Knee injury puts Dilhara in doubt for Test

Sri Lanka suffered a major blow just three days before the first Test when their key bowler Dilhara Fernando was sidelined with a knee injury on the third and final day of the warm up match between the Board XI and the touring Indian team at the NCC ground in Maitland Place yesterday.

The 29 year old fast bowler did not take the field on the final day and his bowling was restricted to just ten overs during India's first innings where he returned figures of two wickets for 27 runs.

But thereafter he had complaining of a knee injury to the team coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and physio Ajantha Wattegama who is currently looking after the fast bowler. Wattegame said that Fernando's injury is not a serious one and something most fast bowlers experience during their career.

Fernando will be further examined today before taking a final decision whether he could be available for the first Test against India which begins on Wednesday at the SSC grounds in Maitland Place.

Fernando's career has been plagued with a series of injuries ever since he broke into the international scene while making his Test debut against Pakistan in Colombo in 2000. In 2004 he suffered a second stress fracture of the back and missed the entire home series against Australia.

In 2005 he was again struck down by injury. On both occasions he recovered to fight his way back into the team and was later selected for the 2007 World Cup. Fernando has captured 84 wickets from 30 Test matches at an average of 33.90. (C.D)