Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva eyes Test Championship points against England

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka Dhananjaya de Silva is optimistic about his team's chances of improving their position in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The upcoming Test match at Lord's presents an opportunity for Sri Lanka to secure their first-ever victory in the five-day format at the iconic venue.
Despite a valiant effort in the first Test at Old Trafford, Sri Lanka suffered a narrow five-wicket defeat.To keep their hopes alive in the three-match series, the tourists must emerge victorious at Lord's, a ground where they have drawn six and lost two of their eight previous encounters.
A win would level the series at 1-1, setting the stage for a decisive final Test at the Oval next month.
De Silva is mindful of Sri Lanka's current standing in the WTC table, where they occupy the fifth position, just below England. A strong performance in the remaining matches could potentially propel them higher in the rankings.
"It is all about getting a Test win," he told a pre-match press conference at Lord's on Wednesday, as quoted by AFP. "It will mean a lot for the country. But more importantly we need to get points in the World Test Championship.
"We are more confident heading into this game. We were confident at Old Trafford as well but we failed to deliver. We have to be clear with our plans and execute them well."
Nissanka and Kumara recalled
Sri Lanka have altered their lineup with a pair of modifications.
Pathum Nissanka, who has thrived in ODIs this year but hasn't featured in a Test since 2022, takes the place of Kusal Mendis in the upper order. Meanwhile, right-arm fast bowler Lahiru Kumara has been brought in to replace left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando.
"Overall, Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment," said De Silva. "He has a good mindset and he has a good technique."
Dinesh Chandimal, who scored a resilient 79 in the second innings at Old Trafford, has been included in the squad despite a painful thumb injury sustained while batting against fast bowler Mark Wood. However, he may not take up wicketkeeping duties, with Nishan Madushka on standby to step in behind the stumps.
England will be missing the injured Wood for the Lord's Test, but De Silva noted that new-ball specialist Chris Woakes has been a more challenging opponent for Sri Lanka's batsmen.
"I am not concerned about the speed," the 32-year-old middle-order batsman explained. "Speed is not troubling us. It is the line and length that's troubling us. Chris Woakes is able to bowl 20 to 30 balls at one area and that's what is troubling us."
One Sri Lanka batsman arriving at Lord's in top form is Kamindu Mendis.
The left-hander notched his third century in just four Tests with a brilliant 113 at Old Trafford, giving him an impressive average of 92.16 as he prepares to fulfill a childhood dream by playing at Lord's.
"It was a dream to play at Lord's when I was a boy," said the 25-year-old Mendis. "I'm excited to play here."
Sri Lanka team for second Test: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka (wkt), Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake