Lasith Malinga has been ruled out of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka that will be played at the SSC in Colombo. Malinga complained of a sore knee and that is why he has been ruled out, which means that two of the best bowlers that Sri Lanka had from the previous game, Malinga and Muralitharan will not feature in the second Test match.
Malinga had been the difference between the two sides as Sri Lanka beat India in the first Test match by ten wickets at Galle. Malinga had won the man of the match award for the win as he had had a five-wicket haul to go with a half century in the first innings of the game.
Earlier, Muralitharan had announced his retirement from international cricket after the end of the first Test match. It remains to be seen who replaces the two bowlers from the Sri Lankan side for the second Test match.
The chief selector, Aravinda de Silva, said that the team will need to be cautious when it came to getting Malinga playing in five-day cricket, especially given that he was making a comeback after a long lay-off. He added, “We are closely monitoring Malinga’s fitness and we are hopeful he will be fully fit for the third Test starting in ten days time.”
It does look like Ajantha Mendis will come into the playing eleven in place of Muralitharan for the second Test match at SSC. Mendis had troubled the Indians in the warm-up game before the series had begun, and it was a surprise that he was not a part of the squad for the game.
However, the more important question would be the replacement for Malinga. The two pace bowlers in the side are Dilhara Fernando and Dammika Prasad, both of whom can make it to the Sri Lankan side.
The Indians will be a happy lot, given the kind of problems that Malinga had created for them in the first Test match. Gautam Gambhir had been sent back in the first over of the both the innings of the game, and would now be facing another bowler.
