Sri Lanka call up uncapped offspinner Nishan Peiris for second New Zealand Test

Uncapped offspinner Nishan Peiris has been drafted into Sri Lanka’s squad for the second and final Test against New Zealand after seamer Vishwa Fernando pulled up with an injury.

“Vishwa Fernando had developed a tightness in his right hamstring while practicing,” SLC said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the fast bowler will undergo rehabilitation at the board’s high-performance centre.

Vishwa didn’t play in the first Test against New Zealand, which Sri Lanka won by 63 runs, and with seam playing a limited role thus far, it’s unlikely he would have found himself in the side come Thursday’s second Test.

The 27-year-old Peiris, meanwhile, might have an outside chance of making it into the playing XI. Despite having made the Test squad twice in the past, back in 2018 and earlier this year in March, he’s yet to make his debut. But with Ramesh Mendis‘ performance coming in for criticism from skipper Dhananjaya de Silva following the end of the first Test, there is some doubt over his position in the team.

Mendis, whose dip and turn can be difficult to tackle when he’s at his best, grabbed six wickets – three in each innings – in the first Test, including the pivotal one of Daryl Mitchell in the second innings. But he often lacked control, and his leakiness frequently took the pressure off the New Zealand batters. Though his performance in the second innings was much improved, his economy rate was still the poorest of Sri Lanka’s spinners.

Peiris has picked up 172 first-class wickets across 41 matches at an average of 24.37. He recently turned out for Sri Lanka A in South Africa, where he picked up three wickets in the first unofficial Test.