[WATCH VIDEO] Sri Lanka Batsman Asela Gunaratne Ruled Out Of Galle Test With Fractured Left Thumb
Right on the first day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka, the hosts suffered a huge blow on Wednesday as their middle-order batsman Asela Gunaratne was ruled out of the game with a fractured left thumb.
According to the reports, there are doubts that if he can take further part in the three-match Test series. Gunaratne has been rushed to Colombo for a surgery, said Sri Lanka’s Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya.
India won the toss and elected to bat first. Sri Lanka while searching for an early wicket surprised everyone by bringing on the spinner in the seventh over of Galle Test. As everything is going well, Abhinav Mukund found difficult to middle the ball on a good batting surface.
Sri Lanka managed to get the wicket of Mukund when India’s score was 27 but the main threat remained in Dhawan who was striking the ball in a dominating manner. The Indian opener was hitting boundaries at will and Sri Lanka knew they need to get him out early.
Just in: Asela Gunaratne, who suffered injury after dropping Dhawan, out of Galle Test due to injury #IndvsSL https://t.co/P464S4FYbm pic.twitter.com/uwiqn0PVHy
— HT Sports (@HTSportsNews) July 26, 2017
The chance came as well. In the 13th over, Lahiru Kumara almost sent Dhawan back to the pavilion. Kumara’s over was stuffed with misfields and even a Beamer. He then pitched one up to Dhawan and the batsman played a casual drive, which was the only shot that looked sloppy in his innings. It took the outside edge and flew to second slip.
Gunaratne, fielding at second slip hurt his thumb while attempting the catch. Gunaratne had to dive to his left to take the catch and he made contact with the ball. But despite getting both hands to it, Gunaratne failed to hold on to it. It also took a toll on Gunaratne who then walked off the field clutching his wrist that was already bandaged.
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Dhawan was on 31 when the catch was put down before he went on to register a fine century on an opening day. He never took his foot off the pedal and cruised to a fifth Test century in the second session. Gunaratne’s injury comes across as a huge dent to Sri Lanka’s already depleted batting resources as Dinesh Chandimal was also ruled out with pneumonia.
Gunaratne recently starred with the bat courtesy an unbeaten 80 against Zimbabwe in the one-off Test, as he strung together a match-winning 121-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Niroshan Dickwella to help Sri Lanka register the highest-ever run chase on home soil.