ICC Champions Trophy 2017: 5 reasons why India should be wary of Sri Lanka

#2 Mystery in the middle overs

Lakshan Sandakan is among the rare exponents of chinaman bowling

One of the idiosyncratic traits of Sri Lankan cricket has been the succession of mystery spinners. From the promise of Somachandra De Silva to the genius of Muttiah Muralitharan, the tiny island nation has produced plenty of exotic slow bowlers. Chinaman exponent Lakshan Sandakan is the latest entrant in the illustrious list.

Extra Cover: Lakshan Sandakan – Continuing the legacy of mystery bowlers to emerge from Sri Lanka

Seeing as India’s batsmen have not played against him in any format yet, he can rely on the advantage of novelty. With his smooth action and diversified lengths, the 25-year old from Ragama has the potential to land significant blows and control the flow of the middle-overs. Picking his variations early and not allowing him to settle down will be key in negating the threat of Sandakan.