"After reviewing the footage of the incident, it is clear that Dinesh applied an artificial substance to the ball, namely saliva containing the residue of something he had in his mouth, an action which is prohibited under the ICC Code of Conduct," match referee Javagal Srinath said in a statement.
"During the hearing, Dinesh admitted to putting something in his mouth but couldn't remember what it was, which I found unconvincing as a defence and the fact remains it was an artificial substance."
To make matters worse for Sri Lanka, Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and manager Asanka Gurusinha were charged by the ICC for "conduct contrary to the spirit of the game".
The trio were involved in the team's refusal to take the field on the third morning of the test, which caused a two-hour delay in the start of play.
"If any of the three plead not guilty, then the ICC, as per Article 5.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, will appoint a Judicial Commissioner from its Code of Conduct Commission to determine the matter," ICC said in a statement.
"All Level 3 breaches carry an imposition of between four and eight suspension points."
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris, William Maclean)
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