However the fourth meeting between the two teams which takes place at Pallekele Stadium today could see a change in fortunes for the visitors who have picked themselves up very well from the 0-3 whitewash they suffered in the Test series to beat Sri Lanka pretty convincingly 4-1 in the five-match one-day international series that ended on Sunday.

Although Australia won the fifth ODI it came at a price because they lost two of their key players who make up their T20 squad. Star batsman Aaron Finch fractured his finger and Chris Lynn dislocated his shoulder to be ruled out of the two T20 internationals against Sri Lanka.

Lynn has a dislocated left shoulder suffered during a routine fielding drill before the fifth ODI and Finch was forced from the field during the Sri Lanka innings when he hurt his right index finger attempting a catch which later was confirmed as a fracture.

One-day specialists – wicket-keeper Mathew Wade and batsman George Bailey will replace them in the T20 squad.

Australia will also be strengthened by the inclusion of hard-hitting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, a surprise omission in the ODI series. Maxwell’s last innings against Sri Lanka was a brutal 102 off 53 balls in a World Cup match at Sydney last year, an innings which Sri Lankan bowlers picked in the squad for the two T20Is will remember – Sachitra Senanayake, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thisara Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Dilshan who retired from ODIs in the third match of the series will play his final two T20Is against Australia before stepping down from that format also. His final appearance is scheduled for September 9 when Sri Lanka and Australia play the second T20I at the R Premadasa Stadium where a sell-out crowd is expected to turn up.

Dilshan is the leading run-getter for Sri Lanka in the T20I series between the two countries with 247 runs from 8 matches and is also the only batsmen from either side to score a hundred in this short format.

Certain comments the retiring veteran made at the end of the third ODI have not gone down well with some of the team members, one of whom Angelo Mathews will not be present at his farewell after a grade two tear on his right calf ruled him out of the final ODI and the two T20Is.

The full list of players short-listed for the auctions has been released. It includes 130 capped players, 219 uncapped players and two from Associate Nations.

Out of these, 230 are Indians and 121 foreigners. The list was trimmed down from the original list of 714 cricketers who had given their names for the IPL auctions.

29 Australian capped cricketers have been short-listed for the auction. They are followed by players from India (26), West Indies (20), South Africa (18), Sri Lanka (16), New Zealand, (9), England (7) and Bangladesh (5).

Yuvraj Singh, Kevin Pietersen, Ashish Nehra, Shane Watson, Ishant Sharma, Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik, Stuart Binny and Dhawal Kulkarni are among the cricketers who have been listed with a base price of Rs 2 Crore (the highest base price bracket).

Yuvraj, who was left out of Delhi Daredevils, had fetched the highest price in the last two IPL auctions. Having returned to the national fold ahead of the ICC World T20, he is likely to attract a high bid in the upcoming auction.

Delhi Daredevils, who have released some of their biggest buys from the previous season – Yuvraj Singh and Angelo Mathews have the heaviest purse going into the auction – Rs 37.15 crore. They are followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have Rs 30.15 crore going into the auction. The two new franchises – Rising Pune Super Giants and Rajkot are joint-third on the list with Rs 27 crore each in their kitty.

Kings XI Punjab (Rs 23 crore), Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rs 21.625 crore) and Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 17.95 crore) follow them on the list. Defending champions Mumbai Indians, seem settled with the unit that played last year. They released 10 players from the contract list and have Rs 14.405 crore going into the auction.

T20 captain Lasith Malinga is the only Sri Lankan retained by a franchise (Mumbai Indians) in the IPL.

Sri Lanka players –

Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Sachitra Senanayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Milinda Siriwardana, Isuru Udana, Dilshan Munaweera, Seekkuge Prasanna

The squads for the One-Day International and Twenty20 series were also picked.

Both Silva and Thirimanne have been struggling for form in the recent home Test series against West Indies and their places in the team will be taken by Kusal Mendis who has been promoted to be Dimuth Karunaratne’s new opening partner and, Udara Jayasundara who has been given the task of filling the vital number three slot.

Jayasundara, a 24-year-old left-hander from Ananda College who represents Ragama CC in the Premier league has scored 10 centuries in 56 first-class matches which include a highest score of 222.

Mendis, 20 made his Test debut in the West Indies series and scored 13 and 39 batting at number three.

“We have selected the squads solely on current form which has been the determining factor in the process,” said chairman of selectors Kapila Wijegunawardene.

“We have kept faith in the players who have shown form in the recent tour to New Zealand with the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team and picked Jayasundara and Kithuruwan Vithanage,” he said.

Wijegunawardene said that Kaushal Silva was dropped because the selection committee felt that “he wasn’t playing his natural game and his performances was not upto the expectations of the team”.

“We left Thirimanne out to give him time to sort out his form and regain his confidence,” he said.

In Silva’s case it was more than his failure to contribute the factor that weighed against him was his over cautiousness. He crossed the fifty mark only once in his last 11 innings.

Thirimanne on the other hand has not scored a Test hundred since March 2013 and gone through 28 innings scoring just two fifties. The left-hander however retains his place in the ODI squad.

