By scoring twin fifties for Sri Lanka Cricket XI in the three-day warm-up match against touring India played at the NCC grounds, Nishan Madushka may have probably clinched his place in the Sri Lanka eleven as opening partner to Lahiru Udara for the first Test against India starting at Galle on Saturday.
With Pathum Nissanka unavailable for the first Test after undergoing a wrist surgery, Madushka who has yet to fulfil his promise as a Test opener despite playing in 12 Tests and averaging just below 30, is the most likely choice to fill that slot.
Madushka played in Sri Lanka’s last Test series in the West Indies but failed to convert starts into big scores being dismissed for 23, 2, 6 and 20.
Madushka followed his first innings knock of 66 with another fluent innings of 63 off 73 balls (10 fours) before retiring in order to give the other batters an opportunity.
Anjala Bandara who is being looked at as a replacement wicket-keeper batsman for the injured Kusal Mendis got off the mark with a drive through backward point for four and struck three fours in his first 15 runs before lunch. He raced to a 48-ball 35 (4 fours, 1 six) before falling to Ravindra Jadeja. Has he done enough with the bat is the big question. Behind the stumps he was tidy and did not concede a single bye while India piled up 571 runs in both innings.
Nipun Dananjaya (46 off 56 balls, 5 fours) was the only other batsman to impress against the Indian bowling before Sri Lanka Cricket XI declared their second innings at 200-6, leaving India a target of 207 to chase in 45 overs. They did so successfully with Yashavi Jaiswal making up for his first innings duck with a rapid 61 off 46 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes) and India Test Captain Shubman Gill who didn’t bat in the first innings due to an impact injury to his right ring finger, testing his hand out in the second innings to score 44 off 54 balls (7 fours) and not showing any signs of discomfort.
Mohammad Siraj provided some entertainment towards the latter part of the Indian innings with a blistering 32* off 15 balls (1 fours, 4 sixes) to take India past the target to win by six wickets. – [ST]
Scores:
Sri Lanka Cricket XI 363-8 decl. and 200-6 decl. (Nishan Madushka 63*, Anjala Bandara 35, Nipun Dananjaya 46, Gurnoor Brar 2/37, Ravindra Jadeja 2/33) vs. India 357-6 decl and 214-4 (Yashavi Jaiswal 61, Shubman Gill 44, Rishabh Pant 28, Ravindra Jadeja 22*, Mohammad Siraj 32*, Keshara Nuwantha 2/57)