<p>“We are expecting some changes in the side but we will decide the final team this evening,” captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said.<br /><br />“Chanaka Welegedara also has a pain in his knee and his inclusion will depend on the outcome of a fitness test.”<br /><br />Should Welegedara sit out the game, seamer Shaminda Eranga could make his Test debut on Thursday, having made his one-day international debut last month.<br /><br />Mendis is also expected to be recalled for Sri Lanka, who lost by the opening Test by 125 runs. That puts the hosts in a must-win situation in the three-match series if they are to notch only their second-ever series victory over Australia.<br /><br />The pitch at Pallekele will be novel to both sides, with this Test being just the second on the ground, while the first saw little play due to rain.<br /><br />Sri Lanka’s batsmen struggled in Galle, dismissed for 105 in the first innings on a pitch rated poor by the match referee. “All our batsmen know where they fell short but that was not a good pitch,” Dilshan said. “Here we have a good pitch for batting, good for Test cricket. I hope our batsmen will be back among the runs and be a strength to the team.”<br /><br />Shaun Marsh is expected to make his Test debut for Australia, replacing former captain Ricky Ponting, who has returned home for the birth of his second child. The 28-year-old Marsh has played 35 one-dayers and has a healthy average of 37 in first-class cricket.<br /><br />Marsh, accustomed to playing at the top of the batting order, should fill Ponting’s number three slot, meaning the team would not have to shuffle a batting order that performed strongly in the first Test. Apart from Marsh’s inclusion, the visitors are expected to retain the same line-up.<br /><br />“I could have moved to three, Usman (Khawaja) cou-ld have batted at three... he has done it before,” Australia skipper Michael Clarke said. <br /><br />“I thought for the benefit of the team, that straight swap Shaun in for Ricky... probably causes less disruption.”</p>
<p>“We are expecting some changes in the side but we will decide the final team this evening,” captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said.<br /><br />“Chanaka Welegedara also has a pain in his knee and his inclusion will depend on the outcome of a fitness test.”<br /><br />Should Welegedara sit out the game, seamer Shaminda Eranga could make his Test debut on Thursday, having made his one-day international debut last month.<br /><br />Mendis is also expected to be recalled for Sri Lanka, who lost by the opening Test by 125 runs. That puts the hosts in a must-win situation in the three-match series if they are to notch only their second-ever series victory over Australia.<br /><br />The pitch at Pallekele will be novel to both sides, with this Test being just the second on the ground, while the first saw little play due to rain.<br /><br />Sri Lanka’s batsmen struggled in Galle, dismissed for 105 in the first innings on a pitch rated poor by the match referee. “All our batsmen know where they fell short but that was not a good pitch,” Dilshan said. “Here we have a good pitch for batting, good for Test cricket. I hope our batsmen will be back among the runs and be a strength to the team.”<br /><br />Shaun Marsh is expected to make his Test debut for Australia, replacing former captain Ricky Ponting, who has returned home for the birth of his second child. The 28-year-old Marsh has played 35 one-dayers and has a healthy average of 37 in first-class cricket.<br /><br />Marsh, accustomed to playing at the top of the batting order, should fill Ponting’s number three slot, meaning the team would not have to shuffle a batting order that performed strongly in the first Test. Apart from Marsh’s inclusion, the visitors are expected to retain the same line-up.<br /><br />“I could have moved to three, Usman (Khawaja) cou-ld have batted at three... he has done it before,” Australia skipper Michael Clarke said. <br /><br />“I thought for the benefit of the team, that straight swap Shaun in for Ricky... probably causes less disruption.”</p>
