Sri Lanka’s national selectors have decided to drop middle-order batsman and excellent fielder, Tillekeratne Dilshan from the squad touring Australia, next month for a two match Test Series, while ‘A’ team captain, Thilan Samaraweera has earned a recall to the side. Samaraweera, who has virtually struggled in away conditions, played the last of his 39 Tests against England in 2006. He has five centuries to his credit, all of which were scored at home. Dilshan in the mean time will captain the ‘A’ team in their Zimbabwe tour.
Former Captain, Marvan Atapattu, who did not show up for the meeting with SLC officials few days ago, have been excluded from the squad and will be replaced by veteran Sanath Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya was not to tour Australia this time, if the experienced Atapattu had accepted to play.
In addition, uncapped left-arm seamer, Chanaka Welagedara, who had a fantastic time with the ball in the Gopalan Trophy last week, have finally been included in the Test Squad. Jehan Mubarak, who is going well in the One-day format these days has also been named.
Ace Spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, who is set to take over Shane Warne’s record in one of the two tests, is still recovering from a biceps injury which prevented him from playing in the World Twenty20 as well as the first three matches of England series.
Leg spinning all-rounder Malinga Bandara has been picked ahead of another spinning allrounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi.
The first Test will be played in Brisbane from November 8-12 and the second Test in Hobart from November 16-20.
Sri Lanka Test squad :
Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Michael Vandort, Chamara Silva, Thilan Samaraweera, Jehan Mubarak, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Farveez Maharoof, Chanaka Welagedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Malinga Bandara.
After England, won the toss and elected to bat first, Sri Lanka’s pace trio Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof provided the early inroads by reducing the English side to 61/4. Then, it was left to Captain Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah to build up a partnership. This was done quite perfectly, with Shah leading the recovery with a brilliant 82 off only 92 balls. The two shared a valuable fifth wicket partnership of 78 runs. England’s cause was further boosted by Graeme Swann’s brisk 34 in a another important 7o run partnership. Although, the Sri Lankan bowlers tried their best to minimize the runs, particularly paceman, Lasith Malinga was attacked, as he went wicketless in his 10 overs. Maharoof was once again, the pick of the bowlers, with 3-30.
In the virtual quarter final between the ODI World Cup finalists, Australia and Sri Lanka, winning the toss, Stand-in-Captain of the Australian side, Adam Gilchrist, invited Mahela Jayawardene’s team to bat first. Sri Lanka could not have a worst start, with Sanath Jayasuriya being trapped leg before by Brett Lee in just the third ball of the first over. The other opener, Upul Tharanga followed suit. Kumar Sangakkara, who had a rather disappointing tournament, sticked around to hit 22 off 23 balls. Jayawardene too was caught by Clark off a Lee delivery. Jehan Mubarak, the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who hit 28 off 26 balls, and Chaminda Vaas, who managed to get 21, helped the score go past 100. But, the Sri Lankans who had a terrible day, were all out for 101.
The Sri Lankans today scored a record-breaking 260/6 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, in their first match at the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, after they were put to bat by Kenya.
propelled the Sri Lankan side towards a huge score. He missed out on Bangladeshi skipper Mohammed Ashraful’s record of the fastest fifty in a Twenty20 match by a mere ball. As the skipper departed to a leg before by Jimmy Kamande, Sri Lanka were already on top with 212/5. After the quick dismissals of Chamara Silva and Tillekaratne Dilshan, it was the youngster Jehan Mubarak who further boosted the total taking them past 221, the highest total in a Twenty20 Intl. match by Australia against England in Jan. 2007. He once took Lameck Onyango for 29 runs in a single over, hitting 3 consecutive sixes and a four, as Sri Lanka posted the highest ever score in a Twenty20 Intl. game. At the end of the game, Mubarak, 
who scored 46 off just 13 balls, ran out of overs to complete a fifty, which would have actually ended up as the fastest fifty in a Twenty20 Intl. , and that too in his Twenty20 International debut.
== Sri Lanka Cricket == 