Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva Emphasizes Pace Attack Ahead of Bangladesh Test

Sri Lanka's Strategy for the Upcoming Test

Colombo [Sri Lanka], June 24: Dhananjaya de Silva, the captain of Sri Lanka, is focusing on a pace-heavy strategy for the second Test against Bangladesh, marking the team's return to the World Test Championship cycle after an 11-month break.

In recent years, Silva has advocated for the inclusion of more fast bowlers in home matches, aiming to better prepare them for international challenges. For the upcoming Test, he is contemplating the inclusion of three seamers in the final lineup, given the typically flat conditions at the SSC.

“We have 12 players in the squad and various options available, especially since the weather can change unexpectedly. We initially planned to field three seamers, but the pitch appears quite flat,” Silva mentioned, as reported by a sports media outlet.

Sri Lanka's inclination to field more fast bowlers may be influenced by the performance of Bangladesh's batsmen against pace compared to spin.

The leading trio of seamers—Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Kasun Rajitha—have collectively taken 29 wickets, placing them at the top of the wicket-takers list for the series.

“In our last series against Bangladesh, as well as the previous one, it was the pace bowlers who claimed the majority of wickets. We noted that seamers accounted for about 70% of the dismissals. While it’s challenging to face seamers on these pitches, we are aiming to play three. We’ll assess the pitch conditions tomorrow morning,” Dhananjaya added.

In addition to the pace bowling strategy, Sri Lanka must also find a suitable replacement for Angelo Matthews, who has retired from Test cricket following the first match of the series. Dhananjaya plans to move up the batting order from number six to four, despite his successful track record in the lower order.

“If the team believes I’m capable, I’m prepared to bat at four. I’m ready for that challenge,” Dhananjaya stated.

As a number six batsman, he has maintained an impressive average of 43.95, while his performance at number four has been less consistent, with an average of 20.33.