Sri Lanka's pace spearhead ruled out of India series

'Nuwan Pradeep is out for one or two months'

Sri Lanka suffered a fresh blow due to injury after pace spearhead Nuwan Pradeep was ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing Test series against India in Colombo on Friday.

Pradeep, who had taken six wickets in the opening Test, could be out for a couple of months.

“Nuwan Pradeep is out for one or two months," Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne said at the press-conference.

With Pradeep ruled out, Karunaratne, who took 1-31 in the first innings, will have to bowl his gentle medium pace if there is a second India innings.

"I started my career as a bowler, not as a batsman, so I can bowl. The thing is there are a lot of bowlers who can bowl faster than 130-135," he said.

"We played only with once pace option, so when they asked me if we need to bowl a few overs with the new ball, I said I could. That's why I bowled a few overs with Chaminda Vaas to see how it goes."

Pradeep could bowl only 17 overs on the opening day. He had left the field complaining of a hamstring niggle and it was confirmed today that he would not bowl for the rest of the Test but will bat.

Sri Lanka is already going through a tough phase due to injuries to their key players. All-rounder Asela Gunaratne was ruled out of the three-match series after he broke his thumb in the Galle Test.

Skipper Dinesh Chandimal also missed the opening Test due to pneumonia and returned for the second Test only after getting a special exemption from the ICC to use his inhaler.

India had defeated Sri Lanka by 304 runs in the first Test.

Image: Nuwan Pradeep

Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images