Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva has firmly addressed the debate surrounding the national team’s squad choices ahead of the upcoming Test match in Galle. With discussions intensifying over squad composition and tactical priorities, the leadership group has made it clear that pure wicketkeeping ability remains the absolute priority for the conditions expected at the venue.
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Prioritising Glovework Behind the Stumps
Addressing probing questions on the recall of 33-year-old Niroshan Dickwella to the Sri Lanka Test setup, Dhananjaya de Silva was unequivocal regarding expectations. With Dinesh Chandimal now established as the team’s specialist No. 3 batter and no longer keeping wicket in Test matches, and with no other wicketkeeper-batter included in the squad, Dickwella is virtually certain to take his place in the playing XI on Saturday.
“The only thing I have to tell Niroshan Dickwella is to keep well. That’s why he’s in the team,” De Silva stated directly, setting the tone for what the team management demands from the returning player.
The Selection Debate and Domestic Alternatives
Dickwella has long remained a polarizing figure in Sri Lankan cricket. In the wake of his selection, critics quickly pointed to his overarching Test record—most notably a career batting average of 31 across 96 Test innings—raising questions about why younger wicketkeeping options were overlooked.
The debate gained further traction because the top two run-scorers in this year’s domestic four-day competition were both wicketkeeper-batters:
- Sadeera Samarawickrama: Overlooked despite an impressive domestic average of 77.
- Anjala Bandara: Overlooked despite averaging 61 as an uncapped contender.
Despite these compelling domestic numbers, the team management determined that Dickwella was the right fit to step in as the replacement for the injured Kusal Mendis.
Galle Conditions Dictate the Strategy
Explaining how the decision was reached, De Silva pointed to historical team composition and venue-specific demands. In recent years, Kusal Mendis had taken the wicketkeeping duties while batting at No. 7, performing well enough to keep Dickwella out of the Test squad. However, Mendis’ injury forced a re-evaluation.
“Dickwella had to leave the Test squad over the last few years because Kusal Mendis went to No. 7, and Kusal has played well there in the last few years so Dickwella didn’t get a chance to come back,” De Silva explained. “But when you play at Galle, the most important thing is that the player with the best glovework plays.”
With the pitch in Galle anticipated to play flatter than usual, creating and converting half-chances will be critical for Sri Lanka’s bowlers. The team management determined that missed chances behind the stumps could prove too costly to risk.
“The decision to recall Dickwella is one we had with the coach and selectors, and they all agreed,” De Silva added. “We did have the chance to give an opportunity to another player, but as the keeper with the best glovework, Dickwella came through.”
Backing Lahiru Kumara Amid Fitness Concerns
Dickwella was not the only player whose inclusion required clarification from the captain. De Silva was also called upon to defend the selection of fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, whose nine-year international career has been repeatedly disrupted by breakdowns during Test matches.
Kumara’s recent fitness record includes bowling just a single over in the first Test against the West Indies in June before a hamstring injury ruled him out of the entire tour. A similar breakdown occurred against India in Mohali in 2022, where Kumara suffered an injury mid-spell on the opening day; Sri Lanka went on to lose both matches by an innings.
De Silva acknowledged the challenges but highlighted the lack of express bowling alternatives in the country:
“As a country and as a team, we don’t have a huge pool of players that we can experiment with,” De Silva noted. “Right now in Sri Lanka, there’s no bowler who can replace Lahiru Kumara in the squad. He’s the fastest bowler we have playing red-ball cricket.”
Concluding his thoughts on the paceman, De Silva expressed hope that past setbacks will fuel Kumara’s performance in the upcoming series: “Unfortunately, he got injured in the West Indies, and a series that we could have won became a 1-0 defeat. Hopefully, he will use that as motivation and he will do something big for us in this series.”