Spinners to give Sri Lanka edge over England: Dinesh Chandimal

Image Credits: Reuters

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal believes his team`s spin attack will give the hosts the edge over England in the first test at Galle starting on Tuesday.

Dilruwan Perera and Akila Dananjaya are likely to partner slow left-armer Rangana Herath, who will retire after the first test, and Chandimal said his team wanted to send the veteran into retirement with a win.

"When you look at the Galle pitch, it`s always turning and helpful to spinners," Chandimal said on Monday. "When we play in Sri Lanka, it`s spinners who take charge. Then again, it`s all about weather and the condition of the pitch."

The forecast in Galle does not look promising, with rain expected to put a dampener on proceedings and England captain Joe Root decided not to name his final team until the day of the match.

"We`ve just got to adapt very well, very quickly and read the situation," Root said. "We`ve got a very balanced squad with plenty of different options... From that point of view I feel we`ll be well prepared for whatever surface is thrown at us."

The visitors won the five-match one-day international series between the sides and the one-off Twenty20 International in Colombo, leaving Sri Lanka with a point to prove in the three-match test series.

Herath`s impending retirement has dominated the build-up to the match and the 40-year-old is set to bow out as the most successful left-arm spinner in the sport`s history.

"We have a few things up our sleeve (for him)," Chandimal added. "We don`t want to reveal all because we want him to be surprised.

"The main thing is, if we can win this game and the series, that will be a really good farewell for him. That`s what the team is looking forward to."

Pace bowler Lahiru Kumara has been dropped from the Sri Lanka squad for breaching the team`s code of conduct with Dushmantha Chameera called up to replace him.