SA send Sri Lanka in to bat
Posted on
December 15, 2011 by
Ken
South Africa won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat on the first day of the first test at Centurion on Thursday.
A pitch sporting a healthy covering of green grass and partly-cloudy overhead conditions should provide plenty of assistance to the pace bowlers.
Sri Lanka have made three changes to the team that drew their last test against Pakistan five weeks ago and will go into the match with just one frontline spinner in left-armer Rangana Herath.
Seamers Thisara Perera and Dilhara Fernando come into the team for Dhammika Prasad and Kosala Kulasekara, while spinner Suraj Randiv makes way for an extra batsman in the experienced Thilan Samaraweera.
South Africa are fielding the same XI that lost by two wickets to Australia to level the series three weeks ago.
Teams
South Africa – Graeme Smith, Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.
Sri Lanka – Tharanga Paranavitana, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Kaushal Silva, Rangana Herath, Thisara Perera, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando.