Reports: Sri Lanka batsman Pathum Nissanka likely to be ruled out of 2nd Test against India

After suffering a heavy defeat against India in the first Test, the Sri Lanka cricket team will look to bounce back in the Test series as two teams are set to take on each other in the final Test match of the series in Bengaluru, on March 12.

A big blow

But in a situation like this, the visitors had to suffer a huge blow as their batsman Pathum Nissanka is reportedly out of the second Test due to his injury.

A Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official talked about Nissanka’s injury and revealed that the batter is again facing his old back injury. And presently his situation is being monitored closely.

“Pathum has some back pain from one of his previous injuries, we will monitor his situation but he is unlikely to play,” the official was quoted while speaking to CricWire.

Good show in 1st Test

It is important to mention that the 23-year-old played a solid knock in the first innings against India in the Mohali Test. The right-handed batsman scored 61 runs (not out) off 133 deliveries and he became his side’s highest-scorer in the first innings. His innings was comprised of 11 boundaries. Eventually, he remained not out.

Although, in the second innings, Nissanka could not do much as he was sent back to the dressing room after scoring just 6 runs off 19 balls. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up the crucial wicket of Nissanka in the second innings.

In a situation like this, Sri Lanka team management will have a tough task to fill up the space. They have two options available to replace Nissanka. One option is Dinesh Chandimal but it is important to mention that in recent times he has not been in a good form. In his last nine Test innings he could not score a half-century. Chandimal’s last Test fifty came against England, in January 2021. In that innings he managed to score 52 runs.

On the other hand, apart from Chandimal, the Sri Lanka team management will have another option to replace Nissanka and that batsman is Kusal Mendis. But Mendis played his last Test match in January 2021 against England, so his form will surely be under scanner.