Shaminda Eranga, Sri Lanka’s frontline seamer, will miss the second Test against South Africa beginning at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on July 24 due to the hand injury sustained in the first Test at Galle.
Eranga split the webbing between the thumb and index finger on his bowling hand while fielding at mid-off on the opening day of the first Test. He was taken to the hospital immediately and required eight stitches as a result, and ended up bowling just nine overs in the Test match.
While Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedara, the left-arm pacer, are present as cover, the hosts may also name another seamer as Eranga’s replacement in the squad, although that decision is yet to be made.
Prasad took five wickets in the second innings of Sri Lanka’s most recent Test win, against England at Headingley, whereas Welegedara last played a Test match back in December, 2012 in Melbourne, during Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia.
Eranga, who has 25 wickets to his name in 2014 at an average of 27.64, has had an excellent year so far, and his absence could severely hurt Sri Lanka’s chances of bouncing back and levelling the two-match series, following the 153-run defeat at Galle.
