SRI LANKAN PLAYERS TO WATCH IN WARNE-MURALITHARAN TROPHY
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KUSAL MENDIS
Sri Lanka's form bat after the 23-year-old became the youngest player to score 1000 runs in a calendar year since AB de Villiers in 2005. Produced his finest hour in Test cricket against Australia with 176 in the first Test in 2016, turning the series in the hosts' favour on a Kandy wicket where no other player passed 60.
DIMUTH KARUNARATNE
World cricket's leading run-scoring opener in 2018 and the only Sri Lankan in the ICC Test team of the year announced on Tuesday. Australia's bowlers have had the better of him in the past, with the 30-year-old hitting just one half-century in 12 innings with eight single-figure scores.
DINESH CHANDIMAL
Sri Lanka's leader and another member of their middle order who will have to perform in the absence of Angelo Mathews (hamstring) if they are to win their first Test series in Australia. Has moved to the senior position of No.3, which is likely to suit him given his role as a natural strokemaker.
DILRUWAN PERERA
The visitors' No.1 spinner since the retirement of Rangana Herath last year, he became just the fourth Sri Lankan to pick up 50 wickets in a calendar year last year. The offspinner will however face the challenge of adapting to Australia's wickets after having never played here before and going wicketless in last week's tour match in Canberra.
SURANGA LAKMAL
Exciting young quick who has the ability to swing the ball in at speed. Took six wickets in an innings against South Africa in just his third Test two years ago and was Sri Lanka's leading wicket-taker in New Zealand earlier this summer.
Australian Associated Press