GALLE (SRI LANKA): Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first in the first cricket test against South Africa at the Galle International Stadium on Thursday.
Suranga Lakmal will lead the Sri Lankan side in the absence of Dinesh Chandimal, who pleaded guilty for conduct that is contrary to spirit of cricket and will miss the two-test series along with coach Chandika Hathurusingha.
Sri Lanka refused to take the field on the third morning of the St. Lucia test against the West Indies last month in protest of a ball-tampering charge against Chandimal.
Veteran opener Dimuth Karunaratne is returned to the Sri Lankan side having missed the West Indies tour due to injury.
The Sri Lankans are going into the game with just one specialist seamer in Lakmal.
For the South Africans, veteran paceman Dale Steyn is also making a comeback after injury. The 35-year-old Steyn needs three more wickets to overtake Shaun Pollock's tally of 421 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker for South Africa.
Teams: South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis (captain), Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn.
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal (captain, Lakshan Sandakan.
Umpires: Rod Tucker and Paul Reiffel, Australia
Third Umpire: Nigel Llong, England. Match Referee: Richie Richardson, West Indies.