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Sri Lanka chooses to bat first; New Zealand selects Ajaz and Santner as main spinners
Sri Lanka chooses to bat first; New Zealand selects Ajaz and Santner as main spinners
Both sides could potentially field three spin-options each, but for a result to be possible, rain has to stay away.
The hosts moved Kamindu Mendis up to bat at No. 5, and Kusal Mendis took over as the wicketkeeper.
Sri has decided to bat in the first match against New Zealand In Gallle as they won the toss. The hosts announced their playing XI before the game, making two changes from the team that played the final Test against England. They included left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and spin-bowling allrounder Ramesh Mendis, replacing seamers Vishwa Fernando and Milan Rathnayake.
In the batting lineup, Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal have been moved up to No. 5 and No. 3, respectively. Kusal Mendis, who is the wicketkeeper, will bat at No. 7.
For New Zealand, Will O'Rourke will join captain Tim Southee as the seamers, while Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner will lead the spin attack, with Glenn Phillips providing part-time offspin.
It's a cloudy morning in Galle, with rain expected throughout the Test. The pitch has more grass than usual, which might help the seamers early on. However, Dhananjaya de Silva mentioned that choosing to bat first was an easy decision, as the pitch is likely to worsen as the match progresses.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (C ), Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (WK), Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara,
New Zealand: Tim Southee (C ), Tom Blundell (WK), Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Will O'Rourke
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