SL vs AUS: Praveen Jayawickrama Tests Positive For COVID-19 Ahead Of Second Test

Praveen Jayawickrama, a Sri Lankan spinner, tested positive before the second Test against Australia in Galle and has been ruled out.

It is a huge setback for the hosts, who were looking for parity after losing the first Test by ten wickets in three days.

“When the player was tested (Rapid Antigen Test) this morning, he was found to be Covid positive,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.

“Jayawickrama was immediately separated from the rest of the team members and will now be isolated in a room for five days.”

Mathews was ruled out on the third morning of the first Test, and the team quickly returned to Australia, with touring spinner Nathan Lyon picking up nine wickets.

Praveen Jayawickrama made his Test debut against Bangladesh:

Jayawickrama was named to Sri Lanka’s Test team for the series against Bangladesh in April 2021. He made his Test debut for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh on April 29, 2021. He became the fifth Sri Lankan spinner to achieve a five-wicket haul in a Test match on his debut after taking six wickets for 92 runs in the first innings.

In the second innings, he also claimed five wickets for 86 runs, making him the 16th bowler overall and the first for Sri Lanka to start a Test match with a ten-wicket haul. It was the finest left-arm spinner debut performance in Test cricket history, and it marked Jason Krejza’s first 10-wicket debut since 2008.

The rest of the Sri Lankan team has had tests that have come back negative, and they will play to tie the series. After Angelo Mathews, Praveen Jayawickrama is the second Sri Lankan player to test positive during the first Test. SLC is hoping that Mathews will be able to recover in time for the series’ second and last Test, which will start on Friday.

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