Lasith Embuldeniya - Sri Lankan spinner

[Markhor]

Kusal Perera rightly will get most of the plaudits for a magnificent hundred in the run chase vs SA.

However this young man also played a key role with a 5-fer in SA's 2nd innings.

He's a tall spinner who used the bounce of the surface well and extracted a good amount of turn. Hopefully he can be the successor to Rangana Herath that SL have been searching for.

[Hasan123]

Really like the look of him. Has the height to get extra bounce as well. Should be given a long run.

[Deewana Mastana]

Pakistan will fold like a pack of cards against him in UAE or Sri Lanka.

[Amirforpresident]

A 5-er on your debut in SA. Pretty good I would say

[Markhor]

Pakistan will fold like a pack of cards against him in UAE or Sri Lanka.

This guy has 5-fer vs Pakistan written all over him later this year.

[saeed5646]

Have not seen him bowl but he have very good record in domestic+excellent start in SA .i hope he is next herath for SL

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Hasn't sri Lanka already won a test in Durban before? South Africa should never give a test here for touring Asian sides

[leatherface58]

Hasn't sri Lanka already won a test in Durban before? South Africa should never give a test here for touring Asian sides

South Africa has a horrible record at Durban. averages like 18 there.

[jnaveen1980]

Hasn't sri Lanka already won a test in Durban before? South Africa should never give a test here for touring Asian sides

Faf has talked about this. As per him pitch was so slow that they relished SA's fast bowling on this pitch. Problem is not their bowling. Their batting. You cannot make subpar scores against this below par bowling attack. Apart from Lakmal others are barely average.

[Hasan123]

Surely would have been a better option than 36 year old Mendis.

[Realromeo]

Surely would have been a better option than 36 year old Mendis.

Sri Lanka love bits and piece of cricketer that are not batsmen nor bowler. I still can't understand how Thisara is in the team.

[Hasan123]

Sri Lanka love bits and piece of cricketer that are not batsmen nor bowler. I still can't understand how Thisara is in the team.

There was a number of questionable selections in Sri Lanka World Cup squad.

[ARK Rafay]

Sri Lanka love bits and piece of cricketer that are not batsmen nor bowler. I still can't understand how Thisara is in the team.

And also they drop dollies.

[Realromeo]

There was a number of questionable selections in Sri Lanka World Cup squad.

Like why 37 year old Jeevan Mendis, is he poorerthan AKila or Sandakan ? IS Chandimal worse than Danayajaya De Silva? I mean so many questions. Why bring a test specialist that last played in the last WC straight to the next wc ? What happened to Dickwella ? Gunitakala ? Guratne ? I mean these guys genuinly looked like the the future stars ?

[Hasan123]

Like why 37 year old Jeevan Mendis, is he poorerthan AKila or Sandakan ? IS Chandimal worse than Danayajaya De Silva? I mean so many questions. Why bring a test specialist that last played in the last WC straight to the next wc ? What happened to Dickwella ? Gunitakala ? Guratne ? I mean these guys genuinly looked like the the future stars ?

Agreed. They went with experience rather than backing the players they invested a few years in.

[KoyoAli]

Has taken 2 wickets against England as of now. Looks really good. Could be Sri Lankas next big wicket taking option after Hearth

[MenInG]

Lasith Embuldeniya versus England's openers:

Crawley c de Silva b Embuldeniya 9
Sibley c Thirimanne b Embuldeniya 4
Crawley c Mendis b Embuldeniya 8
Sibley b Embuldeniya 2
Crawley c Thirimanne b Embuldeniya 5
Sibley lbw b Embuldeniya 0#SLvENG #Cricket

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) January 23, 2021

[AAli98]

Only a matter of time Warne will tweet “ his the best his ever seen”

[Saj]

The Indian spinners must be licking their lips at the thought of bowling to these English openers.

[Bewal Express]

Compare him to the dross that is our spinners these days. Even on flat wickets, his flight will keep him in the game.

[Ahson8]

He's quality.

[Robert]

He has the number of the England openers.

[MenInG]

He has the number of the England openers.

Now taken all 4 wickets to fall - looking very threatening

[Firebat]

Finishes Day 3 of this 2nd Test with figures of 7/132 so far in England's 1st innings. Sri Lanka have taken 9 wickets, 7 of them his.

