Spinner set for rare feat, Herath to lead

Uncapped Sri Lankan spinner Malinda Pushpakumara could become just the sixth player this century to make his Test debut with more than 500 first-class wickets to his name, after earning his maiden international call-up.

Sri Lanka have named Pushpakumara in their 15-man squad to take on Bangladesh in a two-Test home series beginning March 7 in Galle.

The 29-year-old has been on the fringes of national selection for some time but made an irresistible case for a call-up with 13 wickets for Sri Lanka A against England Lions last weekend.

The haul took the left-arm spinner's career wicket tally to 558 from 99 matches at 19.85. Incredibly, he has taken five wickets in an innings on 44 occasions and 10 wickets in a match 18 times in his decade-long first-class career.

Since the turn of the century, only five bowlers have toiled for more than 500 first-class scalps before their Test debut.

Most first-class wickets before Test debut (since 2000)

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No Sri Lankan or Australian player has ever achieved the rare feat before their international debut in the game's longest format.

South Africa's Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who claimed 585 first-class wickets before getting his chance at Test level, is the most recent example. 

The others to have done it since 2000 are England's Shaun Udal and Jon Lewis, West Indies' Vasbert Drakes, and Pakistan's Yasir Arafat.

The all-time record for the most victims before a Test debut is almost certain never to be broken, considering James Southerton's 1527 first-class wickets in the 1850s, 60s and 70s, were taken before the first Test was played in 1877.

Southerton, aged 49, earnt a call-up to England's side for the historic match in Melbourne, though he only played one more international game in his decorated career.

Pushpakumara's fellow left-arm spinner and Test great Rangana Herath has been named as skipper to replace Angelo Mathews, who has not recovered sufficiently from a hamstring injury.

Sri Lanka Cricket said 38-year-old Herath was named captain after successfully filling in for Mathew last year.

"Herath led the Sri Lankan team to victory in November last year, with a clean sweep of 2-0 against Zimbabwe in his first series as captain," the cricket board said in a statement.

"While the spinner has retired from the shorter format of the game, he has taken on the challenge of leading the team through the two-Test series against the Bangladeshi team."

Limited-overs batsmen Asela Gunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella have both been included in the squad after their success in the shorter formats for the national side already this year. 

Gunaratne posted a maiden ODI hundred against South Africa and was exceptional in Australia, making a pair of match-winning half-centuries, while Dickwella has been consistent at the top of the order in recent times. 

Kusal Perera, who scored a century against Zimbabwe in last year's Test series, and Kaushal Silva, who made 115 against Australia after five-straight single-figure scores, have both been omitted. 

Bangladesh welcome back paceman Mustafizur Rahman from shoulder surgery, but have lost opener Imrul Kayes to a thigh injury. 

Sri Lanka boast a strong record at home, most recently thrashing Australia 3-0 in August 2016, a series in which Herath captured 28 wickets.

Bangladesh by contrast have only won three of their Test matches on the road since gaining full status 17 years ago although they have shown recent signs of improvement and beat England in a home Test late last year.

The Tigers lost their first 12 Tests to the Sri Lankans but have managed draws in each of the last two two-match series (2013 and 2014), losing both 1-0.

Sri Lanka squad: Rangana Herath (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Vikum Sanjaya Bandara, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Malinda Pushpakumara

Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mosaddek Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Subashis Roy, Rubel Hossain

Sri Lanka v Bangladesh

March 7: First Test, Galle

March 15: Second Test, Colombo