captain for the first test against India in August 2017 as the captain Dinesh Chandimal was diagnosed with pneumonia. Herath took only one wicket and conceded 159 runs in the first innings of the visitors. During the second innings where Sri Lanka had to chase 550 runs, Herath did not bat, due to an injury suffered while fielding. With Asela Gunaratne too ruled out of the rest of the series due to a "pretty serious" fractured thumb which he suffered on the opening day of the match, Sri Lanka had to play with nine players. Sri Lanka lost the Test by 304 runs, which as of February 2018 is Sri Lanka's biggest loss in term of runs in Tests. Late career During the second Test against South Africa in late 2016 at Newlands, Herath surpassed 355 test wickets of Chaminda Vaas by dismissing Kyle Abbott for LBW, becoming the second highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka. During the first match, Herath ended the year 2016 as the second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 57 scalps, only behind Indian Ravichandran Ashwin (72 scalps). He took 5 five-wicket hauls and 2 ten-wicket hauls in the year with economy of 2.61. Despite his achievements, Sri Lanka lost all three Tests. Herath took 1/159 in the first innings of the first Test against India in Galle. He went wicketless in the second. In the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo he took 4/154 as India won the match by an innings and 53 runs. He had complained of a stiff back during the SSC Test having bowled 42 overs. Herath had also sent down 71.1 overs in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe before the series with India and had bowled 49 overs at Galle. He was rested from the final Test in Pallekele. India went on to win the series 3–0. The first Test against Pakistan on 28 September 2017, was one of the career highlights for Herath. In the match he took his ninth ten-wicket haul which included his 32nd and 33rd five-wicket hauls guided Sri Lanka to a 21-run victory. During the match, Herath took his 100th test wicket against Pakistan by dismissing Mohammad Amir, becoming the first bowler to achieve the feat against Pakistan in Tests. Amir's wicket was his 399th scalp in tests, until he dismissed Mohammad Abbas as his 400th Test wicket. With that wicket, Herath