In June 1990 a first-class tournament began in Sri Lanka but as no international cricket was possible in Sri Lanka. This tour of India was hastily arranged.The Test match at Chandigarh was shifted from Jalandhar at a late stage because of tension there. On a poorly prepared pitch India defeated the tourists by a large margin. The Sri Lankans requested that an extra Test match or ODI should be arranged but the Indian Board was unable to meet this request.
The manager's end of tour report, in which he and his assistant said "we were disappointed with the captain's attitude as he appeared disinterested in the tour", was published.Arjuna had been warned in November 1990 about his conduct. A commission of enquiry found indications of the captain's indifferent and aloof attitude, and criticised him for failing to motivate players or to contribute at team meetings.
Gamini Goonesena and Sidath Wettimuny were chosen as manager and assistant on 1 November for this tour and for the Asia Cup.
Mumtaz Yusuf and Jayantha Seneviratne were announced on 4 November to replace them on the Sharjah tour.
Selectors
Michael Tissera (Vice-President of the Boardand chairman of selectors, J Paranathala, Anura Polonowita, Mumtaz M Yusuf (asst secretary of Board).
Selection
Arjuna Ranatunga was appointed captain on 4 November. despite facing disciplinary action for arguing with umpires and abusing spectators.
UnavailableRavi Ratnayeke, who had migrated to Melbourne the previous month; Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Saliya Ahangama and Piyal Wijetunga, all owing to injuries.
Tour Party Announced : 7 November 1990.
Rumesh Ratnayeke was back after a knee injury had made him miss the tour of England.
Stand-bys:M S Atapattu (SSC),C Hathurasinghe (TU).
Withdrawal:Sanath Jaysuriya split the webbing of his right hand (taking a catch at a practice session). He was replaced by Marvan Atapattu.
Time between selection and departure from Sri Lanka
13 days
(7 November to 20 November)
Travel
ColomboQDelhi
Anurasiri contracted an eye infection but was passed fit to tour.
The tour began on the afternoon of 20 November when they flew via Bombay to DelhiAfter an overnight stopover, on 21 November they took a connecting flight to Chandigarh which was staging its first-ever Test.
Time spent in India
19 days
(20 November - 9 December)
On-tour selection panel
Reinforcements
None. The team had so many players (17) that Gamini Wickremasinghe did not play in a match.The Board's intention was to give more players exposure to one-day internationals.
To general reading of The Times newspaper digital archive (Gale Group);Jamaica Gleanor archive;National Library of Australia Trove; Papers Past NZ.
From former British Newspaper Library, Colindale and online:The Age, Melbourne Argus, Bangladesh Daily Star, Barbados Advocate, Canberra Times, Daily Telegraph, Dawn, Eastern Daily Press, The Hindu, The Independent (Dhaka), Indian Express, The Island (Lanka), Lahore Times, New Nation, New Zealand Auckland Herald, Sri Lanka Daily News, Stabroek News, Straits Times, Sydney Morning Herald, The Telegraph (Calcutta), Times of India , The Tribune Chandigarh, Trinidad Guardian, The West Australian.
Magazines/periodicals including Australian Cricket, B & H West Indies Annual, The Cricketer International, Cricketer Quarterly, Indian Cricket, Indian Cricket Field Annual, Playfair Cricket Monthly, Shell Cricket Almanack of New Zealand, Wisden Cricket Monthly, Wisden Book of Test Cricket, Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanack.
Men In White, A History of Australian Cricket (Harte), A History of Indian Cricket (Bose), A History of West Indies Cricket (Manley)