After their loss to Thailand in early March, Sri Lanka will face a relegation play-off tie against Indonesia in July that will decide their fate in the Group II top tier.
Sri Lanka faced Thailand in the Group II opening round tie and after a close contest between the two countries, the hosts Thailand registered a 3-2 victory. For Sri Lanka it was Sharmal Dissanayaka and Harshana Godamanne who registered the two wins in Thailand but that did not suffice to evade a loss.
The situation was similar last year when Sri Lanka were tied up with Lebanon for a relegation tie and this time it will be Indonesia. Indonesia arrives at the tie due to their loss to Vietnam in the first round making this encounter crucial for both teams. Since Indonesia has the word in the choice of grounds, the tie will take place in the Gelora Manahan Tennis Stadium Complex in Surakarta, Indonesia on the 15th, 16th & 17th of July 2016.
This will be the first occasion where the two countries meet and Sri Lanka will be looking to retain their spot in the Group II for the third successive year. Sri Lanka will most likely field an unchanged line-up with Harshana Godamanne in the lead. Sharmal Dissanayaka, Dineshkanthan Thangarajah and Yasith De Silva will comprise the rest of the team. The national coach Dominik Utzinger is expected to continue his coaching duties.