In the absence of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who are now retired and the exclusion of Kaushal Silva and Thirimanne the Sri Lankan batting line up will have a new look with the inclusion of players like Kusal Mendis, Udara Jayasundara, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Kusal Perera and Milinda Siriwardana with a heavy responsibility lying on the shoulder of skipper Angelo Mathews. The bowling unit has not undergone any major changes but for the inclusion of Jeffrey Vandersay. The 25-year-old leggie has been knocking on the door for recognition with some sterling performances for the Board President’s team and the Sri Lanka ‘A’ side in the past few months and richly deserves his selection. He has been included not only in the Test squad but also in the other two formats as well. “Jeffrey has performed well and we thought a wrist spinner would be of value to the side. His selection will depend on the conditions and pitches in New Zealand, but nevertheless we have picked him with a long term view,” said Wijegunawardene.

Hard hitting right-hander Chamara Kapugedera has been named in the ODI and T20 squads. In recent times Kapugedera has been picked to play only in the shortest format T20, but his inclusion for the ODI matches is an indication the selectors think he can still deliver in that format as well. He last played in an ODI in 2012.

Sri Lanka will play a series of two Tests, five ODIs and two T20Is during their five-week tour that commences with a three-day warm-up game against a New Zealand Board President’s XI at Queenstown on December 3.

THE SQUADS

TESTS

Angelo Mathews (captain), Rangana Herath (vice-captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Udara Jayasundara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Kusal Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilruwan Perera, Jeffrey Vandersay.

ODIs

Angelo Mathews (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhanushka Gunathilaka, Sachitra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Dhammika Prasad, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Chamara Kapugedera, Jeffrey Vandersay.

T20Is

Lasith Malinga (captain), Kusal Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Milinda Siriwardana, Chamara Kapugedera, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dushmantha Chameera, Thisara Perera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Sachitra Senanayake, Isuru Udana.

The loss was Sri Lanka ninth at this venue in 10 matches, the solitary win coming in 2012 against Pakistan by 16 runs. It was at this venue that Sri Lanka lost the World T20 final to West Indies in 2012.

The win gave Darren Sammy’s West Indies team their first success of a five-week tour that saw them lose the Test series (0-2) and the ODI series (0-3).

Sammy’s pre-match wish to return home with a win was fulfilled by fast bowlers Ravi Rampaul and Man of the Match Dwayne Bravo who between them took seven wickets as Sri Lanka suffered a batting collapse losing nine wickets for 46 runs after being strongly placed at 93-1 in the 13th over. West Indies bowled and fielded brilliantly to defend their total of 162 and dismissed Sri Lanka for 139 off the final ball of the match.

Top scorer for Sri Lanka was veteran opener Tillakaratne Dilshan with 52 off 38 balls. Shehan Jayasuriya made 30 but the rest of the batting disappointed as the West Indies tightened their grip on the game following the dismissal of Dilshan at 102 in the 14th over. Rampaul’s double strike in the 14th over pegged Sri Lanka back and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Rampaul sent back Dinesh Chandimal for one and Dilshan both caught in the deep before Bravo got into the act to ensure there was no late recovery by the Lankans.

Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekera kept things tight for the first four overs conceding just 17 runs when the first bowling – Sachitra Senanayake brought a flurry of runs and got West Indies moving into top gear. Johnson Charles dismissed without scoring at Pallekele greeted Senanayake by clobbering him for 22 runs off his first over inclusive of three sixes and one four.

Dushmantha Chameera also suffered the same fate going for 22 in his first over where he was unlucky to have Fletcher (16) dropped at cover by Shehan Jayasuriya. The batting power play produced 61 runs off the first six overs.

Jayasuriya however offset the lapse in the following over with a brilliant piece of fielding on the fine leg boundary to run out Marlon Samuels for one with a direct hit.

With Fletcher and Charles looking extremely dangerous in their partnership which had raised 62 off 6.2 overs it was the man with the golden arm Milinda Siriwardana whom skipper Lasith Malinga had to turn to for the breakthrough. Siriwardana trapped both openers lbw off successive overs to check the West Indies run flow. When Dushmantha Chameera had Andre Russell caught at deep fine leg by Dinesh Chandimal West Indies were 97-4 in the 12th over.

Contributions of 31 and 34 not out from Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin respectively gave West Indies a decent total of 162 to defend.

A slim and fit Malinga bowling with his usual fire and Siriwardana were the pick of the Lankan bowlers claiming two wickets apiece.

The Sri Lanka players wore yellow arm bands as a mark of respect to Most Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has invited 25 of Sri Lanka’s top cricketers for the BPL, but Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee has taken a decision not to grant them permission to participate as they want the players to be focussed on the upcoming tour of New Zealand starting next month.

The list of players invited includes those from the National, ‘A’ and T20 teams who will be involved in matches during the New Zealand tour.

