Lakmal says he is happy to contribute to the team with a dream five for

By Dhammika Ratnaweera

Once a vice-captain, then a stand-in captain and currently under pressure of losing his spot in the team, Sri Lanka lanky paceman Suranga Lakmal has always been a regular contributor to Sri Lanka’s success in test cricket. As he took five wickets for 75 to contain an Australian batting line up at the Gabba Cricket stadium on day two, Suranga Lakmal said that taking a five-wicket haul against Australia on their home soil was a dream come true.

Sri Lankan paceman Suranga Lakmal said that he was very keen to contribute towards the success of the team in whatever way possible and is happy to contain the Australian batting line up who was taking the match away from us. “On the opening day, there was a lot of grass and movement for the ball but on day two it was not easy taking wickets on that track as batsmen were getting on runs.” explained Lakmal.

Having taken two wickets earlier, Lakmal struck in the 90th over to remove Travis Head after making 84 runs and then sent back Tim Paine in the last ball of the over. “I want to thank everyone in the team, without whose support I could not have taken these wickets, it was disappointing that I could not make the hat-tricket chance.” said Lakmal, who delivered the hat-trick ball outside the leg stump.

However, he trapped Kurtis Patterson in the 104th over to complete a five-wicket haul in Australia. Suranga the right arm medium paceman has already taken 132 wickets in 54 test matches and this was his third five wickets haul.

Lakmal, who was Lanka’s consistent seam bowler in the recent past was bestowed with vice-captaincy, which he used well to perform as stand-in captain winning three out of five matches. Nevertheless, the latest selection committee headed by experienced selector and paceman himself stripped Lakmal from vice-captaincy to groom opening batsman Dimuth Karunarathna as a future captain, who fell on the last ball of the day.