Lakmal wants good rhythm to continue

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Sri Lanka fast bowler Suranga Lakmal is eager to build on the relative success gathered during last week's series opener against South Africa in Galle, when the second and final Test gets underway in Colombo on Thursday.

Sri Lanka fast bowler Suranga Lakmal is eager to build on the relative success gathered during last week's series opener against South Africa in Galle, when the second and final Test gets underway in Colombo on Thursday.

Lakmal clinched three key wickets in the first innings and was very economical in the second, leading the attack throughout after fellow seamer seamer Shaminda was unable to bowl due to a hand injury.

"I feel like I am in good rhythm after Galle. I had to do something I didn't anticipate there, with having to take on Eranga's overs after he got injured. But I felt I was bowling well," said Lakmal.

"For a long time Sri Lanka has won matches through spin bowling," Lakmal said. "We've been able to change that a bit over past few months. Going ahead, we just need to develop our strengths further, and maybe bowl more and more cleverly."

Left-armer Chanaka Welegedara or right-armer Dhammika Prasad will likely replace Eranga at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal, meanwhile, has been dropped – and the uncapped Niroshan Dickwella called up.

"In the past little while, the fast bowlers have always trained as a group – that's me, Eranga, Welegedara, Prasad and others as well. We work hard with the coach and share what we have with each other, in terms of knowledge and skill," added Eranga.

"If you take our four main fast bowlers in this series, we're four different types of bowlers, all with different strengths. I think if Eranga and I bowl, opposition batsmen have to face each of us differently. That's useful. What I try to do is take wickets with swing, most of the time."

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