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Sri Lanka have included off-spinner Nishan Peiris in their squad for the second Test against New Zealand, replacing the injured Vishwa Fernando. The match is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 26, at Galle International Stadium.
The Lankans officially reported that the 33-year-old pacer felt tightness in his right hamstring during practice. Consequently, he has been sent to the High Performance Center for rehabilitation. Sri Lanka have named uncapped bowler Nishan Peiris as his replacement.
This isn’t Peiris's first call-up to the Sri Lankan team. In 2018, he replaced Akila Dananjaya in the third and final Test against England. Earlier this year, he was included in the squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh but didn’t get a chance to play.
Nishan has featured in 41 first-class matches, taking 172 wickets, including 12 five-wicket hauls. He has also played 61 List A games, claiming 86 wickets.
Sri Lanka won the first Test by 63 runs against New Zealand
The hosts won the toss and elected to bat first. Kamindu Mendis was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, scoring 114 runs off 173 balls with the aid of 11 boundaries. Kusal Mendis added 50 runs off 68 balls, helping the hosts reach 305 in their first innings.
In response, New Zealand's top order saw three players - Tom Latham (70), Kane Williamson (55), and Daryl Mitchell (57) - score half-centuries. However, Sri Lankan bowlers staged a comeback, reducing the Blackcaps from 269/4 to 304/9. Glenn Phillips finished unbeaten on 49 as New Zealand ended their innings at 340.
In their second innings, senior Lankan players Dimuth Karunaratne (83), Dinesh Chandimal (61), and Angelo Mathews (50) stepped up for the hosts, helping them post 309 runs and setting New Zealand a target of 275.
In the fourth innings, Rachin Ravindra was the lone performer for the visitors, scoring 92 runs. However, no other batter made a notable contribution as New Zealand were dismissed for 211, resulting in a 63-run defeat. Prabath Jayasuriya took five wickets for Sri Lanka.
