Herath ruled out of third India Test

Rangana Herath has officially been ruled out of the third Test against India starting in Pallekele on Saturday (August 12). Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed on Tuesday that its Sports Medicine Unit had declared the left-arm spinner unavailable for selection due to an increased risk of injury calculated from his workload leading up to the third Test.

As Wisden India had reported on Monday, Herath has had stiffness in the back over the last couple of days, perhaps stemming from bowling upwards of 160 overs in Sri Lanka’s last three Tests – one against Zimbabwe and two against India – in the last three weeks. His loss will be a serious blow to the hosts’ aspirations of pulling off a consolation victory, after having suffered heavy defeats in the first two Tests.

Sri Lanka have grappled with illness and injury issues since before the start of this series. Dinesh Chandimal, the Test captain, missed the series-opener in Galle with pneumonia, and Asela Gunaratne, the allrounder, broke his left thumb on the opening morning of the first Test. Nuwan Pradeep picked up a hamstring tear on day one of the second Test, and while Chandimal has returned to take his rightful place, Herath’s absence will further weaken a bowling attack that has struggled to make an impression on Virat Kohli’s formidable batting unit.

While India left for Pallekele on Tuesday afternoon, Sri Lanka are expected to travel later in the afternoon after the squad picked by the selectors is ratified by the minister of sport.