Wisden overview
Niroshan Bandaratilleke returned match figures of 9 for 82 in only his second Test, against New Zealand at Galle in 1997-98, but they were not enough to establish him as the long-term partner for Muttiah Muralitharan. An orthodox left-arm spinner with a flat trajectory, he likes to hit the deck hard, but the pitches were not to his liking on Sri Lanka's 1998 tour of England, and he was jettisoned after just one more Test. Still only 26, and a capable batsman to boot, he was recalled to the squad for the home 2001-02 series against West Indies, and has ample time to cement a more permanent place. Andrew Miller

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