Could Asalanka make Test return after stellar ODI show?

Charith Asalanka

By Harsha Amarasinghe 
Charith Asalanka led the Sri Lanka ODI team to a thumping 2-0 win over Australia after the home team had been embarrassed in Galle in the Test series by Steven Smith and co.
Sri Lanka found themselves in a fairly familiar situation, losing 5 wickets for 55 runs in the first ODI, before skipper Asalanka played his best innings in limited overs cricket to take Sri Lanka to a fighting total of 214, and then the new-look Australian batting line-up was blown away by the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Under Asalanka’s captaincy, Sri Lanka have done very well in the ODIs, beating India, Australia, New Zealand, and West Indies, and his performances with the bat has opened up a conversation about a possible return for Test cricket.

Asalanka has only played three Test matches so far, failing to make an impression, only averaging 14. All three games he played were in very spin-friendly conditions—one in Galle and two in India.
It’s not just his recent batting heroics in ODIs but also the manner in which he played for Sinhalese Sports Club in their bid to stay up that indicates that in Asalanka, Sri Lanka has a very good Test batsman.
Asalanka played two first-class matches for SSC this season and made 194 runs in two innings, averaging 97 while taking a staggering 13 wickets, including a ten-wicket haul against Tamil Union in an innings win, which may help them stay up in the Major League Tournament.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka Cricket might have to reconsider the future of senior middle-order batsman Angelo Mathews. The 37-year-old perhaps saved his Test career against Australia in the second match, scoring 76 runs before throwing away his wicket. He still averages nearly 45 in what has been a very decent Test career, but moving forward, SLC might want to consider a fairly young player for that number 4 position.
Asalanka could also be groomed to captain Sri Lanka in all three formats, having already shown his capabilities in that role in limited overs cricket. Dhananjaya de Silva made some interesting calls in their humiliating 2-0 defeat to Australia but should still be able to lead the team for the next year or so. However, beyond that, Sri Lanka would want someone like Charith Asalanka to lead the country—especially given that he has not just been a good captain but also an incredibly good role model, unlike most cricketers these days.