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Sri Lanka bat as test cricket returns to Pakistan

Sri Lanka bat as test cricket returns to Pakistan

Dimuth Karunaratne

SriLankacaptain Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss and opted tobatunder overcast skies in the openingtestagainst hostsPakistanat Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

The two-match series marksPakistan's firsttests on home soil since the 2009 militant attack onSriLanka's team bus in Lahore. The current touring side have been promised watertight security during the visit.

Experienced middle-orderbatsman Dinesh Chandimal is back in theSriLankaside for the first time since losing the captaincy after their defeat by Australia in Canberra in February.

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SriLankaincluded one frontline spinner in Dilruwan Perera, dropped openingbatsman Lahiru Thirimanne and brought in Oshada Fernando, who played the last of his twotests in February against South Africa.

The hosts, led by Azhar Ali, went with an all-pace attack with four fast bowlers in debutant Usman Shinwari, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi.

Openingbatsman Abid Ali will make his debut in place of Imam-ul-Haq while there was no place for experienced leg-spinner Yasir Shah.

Teams

SriLanka- Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Dilruwan Perera, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara

Pakistan- Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali (captain), Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Shinwari, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi