There are few players in Sri Lanka who polarise opinion like Dickwella, and this week his detractors have pointed to his record – primarily the batting average of 31 after 96 Test innings – and asked vociferously why younger players were not given a chance.
It was Dickwella’s keeping that swayed the selectors as they weighed their options on the injured Kusal Mendis’ replacement, de Silva explained.
With the track in Galle expected to be flatter than usual, it will be especially important that Sri Lanka convert their wicket-taking opportunities. In any case, Dickwella will play this Test under an especially unforgiving spotlight.
“The decision to recall Dickwella is one we had with the coach and selectors, and they all agreed,” de Silva said. “We did have the chance to give an opportunity to another player, but as the keeper with the best glovework, Dickwella came through.”
The last time India played Sri Lanka in 2022, Kumara had picked up an injury mid-spell, and left the field on the first day of play in Mohali. Sri Lanka lost both those matches by an innings and plenty.
“As a country and as a team, we don’t have a huge pool of players that we can experiment with,’ de Silva said. “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. 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.”
