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by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

There were Test recalls for fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa, opening bat Avishka Gunawardene and leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi in the Sri Lanka squad named for the first cricket Test against Australia starting at the Galle International Stadium on Monday.

Also included in the 15-member squad was uncapped 21-year-old right-arm fast-medium bowler Nuwan Kulasekara.

Zoysa, the lanky left-armer was expected to be included in the squad after turning on a match-winning performance in the fifth and final one-day international against Australia at the SSC which signalled his return to international cricket after 18 months.

He returned to the international fold in the third match of the series at the R. Premadasa Stadium but reserved his best performance for the last on his home ground where he captured three wickets and hit a career best 47 not out to steer his country to a three-wicket win.

He played the last of his 24 Tests in May 2002 against England at Birmingham. New boy Kulasekara has bowled impressively in the limited opportunities he has got in one-day internationals and his inclusion justifies the fact that the selectors are hard pressed for quick bowlers with two of the most experienced Dilhara Fernando and Prabath Nissanka on the injured list and four others going on the 'A' tour to New Zealand.

Left-handed opener Gunawardene gets a look in after his impressive batting for Sri Lanka Cricket President's XI in the 3-day practice match against the Australians at the CCC. Against a fiery Brett Lee, Gunawardene stood tall spanking 15 fours in compiling a top score of 70. The next highest was 17.

In six years of international cricket Gunawardene has played in only three Tests.

Promising leg-spinner Lokuarachchi returns to the Test squad after missing out the England series, the period he was serving a four-month disciplinary ban imposed by Sri Lanka Cricket following a fatal late-night car crash last August.

SRI LANKA SQUAD FOR FIRST TEST AT GALLE

BATSMEN Age Tests

Hashan Tillakaratne, c (NCC) 36 80
Marvan Atapattu, vc (SSC) 33 68
Sanath Jayasuriya (Bloomfield) 34 83
Kumar Sangakkara (NCC) w/k 26 33
Mahela Jayawardene (SSC) 26 54
Tilan Samaraweera (SSC) 27 14
Tillakaratne Dilshan (Bloomfield) 27 12
Avishka Gunawardene (SSC) 26 3

FAST-MEDIUM BOWLERS

Chaminda Vaas (Colts) 30 71
Nuwan Zoysa (SSC) 25 24
Nuwan Kulasekara (Galle CC) 21 -

SPINNERS

Muttiah Muralitharan (Tamil Union) 31 85
Kumar Dharmasena (Bloomfield) 32 30
Upul Chandana (NCC) 31 9
Kaushal Lokuarachchi (Bloomfield) 21 3

[Subject to Sports Ministry ratification]

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