Galle, Aug 18 (IANS) Right-handed batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara on Tuesday was named concussion substitute for the injured batter Dinesh Chandimal for the remainder of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium.
Chandimal suffered an injury to his neck and shoulder while trying to save a ball in the first session on Day 4 of the match. He was taken for scans to a hospital. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) confirmed that the precautionary scan on Chandimal was “clear” and there were “no signs of internal injury”. The match referee approved the change, it added.
Meanwhile, Sooriyabandara has made his debut and has become just the fifth player in Test cricket’s history to win his maiden Test cap as a substitute. The previous five before him were Brian Mudzinganyama of Zimbabwe (Concussion), Khaya Zondo of South Africa (Covid), Matt Parkinson of England (Concussion) and Bahir Shah of Afghanistan (Concussion).
The 26-year-old has a decent record in first-class cricket. Sooriyabandara has scored 4893 runs in 102 FC innings at an average of 54.36. He has scored 14 centuries and 23 half-tons to his name. He was also part of the tour match between India and Sri Lanka Cricket XI and scored 35 and four runs across the two innings in the game, which India won by six wickets after chasing 207.
India handed a strong target of 372 to Sri Lanka as they were bowled out for 193 at tea on the second-to-last day of the match. The start was delayed a bit due to drizzle as the third session began at 3:30 PM, nearly half an hour late from the assumed innings and tea break.
For India, Rishabh Pant was the star with the bat as he made a stroke-filled 66 from 69 balls. Pant got to his 20th half-century while KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal also put in strong hands with 35 and 44, respectively. For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando starred with four wickets as he tested the Indian batters with his shortish deliveries. Prabath Jayasuriya also picked three, while Lahiru Kumara and Keshara Nuwantha scalped two and one, respectively.
–IANS
vm/bc
