first-class wickets at an average of 24.37 from 41 games. In the inaugural unofficial Test, he took three wickets while playing for Sri Lanka A in South Africa.

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