Dilshan’s fitness causes problems for Management

Elmo Rodrigopulle - Reporting from ENGLAND

London, Tuesday The Sri Lankan team management is having more than one problem to solve, first being to get skipper Tillekeratne Dilshan declared fit to take his place in the line-up for the crucial Third and Final Test against England beginning at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Thursday.

With it comes another problem with the selectors scratching their heads to find a partner to open batting with Tharanga Paranavitana. The selectors are keeping their options open till the last moment, hoping that Dilshan will be fit. ‘At the moment, Dilshan is out. But with a couple of days more for the Test, we are hoping against hope that he will be declared fit. Lahiru Thirimanne is the likely opener after his century against Essex. But we will wait and see’, said selector on tour Duleep Mendis.

With Kumar Sangakkara being the vice captain, he was not leading against Essex and with Thilan Samaraweera doing that job, there was speculation that Sangakkara was reluctant to do the captaincy job.

But Duleep Mendis put that speculation to bed when he said: ‘If Dilshan is not fit to lead, Sangakkara will lead.

There is no question about that. Sangakkara did not lead against Essex, because it was just a three day game’.

The good news from the England camp is that James Anderson the spearhead will be fit to lead the attack force at the Rose Bowl. He will make his return without bowling a single delivery in match practice.

Anderson missed the drawn Test at Lord’s against Sri Lanka after suffering a strain in First

Test in Cardiff where England scored a shock innings win by bowling out the visitors for 82 in just 24.4 overs.

Anderson wanted to prove he was 100 per cent fit by playing in a Twenty20 game with a four over burst. But that game too like all other games including the Sri Lanka Essex game was also washed out by rain.

National selector Geoff Miller said, ‘Side strains can be troublesome for bowlers but we wouldn’t include him if the medical staff weren’t confident of his fitness. Anderson is the leader of our attack, so he will be a significant inclusion’.

Anderson replaces Surrey’s Jade Dernbach in the England squad and is likely to push out Steven Finn who took four wickets against Sri Lanka in the drawn Lord’s Test.