Ahead of the opening Test, skipper Kusal Mendis spoke to the media with great confidence. Even with fast and green surfaces on the cards, he believes the balance of his side and the strength of the senior batters will carry them through.
Mendis pointed out that his batters know how to handle green tracks, having performed well under similar conditions in England before.
Senior power and new leadership
The skipper placed strong faith in veteran campaigners Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva. Stepping up to captain the Test team is a fresh test compared to ODIs and T20s, but Mendis shared that he is happy to embrace the task.
He added that the squad features a well-balanced bowling lineup, backed by solid experience in first-class and international cricket. He also noted that the fast bowlers showed good form in recent tours and limited-overs matches.
“I have no doubt in my batting lineup,”Kusal Mendis
Life inside the bubble
Sri Lanka's cricketers have already spent more than a month in Pakistan. While staying mostly inside hotels and practice venues was tough, Mendis explained that the squad stayed positive through team bonding and personal drills.
Before wrapping up, the captain thanked the hosts for their top hospitality and the security setup arranged throughout their stay.
