Dilshan to play with broken nose

KANPUR, India, (Reuters) - Injured Sri Lanka paceman  bowler Dhammika Prasad will miss the second Test against India starting today but opener Tillekaratne Dilshan will play despite suffering a broken nose.

Prasad, 26, picked up a hamstring strain on the final day  of last week’s high-scoring drawn first Test in Ahmedabad and  will not be considered for the second contest of a three-match series.

Dilshan, who stroked a breezy 112, was injured after  colliding with a team mate while playing soccer after the test.
“Dilshan is fine, broken nose (but) perfectly fine,” skipper Kumar Sangakkara said yesterday.
“Dhammika has a grade  one hamstring strain, and at this moment don’t think he can  play.”
Sri Lanka could include leg spinner Ajantha Mendis after  the unorthodox bowler sat out the first Test, where left-arm  Rengana Herath partnered senior spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

Experienced paceman Dilhara Fernando, summoned as injury  cover, could also play and a decision would be made after a  final inspection of the Green Park pitch, Sangakkara told  reporters.

DHONI FIT

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also passed fit  after a finger injury forced team management to call up fellow  wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as cover.

After seven batsmen stroked hundreds on a flat Ahmedabad  pitch, both sides hoped the Green Park surface would aid  bowlers.
“There is a bit more grass, but it appears dry underneath,”  Sangakkara said.
Dhoni added: “The weather is cool so the fast bowlers will  get help in the mornings and at some point reverse swing will  also come into action. The wicket will also break.”

Sri Lanka have not won any of their 15 Tests in India since  1982, but held the early advantage in Ahmedabad after left-arm  Chanaka Welegedara helped reduce India to 32-4 on the first  morning.

“We can’t relax, we’ve got to keep challenging ourselves,”  Sangakkara said.
He defended world record wicket-taker Muralitharan, 37,  whose form is a worry after failing to impress in the first  test.
“I don’t see him as struggling. He is finding himself in a  new way in the series,” he said. “When you got a legend in your side you got to depend on him but there will always be  expectations.”