Jayewardena was the only surprise selection in the eleven named to meet India in the first cricket Test starting at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.
Jayewardena, a product of Nalanda College has been a bright prospect to represent his country in the near future. He gets his big opportunity at the expense of Hashan Tillekeratne, who is still recovering from a broken right forearm sustained in the West Indies.
Jayewardena will in all probability bat at Tillkeratne's position at no. 6.
The other notable change is pairing Marvan Atapattu to open the batting with Sanath Jayasuriya. They have been doing it successfully in the overs-limit game and the selectors are apparently hoping the pair will click in the longer game as well.
Atapattu has not been successful batting at no. 3 in the Tests, and since the departure of Asanka Gurusinha, that vital position has not been properly filled.
Roshan Mahanama who has been Jayasuriya's opening partner for some time, gets the job of fitting into the no. 3 position.
Left-arm fast bowler Chaminda Vaas, who missed the tour to the Caribbean through a back injury, returns to the side to pair with right-arm fast bowler Ravindra Pushpukumara.
Pushpakumara gets the nod ahead of Sajeeva de Silva, after an excellent series in the West Indies, where he took on the mantle of spearheading the bowling attack in Vaas' absence.
Knowing the slow nature of the R. Premadasa Stadium pitch, the selectors have picked two spinners - Muthiah Muralitharan and left-armer Jayantha Silva. Silva comes ahead of Kumara Dharmasena, who played in both Test in the West Indies.
Wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, who lost his place mid-way through the Pepsi Asia Cup competition due to loss of form and confidence with the bat and gloves, keeps his Test place, but will be under pressure to raise his level of performance if he is to be retained.
The Sri Lanka 11 for the first Test:
Age
Tests
---------
A. Ranatunga, captain (SSC) 33 - 69
S. T. Jayasuriya (Bloomfield) 28 - 25
M. S. Atapattu (SSC) 25 - 07
R. S. Mahanama (Bloomfield) 31 - 43
P. A. de Silva (NCC) 31 - 61
D. P. M. Jayawardena (SSC) 20 -
R. S. Kaluwitharana (BRC) 27 - 14
W. P. U. C. J. Vaas (Colts) 23 - 18
K. R. Pushpakumara (NCC) 22 - 10
M. Muralitharan (Tamil Union) 25 - 30
K. J. Silva (SSC) 24 - 04