Dickwella, Dilshan Madushanka recalled, uncapped Nuwantha named for first Test

• Sri Lanka picks 16-member squad for Galle

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka’s paucity for a wicket-keeper/batsman has forced the selectors’ hand to recall Niroshan Dickwella for the first cricket Test against India starting at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on 15 August.

Dickwella will replace injured wicket-keeper/batsman Kusal Mendis who has been ruled out of the series with a hamstring injury sustained during the Lanka Premier League.   

Instead of trying out a new wicket-keeper for the Tests against India, the selectors opted for experience and decided to recall 33-year-old Dickwella who last played in a Test three years ago against New Zealand at Christchurch.

Of the wicket-keepers who are currently available in the domestic set-up Dickwella has the credentials over all of them with his wicket-keeping and experience although his current form with the bat doesn’t warrant selection. He played for Sri Lanka ‘A’ against India ‘A’ in the first unofficial 4-day test at Galle two months back and didn’t make much of an impression being dismissed for 10 and 9. 

He was dropped for the second ‘test’ in preference to Anjala Bandara. Nevertheless, Dickwella gets another opportunity to make good his selection and also score his maiden hundred in Test cricket. He has played in 54 Tests and scored 22 half-centuries with 96 as his highest.

Also recalled is left-arm fast-medium bowler Dilshan Madushanka who’s only Test appearance was against Pakistan at the SSC three years ago. Madushanka has however been part of Sri Lanka’s T20I and ODI squads regularly.

The lack of a proper off-spinner to support left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya sees uncapped Keshara Nuwantha being drafted into the 16 named for the first Test. The 25-year-old cricketer from St Servatius College, Matara bowled tidily in the 3-day warm-up game against India at the NCC grounds taking 1/40 and 2/57 and also impressed in the second unofficial 4-day test against India ‘A’ at Galle taking 5/159 off 50.3 overs when India ‘A’ piled up 543. In 15 first-class matches he has taken 64 wickets at an average of 22.12.

Along with Nuwantha, experienced off-spinner Ramesh Mendis has also been included. Mendis who last played in a Test against Australia at Galle in 2025, lost his Test place to ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake for the home series against Bangladesh that followed. He was however recalled for the tour to the Caribbean in June where he did not play in any of the two Tests. Of late, Mendis has been scoring more runs than taking wickets in domestic cricket and a lack of quality off-spinners sees him still in the frame.

Nishan Madushka who scored twin fifties in the 3-day warm game against India will open the batting with Lahiru Udara, in the absence of Pathum Nissanka who is still not fully recovered from the surgery he underwent for a troublesome wrist. Nissanka’s availability for the second Test will depend on his availability to play in some of the domestic matches that are currently on for his club NCC to prove his fitness before selection.

Sri Lanka has made four changes from the 17-member squad that toured the Caribbean for their last Test series. Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka are out with injuries while fast bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Isitha Wijesundara have been dropped.

Sri Lanka squad for first Test: Nishan Madushka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis,  Keshara Nuwantha.