Fast bowler Mohamed Shiraz has been handed his debut cap as Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first against India in the ODI series opener at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday.
Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka said at the toss that this looked a bit of a dry pitch and hence the decision to bat first. He added, "We're going with a 6-5 combination. We definitely need to work on our mental game; we had some lapses in the last game.".
Though Asalanka acknowledged the challenges, he insisted, "Though it's a concern as a captain, I'm really looking forward to using my second tier of bowlers.".
In a video, Indian captain Rohit Sharma announced the inclusion of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the playing eleven, while naming Virat Kohli and Kuldeep Yadav. He also revealed that seam-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube is set to play his first ODI since 2019, with Axar Patel and Washington Sundar joining as spin-bowling all-rounders.
He reflected on the experience, saying, "We're familiar with the conditions here and believe we have a well-balanced squad. Though we didn't finish the World Cup on a high note, there were plenty of positives."
The Indian team believes in creating an atmosphere where players can express themselves freely, so he said, "I'm concentrating on my batting and won't be concerned with bowling since we have sufficient bowlers available."
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma — captain, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul — wicketkeeper, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis — wk, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka — captain, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, and Mohamed Shiraz
Read also | Dhoni Emphasizes Team's Best Interest in Decision on IPL Future with CSK
Read also | Marchand Makes History with Back-to-Back Golds in Under Two Hours at Paris Olympics
