Hosts Sri Lanka included three spinners in Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrama
Sri Lanka chose to bat vs South Africa
Sri Lanka’s three-pronged spin attack will defend the target their batters set for South Africa, after Dasun Shanaka chose to bat first in Colombo under cloudy skies. Sri Lanka included three frontline spinners: Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrama in their XI, and two seamers.
Conditions are expected to be spinner-friendly, and South Africa have used two of their three options. There’s no room for George Linde, with Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi in the XI.
South Africa are without Quinton de Kock, who was rested for this series, and have opted to use Aiden Markram and Janneman Malan at the top, with captain Temba Bavuma slotting in at No.3. The middle order is made up of Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Heinrich Klaasen, who will keep wicket in de Kock’s place. There’s one seam-bowling allrounder in Andile Phehlukwayo. With Lungi Ngidi out of the ODI side for personal reasons, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje lead the attack.
Sri Lanka: 1 Avishka Fernando, 2 Minod Bhanuka (wk), 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Praveen Jayawickrama
South Africa: 1 Janneman Malan, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Kyle Verreynne, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Keshav Maharaj 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent
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