Will bat wherever team requires me to – Chandimal

There are five wicketkeeper-batsmen in Sri Lanka’s squad. Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva bat too high in the order to take up the gloves, it is thought. Niroshan Dickwella has not played since 2014. Kusal Perera is yet to arrive in England. So it is the most established batsman of the lot – Dinesh Chandimal – who has begun the last four Tests as designated keeper.

Chandimal’s keeping and his batting position have become something of a dilemma for Sri Lanka. His average as a wicketkeeper-batsman – 50.82 – is much better than his average of 35.31 as specialist batsman. His returns also suggest he is much more effective at No. 6 than in the top five, averaging 85.57 in nine innings there, in comparison with an overall average of 45.18.

But with no other batsmen staking a claim on the No.4 batting position, which Chandimal has occupied over the past four Tests, Sri Lanka have decisions to make ahead of the Lord’s Test. Do they play Chandimal in the position he has been most successful, or keep him at No.4, where he appears more likely to contribute than any other candidate? There is then the question of whether he should have the gloves if he bats at No.4. In Sri Lanka’s first three innings of the series, he was batting by the 12th over, …

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