Dushmantha Chameera likely to miss first Test against India

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera is expected to miss Sri Lanka's first Test against India in Galle from August 12 to 16 because he has not recovered fully from a side strain that kept him out of the third Test against Pakistan and the five-match ODI series.

"We were unfortunate to miss Chameera in the Test and in the ODIs, he would have definitely been a determining factor had he been fit," Sri Lanka Cricket chief selector Kapila Wijegunawardene said. "Chameera is being monitored closely and undergoing treatment. A side strain is not serious but a painful one which sometimes can take a long time to heal. The muscles are all attached to your bones and it takes a little while longer.

"We are hoping that by the second Test against India he will be ready. We don't want to rush him because we want him fit and ready because having him makes a huge difference to the composition of our attack."

Chameera had helped bowl Sri Lanka to victory in the second Test against Pakistan at the P Sara Oval last month with a match haul of four wickets on debut, but suffered a side strain which has kept him out of international cricket since.

Chameera's pace troubled the Pakistan batsmen and Wahab Riaz was sent home with a fractured wrist after being hit during the second Test.

Sri Lanka's fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake said that 23-year-old Chameera was the most exciting fast-bowling find he had come across since Lasith Malinga. With the decline in pace and effectiveness of Sri Lanka's fast-bowling spearhead - Malinga, Sri Lanka are looking at Chameera to be his replacement.