Colombo: Rangana Herath will lead Sri Lanka in the first test against India after Dinesh Chandimal was admitted to the hospital Friday with pneumonia, said selection chief Sanath Jayasuriya.
“He (Chandimal) was sick with the flu, but today he got worse and was taken to the hospital,” Jayasuriya told AFP. “He has had pneumonia and will not be able to play the first Test starting Wednesday.”
Jayasuriya said that Chandimal’s health would be monitored before his availability for the second Test was called.
Chandimal was named captain of the test team last week after Angelo Mathews stopped following a humiliating 3-2 defeat in the one-day international series against Zimbabwe.
Herath, 39, took 11 wickets in the only test against Zimbabwe with his left arm twist to jump to second place in the world rankings behind India Ravindra Jadeja.
India and Sri Lanka will play three tests, five international one-day and one T20 in their first series with the three formats of the game in eight years.
