SL vs IND: Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis ruled out of second Test in Colombo

After suffering a crushing 165-run defeat in the first Test against India, Sri Lanka find themselves in a deeper hole as Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal have been ruled out of the second Test in Colombo. Mendis hasn’t played any competitive cricket since injuring his hamstring in the early rounds of the Lanka Premier League.

He was replaced by Niroshan Dickwella for the first Test, who scored a crucial 80 in the first innings. On the other hand, Chandimal was injured while fielding on Day 4 in the Galle. He injured his neck and shoulder and was taken to a hospital, prompting Sri Lanka to bring in Pasindu Sooriyabandara as Chandimal’s concussion replacement, who was out for a duck in his debut Test innings.

As per the ICC rules, players who are substituted for concussion-related reasons cannot play for seven days. Head coach Gary Kirsten confirmed both Chandimal and Mendis’ unavailability for the second Test in the post-match press conference after the Galle Test.

Sri Lanka yet to name squad for second Test

"Kusal Mendis has a proper hamstring injury, and will not be available for a while. Dinesh is also not available for the next Test. So we're missing a few guys from that perspective, but it creates a good opportunity for young players to come in and stake their claim. There are players who have got really good first-class records in this country. It's a good opportunity for them,” Kirsten was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.

Meanwhile, Pathum Nissanka is still recovering from his wrist surgery in June. He’s closer to being match fit, but is still experiencing discomfort while batting. Sri Lanka are yet to name their squad for the second Test as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had announced the team for the series opener only.