He is a wonderful spinner, a joy to watch. Remains to see if he can replicate such bowling outside Sri Lanka, but he looks absolutely a fabulous prospect

[leatherface58]

Finishes Day 3 of this 2nd Test with figures of 7/132 so far in England's 1st innings. Sri Lanka have taken 9 wickets, 7 of them his.

He is a wonderful spinner, a joy to watch. Remains to see if he can replicate such bowling outside Sri Lanka, but he looks absolutely a fabulous prospect

Funnily enough, his record outside Sri Lanka is better than in Sri Lanka. Very early days but his away record is beefed up by that insane Kusal Perera series in South Africa.

[shaz619]

He has bowled beautifully in this series, has been a treat to watch

[Mamoon]

I saw him properly for the first time in the first Test and I couldn’t make sense of his woeful career stats, because he looked a far better bowler than what his numbers showed.

The dismissal of Bairstow in the first innings of the first Test in particular was highly impressive, a delivery that would have made Herath proud.

It is great to see him starting to fulfill his potential. He is the true successor to Herath and will take 300+ Test wickets.

[Esfahani]

I saw him properly for the first time in the first Test and I couldn’t make sense of his woeful career stats, because he looked a far better bowler than what his numbers showed.

The dismissal of Bairstow in the first innings of the first Test in particular was highly impressive, a delivery that would have made Herath proud.

It is great to see him starting to fulfill his potential. He is the true successor to Herath and will take 300+ Test wickets.

lets hope they dont find out he "chucks" or make a rule to stop his career

[Mamoon]

lets hope they dont find out he "chucks" or make a rule to stop his career

Like they did with Herath?

There is no conspiracy here. The ICC does not go after bowlers with clean actions.

His action is as clean as it gets.

[Nikhil_cric]

He's the only good bowler SL have currently and I'm not convinced that he's all that outside Asia, 5-fer in SA notwithstanding.

[rollingstoned]

I saw him properly for the first time in the first Test and I couldn’t make sense of his woeful career stats, because he looked a far better bowler than what his numbers showed.

The dismissal of Bairstow in the first innings of the first Test in particular was highly impressive, a delivery that would have made Herath proud.

It is great to see him starting to fulfill his potential. He is the true successor to Herath and will take 300+ Test wickets.

he is the goods, took a 5-fer in south africa too and has a very nice action. he is one of those spinners who doesn't look like he will vanish into oblivion like many sl spinners. kaushal and sandakan come to mind.

[Thunderbolt14]

Future Sri Lankan great. Bowling all rounder.

[Hasan123]

Can definitely see him having a good career. Still needs a bit of development.

[Zaz]

Looks quality

Its a shame hes bowling with pie chuckers at the other end

[Gabbar Singh]

Hopefully he can become a replacement for Herath. Looks like he has some potential with the bat too - could become a decent number 8 batter.

[shaz619]

He's the only good bowler SL have currently and I'm not convinced that he's all that outside Asia, 5-fer in SA notwithstanding.

It’s not like he has the best support, the SL bowling attack are a bunch of jobbers. In this series alone with a little more support Lanka may have won, there is no one else capable of holding an end; majority of this fellas dismissals have been feats of individual brilliance because the other clowns kept releasing the pressure he had built

[shariqnoor]

IF he works on his batting, he'll be a proper shoe-in for the best allrounders in the game. Easily a 300+ Test wicket bowler.

[RedwoodOriginal]

He's a very good bowler. The reason for his dismal stats is the lack of support he is given by Sri Lanka's horrendous bowling attack. Perera who used to be half way decent in Sri Lanka when he was bowling with Herath has gone downhill in a particularly big way.

He also has the fifth highest wickets in test cricket since the start of 2020 which shows just how much he has been carrying Sri Lanka's bowling attack.

[RedwoodOriginal]

The Indian spinners must be licking their lips at the thought of bowling to these English openers.

Time to bring back Keaton Jennings

[King_Kohli]

His flight reminds me Venkatapathi Raju.

[Slog]

He seemed so innocuous when I saw him in Karachi in 2019 but seems like he’s picked up since then

[Nikhil_cric]

It’s not like he has the best support, the SL bowling attack are a bunch of jobbers. In this series alone with a little more support Lanka may have won, there is no one else capable of holding an end; majority of this fellas dismissals have been feats of individual brilliance because the other clowns kept releasing the pressure he had built

I agree with this Shazzy. It's the worst bowling attack amongst top teams. Even their other spinners are trash. Dilruwan is too old and they still keep playing him.