Lanka pick uncapped Pushpakumara

Galle, July 24: Uncapped left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara was the lone new face while batting all-rounder Dhanjaya de Silva and paceman Nuwan Pradeep made their way back into the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against India, starting here on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) also announced veteran left-arm spinner Ranga Herath as the stand-in skipper for the first game after regular Dinesh Chandimal was ruled out with pneumonia.
Left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan and paceman Dushmantha Chameera have been dropped from the squad, which beat Zimbabwe in the one-off Test in Colombo earlier this month. Yet to earn his Test cap, the 30-year-old Pushpakumara has for long been prolific at the first-class level, picking 558 wickets at an average of 19.85.
Squad: Ranga Herath (Captain), Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karuratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Asela Guratne, Niroshan Dickwella (WK), Dhanjaya de Silva, Danushka Guthilaka, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Ferndo, Malinda Pushpakumara, Nuwan Pradeep. IANS