India win toss, bat against Sri Lanka in third Test
The hosts lead the three-match series 1-0.
NEW DELHI (AFP) – India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in New Delhi on Saturday.
The hosts, who lead the three-match series 1-0 after thrashing Sri Lanka in the second Test, made two changes to the team as they prepare for the upcoming tour of South Africa in January.
Fit-again paceman Mohammed Shami and opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan return to the XI in place of Umesh Yadav and Lokesh Rahul.
"Will be something for the bowlers in the first session. Want our openers to have that challenge," Kohli said at the toss.
"Our mindset of preparation has been taken in a wrong way. We don’t want to take anything away from our opposition here. Even in South Africa, it won’t be about the opposition, but about the conditions," he added.
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal tried to boost the morale of his side, which barely managed to draw the first Test and then suffered an innings and 239-run defeat in Nagpur.
"After the second game, we sat down as a team and had a chat (about) what went wrong as a team," he said.
The visitors made three changes to their starting line-up with debutant batsman Roshen Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva and Lakshan Sandakan making their way into the team.
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wicketkeeper), Roshen Silva, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG), Joel Wilson (WIS)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
