Rex Clementine in Galle

Sri Lanka’s Head Coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, wasn’t exactly a happy camper after being cornered into leaving out all-rounder Milan Ratnayake for the first Test against New Zealand, especially following his stellar debut in England last month.

It seems, though, the winds of change are blowing, and the selectors might have to rethink their strategy for the second Test, which kicks off in Galle this Thursday.

Playing on home soil, where the pitches turn more, a seam-bowling all-rounder like Ratnayake can feel a bit like a fish out of water. But given the current situation, the selectors may be forced to bring him back into the fold in a bid to strengthen batting of the tail.

Ratnayake has proven his mettle with both bat and ball. His steady medium pace racked up ten wickets during the three-Test series in England, and he wasn’t too shabby with the bat either—chipping in with a crucial 72 at Old Trafford and a tidy 43 at Lord’s.

If Ratnayake gets the nod, he’ll likely bat at number eight, adding some much-needed steel to the lower order and pushing Prabath Jayasuriya down to number nine. But that’s just one of the cards Sri Lanka are looking to play.

There’s talk of debuting off-spinner Nishan Peiris, who’s been roped in to replace the injured left-arm seamer, Vishwa Fernando. If Peiris makes his Test debut, he’ll become Sri Lanka’s 167th Test cricketer.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva, meanwhile, has a bone to pick with off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, who, in the first Test, bowled too many loose deliveries, letting the pressure slip through. This isn’t the first time Mendis has struggled with his lengths. As things stand, Sri Lanka may show him the door alongside fast bowler Lahiru Kumara.

One recurring thorn in Sri Lanka’s side has been the lack of contribution from their tailenders. Though Jayasuriya has laid down the law, making it mandatory for bowlers to sharpen their batting skills in the nets, it looks like it’s a work in the process.

Dhananjaya acknowledged that, statistically, Sri Lanka’s tail-end has been dragging its feet, posting the worst record for lower-order contributions with the bat.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Sri Lanka leads the two-match series 1-0, and a draw in Galle would be enough to clinch their first series win against the Kiwis in 15 years. But why stop at a draw when the scent of victory is in the air? A win here could put Sri Lanka in the driver’s seat for a crack at the World Test Championship finals at Lord’s next summer.

Sri Lanka have five more matches in the World Test Championship. After the upcoming clash with New Zealand, the team is set to tour South Africa in December and then host Australia in Galle in January—both tours will feature two-match series.