Galle: Sri Lanka have named off-spinner Nishan Peiris as a replacement for injured pacer Vishwa Fernando in their squad for the second Test against New Zealand, announced Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday.
Fernando developed tightness in his right hamstring during practice and has been sent to the High Performance Center for rehabilitation.
“Vishwa Fernando had developed a tightness in his right hamstring while practicing, hence, he has been sent to the High Performance Center for rehabilitation. Nishan Peiris, the 27-year-old right-arm offspinner, has been added to the squad in place of Fernando,” SLC said in a statement released on Tuesday.
Fernando, who claimed 5/86 in his last Test appearance, will be a notable absentee for Sri Lanka, but the team has high hopes for 27-year-old Peiris.
The off-spinner was part of Sri Lanka’s squad during their tour of Bangladesh but has yet to make his Test debut. Peiris has proven his capabilities in domestic cricket, taking 172 wickets in 41 first-class matches at an impressive average of 24.37.
Sri Lanka, buoyed by a 63-run victory in the first Test in Galle, will look to seal the series with Peiris joining the squad.
Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya was the star in the opening match, claiming 9/204 across the two innings to help Sri Lanka leapfrog New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
The win placed Sri Lanka third in the WTC standings with a point percentage of 50% while New Zealand slipped to fourth with a percentage of 42.86%.
The second and final Test of the series will be crucial for both teams as they vie for vital points in the race to reach the World Test Championship final.
Sri Lanka squad vs New Zealand for second Test: Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Nishan Peiris, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.
The second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand will be played in Galle from Thursday.
–IANS