Those invited are: Chamara Kapugedera, Dilshan Munaweera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Isuru Udana, Dilruwan Perera, Chaturanga de Silva, Farveez Maharoof, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dhammika Prasad, Milinda Siriwardana, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kosala Kulasekara, Binura Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kituruwan Vithanage, Niroshan Dickwella, Prasanna Jayawardene, Ashan Priyanjan, Sachith Pathirana, Sachitra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara, Seekkuge Prasanna, Upul Tharanga, Jeevan Mendis.

“We have not approved the players contracted to us centrally and provincially because we have an important tour of New Zealand coming up and want them to be fully concentrated on it,” said Sri Lanka Cricket’s Head of Operations Carlton Bernadus.

“Recently Sri Lanka Cricket enhanced the fees for all the players participating in our domestic tournaments,” he pointed out.

Bernadus said the respective clubs were responsible for releasing cricketers who are outside the SLC contracts.

Sri Lanka were set a revised target of 163 in 26 overs with the the Duckworth and Lewis system coming into play after West Indies reached 159 for 8 in their 26 overs.

Sri Lanka was on course for a win ,but with the dismissal of Angelo Mathews and a three wicket burst in one over by Sunil Narine saw Sri Lanka drifting towards a certain defeat losing four wickets for 13 runs at one stage. Ajantha Mendis a bowler turned batsman turned the tide of the match towards the host with an unbeaten 21 facing 20 deliveries and achieving victory with a six.

Windies were 40 for 3 in the 15th over when rain intervened, and their middle order comprising Andre Russell (41) and skipper Jason Holder 36 guided them towards their final destination 159 for 8.

Play began around 3.40 pm under lights, and Sri Lanka electing to field after winning the toss got off to a resounding start.z_p28-sccc.jpg

With conditions suitable for pace bowling Lasith Malinga opened with a maiden to Andre Fletcher.

But in the third ball of Suranga Lakmal’s first over he trapped Johnson Charles lbw and Lakmal in his next over forced Marlon Samuels to cut a short ball and Tillekeratne Dilshan at backward point took a tumbling catch. Danushka Gunatileka and Shehan Jayasuriya made their ODI debut, and after five overs each bowled by Malinga and Suranga Lakmal who took the wickets of Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles and Marlon Samuels, spin was introduced in the company of Sachitra Senanayake and Shehan Jayasuriya. In the tenth over.

With the score reading 40 for 3 after 14.3 overs a steady drizzle drove the players into their respective dressing rooms.

The persistence drizzle did not permit the covers to be taken off fully and it was a case of the ground staff covering and uncovering the playing surface from time to time.

However, after a tremendous job by the ground staff, play was possible around 8.30 pm with the overs reduced to 26 overs per side.

Shehan Jayasuriya completing his unfinished over clean bowled Jonathan Carter while cutting. But Andre Russell who displayed his batting prowess in the practice game was quickly on his strides, Russell and Darren Bravo were engaged in a 58 run stand for the fifth wicket and Andre struck a quick fire 41 facing twenty three deliveries with three fours and three sixes to uplift the tempo.

In the quest of quick runs Darren Bravo moved away from his stumps for a big hit and was bowled by Ajantha Mendis, then skipper Jason Holder hit a rapid 36 off thirteen balls with two fours and three sixes as the West indian reached 159 for 8 in 26 overs.

Suranga Lakmal who gave the early break through finished with 3 for 15 and Ajantha Mendis took 2 for 46 in his four overs.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan will renew their rivalry in the One Day format when the two teams meet each other in a day game starting today at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium

Pakistan having already clinched the Test series 2/1 has been elevated to number three in the Test ranking , will now look forward to winning the ODI series against Sri Lanka which will make them eligible to take part in the 2017 Champions Trophy to be held in England.

Pakistan at the moment is placed ninth in the ICC ODI rankings, and they will have to beat Sri Lanka to go one step up and occupy the number eight spot to play in the Champions Trophy.

While the visitors will go all out to achieve their objective ,Sri Lanka will try to make amends by winning the series as they did on the last occasion when the two teams met last August. Sri Lanka beat Pakistan at the same venue.

The Lankans with the return of veteran T.M.Dilshan, explosive opener Kusal Janith Perera and with the experience of Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirmanne, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal and Thisara Perera should hold the batting together.

The return of Lasith Malinga along with Seekuge Prasanna and Sachitra Senanayake should provide variety in the bowling.

The Pakistanis too are in a team building process. They will be led by Azhar Ali the prolific run scorer. And there are wicket keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammed Hafeez Ahmed Shehzad, and Ashad Shafiq. With the absence of Riyaz Wahab who was injured during the first Test in Galle, the six foot seven inch Mohammed Irfan Rahat Ali and Yasir Shah should form a good combination.

The teams:

Sri Lanka (from): Angelo Mathews (Captain) T.M.Dilshan, Kusal Janith Perera, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardene, Ashan Priyanjan, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Sachitra Senanayake, Seekuge Prasanna, Sachith Pathirana.

Pakistan (from): Azhar Ali (Captain), Sarfraz Ahmed (V.Captain), Mohammed Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Azar Shafiq, Imad Wasim, Shoib Malik, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Barba Azam, Bilal Asif, Eshan Adil, Mohammed Irfan.