The Sri Lankan Cricket Team have announced their official starting 11 for the first test of the two-match test series versus New Zealand. The first game will be played on September 18th at Galle’s Galle International Cricket Stadium.
After performing exceptionally well with the bat in the England series, Kamindu Mendis has been given a promotion in the batting-order and the 25 year old will now be seen batting at number five.
The Southpaw has featured in six Test-encounters for Sri Lanka and he has scored 695 runs at a mind-blowing average of 77.22. In the England series, Kamindu scored 267 runs in five innings, which includes a hundred in the Manchester test match.
Following the fifty he scored in the third and final test match against England, Sanath Jayasuriya, the interim-head-coach of the Island Nation, confirmed that the Sri Lankan management is thinking of sending Kamindu to bat higher up in the batting-order and the test series versus New Zealand rectifies that statement.
Mendis has never come out to bat above the number six position in the longest format of the game. Batting at the fifth position will be an advantage for the 25-year-old and playing in favourable conditions will be an icing on the cake for him but it’s surely going to be a difficult task.
In terms of other batting order changes, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal has been given a promotion as a reward for his impressive performances with the bat.
He hit two fifties in the recently conducted test-series versus England and he will now be seen batting at number three against New Zealand.
All-Rounder Angelo Mathews has also been promoted to number four, followed by Kamindu Mendis at number five. Skipper Dhananjaya De Silva will be see batting at the sixth position.
Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara form the bowling unit of the Dhananjaya De Silva-led team for the first test match.
Prabath, who was dropped from the starting 11 in the Oval test match versus England, makes his return to the side and he will be getting assistance from off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, who last played a test match in 2023 versus Pakistan.
Sri Lanka’s playing XI for the first-test versus New Zealand
Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal (WK), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kamindu Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya De Silva (Captain), Ramesh Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya and Asitha Fernando.
For more information, visit the official website of Sri Lanka Cricket.