Pasindu Sooriyabandara drafted in as concussion substitute during Galle Test after Chandimal injury

Pasindu Sooriyabandara was sent out to bat as a concussion substitute during the opening session of Day 4 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India in Galle. He replaced Dinesh Chandimal after the Sri Lankan veteran sustained a head and shoulder injury earlier in the session.

Chandimal injured himself while attempting a dive to stop a boundary and landed awkwardly, hurting his shoulder and hitting his head. He was immediately removed from the field and taken to hospital for precautionary scans; initial reports indicated no internal injury but further assessment confirmed a concussion. Sri Lanka Cricket then ruled him out of any further participation in the match.

Sri Lanka named uncapped right-handed batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara as Chandimal’s concussion substitute, and the match referee approved him as a like-for-like replacement. That approval allowed Sooriyabandara to enter the contest despite not being part of the original playing XI and to make his Test debut for Sri Lanka.

Sooriyabandara came to the crease on debut and was dismissed first ball by Manav Suthar in India’s second innings. The outcome left him out without scoring on his first appearance at Test level. The report noted that no young cricketer wants such a start to an international career.

The 26-year-old has been viewed as a middle-order batter and has built his reputation through consistent performances in domestic cricket. He was brought in with the hope of bolstering the middle order but was unable to replace the experience Chandimal offered the side in a high-pressure situation.

A concussion substitute is a player permitted to play as a full member of the playing XI in the event of a player sustaining a serious head injury. Pasindu has come in as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal, and the original coverage cited Sri Lanka’s recent struggles and described the chase as a mountain to climb, calling the match possibly one of the biggest of his young career.

Sri Lanka Cricket officially announced the replacement as per ICC regulations after Chandimal’s concussion was confirmed, and the match referee’s like-for-like approval enabled Pasindu Sooriyabandara to make his Test debut in the Galle Test.