Home series great opportunity to start WTC cycle strong, says Dhananjaya de Silva

Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva said the team will begin their 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle with a four-man bowling attack.

"We're thinking we will go with a two-two combination (two spinners, two seamers) and we haven't finalized that," said the skipper. "We'll be looking at the four players who are bowling the best at the moment, and look to use those players."

Dhananjaya said that Sri Lanka missed making the WTC final last time but insisted they would try to achieve it in this cycle. The skipper wants his team to leave behind the past agony – Sri Lanka were comfortably placed before losing out following a whitewash by the two finalists South Africa and Australia – and move forward.

"We had a big chance to get to the final but unfortunately we couldn't do it and even yesterday, when I talked to the boys, I reminded them where we could have been – at Lord's this week – and where we ended up.

"As we start a new cycle, we know we have to win our home series. We need to pick up all those points. It's a great opportunity to start this cycle strong, especially with a home series."

The Sri Lankan skipper also stated that he's not looking at the lack of recent red-ball cricket as any excuse.

"Our job as professionals is to adapt to any situation. We have to play the situations we're given – we can't blame anyone. Last year we got a few Tests, but this year we didn't, and that's not something that is in our hands. But we need to prepare for the situations that we do get," he said.

"We've had a good National Super League recently, and we've had good preparation through that. We've also identified a few good youngsters. We're looking to embark on this next journey with them."