Jayasuriya to play despite freak injury

A rampaging Sanath Jayasuriya is the last thing India will want to encounter © Getty Images

Despite sustaining a freak injury, Sanath Jayasuriya is set to play the opening match of the one-day series against India but may not be able to bowl. Sri Lanka arrive in India on October 20, and their tour begins with a one-day practice match against the Bombay Cricket Association President's XI at the Wankhede Stadium on Oct 22. The seven-match one-day series kicks off at Nagpur on Oct 25.

Jayasuriya was recovering well from a dislocated shoulder incurred during a one-day game in August against India, when earlier this week during a game of waterpolo CJ Smith, the team physio, accidentally rammed into his right shoulder causing a slight dislocation. It prevented him from playing in Tuesday's practice match at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Ashoka Pathirana, Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman, was confident that Jayasuriya would be able to take the field. "I can confirm such an accident has happened, but Sanath will be fit to play against India," he was quoted as saying by Supersport, a South African publication.

Marvan Atapattu, the Sri Lankan captain, said,"We had a day out of cricket on Monday. Because it was raining we thought we will do something different to cricket. We had some water sports in Bentota and this accident happened unfortunately.

"He can bat but it makes our job so much easy if he can bowl because he takes the role of a full bowler. It is an unfortunate situation to go back to square one."

Atapattu is eager to play a full-strength side and assess the team's capabilities away from home. "We haven't been really tested for a long period of time and we haven't played seven one-dayers [on a trot] for a long time," he said to The Daily News. "We know we have done well in Sri Lanka but it is different when you face the Indians at home. We are all geared up for the tour."