7th July 2022:
Sri Lanka player Dhananjaya de Silva, pacer Asitha Fernando, and spinner Jeffrey Vandersay have tested positive for COVID-19, ruling them out of the second Test. As scheduled, Sri Lanka is going to play its second test against Australia in Galle from July 8. All three players featured in the first Test in Galle.
The news comes as a further blow for the hosts, who will already be without the services of spinner Praveen Jayawickrama, who also tested positive this week. This has brought the number of cases in the Sri Lankan camp during the series to five.
The hosts though will be bolstered by the return of former skipper Angelo Mathews, who will be available for selection. Mathews was withdrawn during the first Test after returning a positive test, with Oshada Fernando coming in as his replacement.
All the other members of the squad have tested negative and the hosts have drafted in spinner Lakshan Sandakan into the team.
