The hosts moved Kamindu Mendis up to No. 5 in the batting order, while Kusal Mendis will take on the wicketkeeping duties.
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first in the first Test match against New Zealand in Galle.
Before the match, Sri Lanka had already announced their team. They made two changes from the last Test they played against England. Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and all-rounder Ramesh Mendis, who also bowls spin, came into the team, replacing fast bowlers Vishwa Fernando and Milan Rathnayake.
In the batting line-up, Kamindu Mendis was moved up to No. 5, and Dinesh Chandimal was moved to No. 3. Kusal Mendis, who will be the wicketkeeper, will bat at No. 7.
For New Zealand, Will O’Rourke will join captain Tim Southee as the fast bowlers. Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner will lead the spin bowling, and part-time off-spin will be provided by Glenn Phillips.
The weather in Galle is cloudy, and rain is expected today and on the other days of the match. The pitch has more grass than usual, which might help the fast bowlers early on. However, Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva said batting first was an easy choice because the pitch could get worse as the match goes on.
Sri Lanka’s team: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), 7 Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Asitha Fernando.
New Zealand’s team: 1 Tom Latham, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wicketkeeper), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee (captain), 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 Will O’Rourke.
| Sri Lanka | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| 1. Dimuth Karunaratne | 1. Tom Latham |
| 2. Pathum Nissanka | 2. Devon Conway |
| 3. Dinesh Chandimal | 3. Kane Williamson |
| 4. Angelo Mathews | 4. Rachin Ravindra |
| 5. Kamindu Mendis | 5. Daryl Mitchell |
| 6. Dhananjaya de Silva (c) | 6. Tom Blundell (wk) |
| 7. Kusal Mendis (wk) | 7. Glenn Phillips |
| 8. Ramesh Mendis | 8. Mitchell Santner |
| 9. Prabath Jayasuriya | 9. Tim Southee (c) |
| 10. Lahiru Kumara | 10. Ajaz Patel |
| 11. Asitha Fernando | 11. Will O’Rourke |
