Dammika Prasad included in Sri Lanka squad

The Sri Lankan selectors have included right fast medium bowler Dammika Prasad in the squad for the second Test against India starting on Thursday.

Medium pacer Prasad, who did not play for the national team since three one-day internationals in 2006 was impressive in the three-day tour game against the visiting Indian team. He picked up four wickets and dismissed key Indian batsmen - Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman and Virender Sehwag.

Sri Lanka had three seamers in the squad for the first Test. Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, who was left out of the starting XI.

The opening combination of Vaas and Kulasekara is not the quickest in the world and Prasad’s inclusion will add more pace to the new ball attack.

It is imperative to note that the only Indian wicket to fall to the fast bowlers in the first Test was that of the opener Sehwag in the first innings. The rest of the damage was done by the new spin combo of Muralidaran and Mendis, who shared a whopping 19 wickets amongst them. They bowled 87.5 overs out of the 117.5 that India faced in the match.

Sri Lanka currently leads the three Test series 1-0, after winning the Colombo Test by an innings and 239 runs.

Sri Lanka squad: Mahela Jayawardena (captain), Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralidaranl, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chamara Silva, Thilan Thushara, Chamara Kapugedera, Dammika Prasad.