Colombo, Jun 19: Allrounder Thisara Perera was recalled by Sri Lanka on Tuesday for the first test against Pakistan this week after he excelled in the limited-overs series.
Also back are seamers Nuwan Kulasekara and Nuwan Pradeep Fernando. Kulasekara has not played in a test for more than two years, while Fernando was injured during Sri Lanka's tour of South Africa last year and returned home.
Uncapped legspinner Jeevan Mendis was added. Opener Lahiru Thirimanne, who opened the batting during the test series against England in March-April, was dropped.
Perera, who picked up career-best figures of 6-44 in the second one-day international and a hat trick in the fourth game, was one of the four seamers named in the 15-man squad.
Although Perera has featured in five tests, the last of them in January against South Africa, many consider him a one-day specialist, but Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford believes he has got the potential to be a test regular.
"With the talent he has got and the way he bowled in the series there's no doubt he can be a regular test player," Ford said.
"His work ethic is good and he knows the areas he has to improve on. I am sure, with the many years he has got ahead of him, he will become a very effective test player."
The first test of three starts on Friday at Galle International Stadium.
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Angelo Mathews, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Parnavithana, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chanaka Welagedara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekera, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Jeewan Mendis.
