COLOMBO: Sri Lanka seamer Nuwan Pradeep has been ruled out of the series against Australia, after scans revealed he had sustained a grade-one strain in his left hamstring. He is also doubtful for the South Africa Test series that follows close on the heels of the Australia tour. Pradeep had picked up the injury on day one of Sri Lanka’s warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Hobart, on Thursday. He immediately left the field, having bowled only two overs in the match, and underwent scans over the weekend that confirmed the severity of the injury. Pradeep’s career has been plagued by leg injuries – particularly hamstring complaints – and this is largely why he has not played a Test since October 2017. Although a fit Pradeep did not get a game during the two Tests in New Zealand, he may have been a good option for Sri Lanka at the seam-friendly Gabba Stadium, as he is often capable of generating appreciable movement off the deck. Despite his being one of the most experienced members of the pace-bowling battery, and although no replacement has been officially named yet, Sri Lanka are still left with a serviceable seam-bowling contingent in Australia. Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha and Dushmantha Chameera all remain fit and available, with all four of those bowlers having played at least one Test over the past six weeks. Sri Lanka’s first Test begins in Brisbane on Thursday.
Published in Daily Times, January 21st 2019.
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