The 22-year-old hurt his left thumb while trying to catch Kagiso Rabada off his own bowling. © AFP

Sri Lanka spinner Lasith Embuldeniya has been ruled out of action for six weeks after dislocating his thumb on the opening day of the second Test in Port Elizabeth. The 22-year-old hurt his left thumb while trying to catch Kagiso Rabada off his own bowling and had to leave the field, clutching onto his bloody thumb in pain.

The extent of the injury is deemed to be so severe that Embuldeniya was scheduled for a surgery on Thursday, the day of the injury, itself.

Embuldeniya made his debut in Durban and starred with a five-wicket haul in the second innings. He is the only frontline spinner that Sri Lanka have fielded in the second Test, and his loss comes as a major blow to the visitors, who are 1-0 up and eyeing their maiden series win in South Africa.

Dhananjaya de Silva, who picked a couple of wickets in the first innings of the ongoing Test, will be expected to step it up in Embuldeniya's absence.