Key Sri Lanka batter Kusal Mendis will not recover from his hamstring injury in time for the second Test against India starting on Sunday, adding to the hosts’ injury woes with fellow batter Dinesh Chandimal also out after suffering a concussion.
Sri Lanka lost the first of the three-Test series by 165 runs in Galle on Wednesday, a day after Chandimal suffered a concussion while fielding, and had to be replaced by Pasindu Sooriyabandara.
International Cricket Council (ICC) rules automatically rule out a player who has been substituted due to a concussion for seven days.
“Kusal Mendis has got a proper hamstring injury; he is not going to be available for a while,” Sri Lanka coach Gary Kirsten told reporters.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mendis suffered a hamstring injury during the Lanka Premier League last month. “Dinesh is not available for the next Test; Kusal is not available. So we’re missing a few guys from that perspective, but it creates a great opportunity for players to come in and stake their claim,” Kirsten added.
Sri Lanka’s batting line-up is further weakened by the absence of Pathum Nissanka, who had wrist surgery in June. – Reuters
