Sri Lankan all-rounder Asela Gunaratne has been ruled out of the ongoing Test series against India.

The news came on the evening of the first day’s play of the Galle Test match. Gunaratene suffered a thumb injury when he dropped Shikhar Dhawan on 31, standing at the second slip position. He was rushed to the hospital later on and it was confirmed that he will not be taking any part in the game. Later in the evening, he was ruled out of the full three match Test series.

(Read Here: Asela Gunaratne Hurt Ater Ball Hit Him on his Thumb)

The news comes as a big blow for the team, as the right-handed batsman played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s win over Zimbabwe when the home side chased a record total of 388.

Apart from batting, he also scalped two wickets and could have been used as a part timer against India, where all the bowlers gave away runs on the day one of the game. His absence has now left Sri Lanka one batsman short, which has further depleted this side.

This is the second blow for Sri Lanka, as already they are missing out on the services of newly appointed captain Dinesh Chadimal, who might miss the second Test as well due to pneumonia. He was to lead the team in the series but the responsibility again fell on the shoulders of Rangana Herath, who made his captaincy debut against Zimbabwe last year.

(Read Here: Sri Lanka Vs India Galle Test Day Report)

Talking of the game, Sri Lanka has an uphill task to put a cap on Indian batsmen, as they have already put up a total of 399 on day one and are on course of scoring something beyond 500, so as they are not asked to bat again. Looking at the batting line-up of Sri Lanka, the chances of the team getting close to the total looks bleak if India crosses the 500-run mark.