NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won the toss and opted to bat first against Australia in their ICC World Cup 2023 match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday.
Sri Lanka made two changes after regular captain Dasun Shanaka was ruled out due to a thigh muscle injury in their defeat to Pakistan.
Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana is also injured. Chamika Karunaratne and Lahiru Kumara make the team looking for their first win.
Five-time winners Australia have also lost their first two matches after they went down to India by six wickets and then suffered a 134-run thrashing against South Africa.
But they are unchanged in the hunt for an opening win in the round-robin tournament.
Skipper Pat Cummins said Australia would have also opted to bat had he won the toss, but added he doesn't "think it (bowling first) is too big a difference".
Australia have lost three of their last four ODIs to Sri Lanka.
PITCH REPORT:
68 metres on one side (of the square) and 69 on the other side, straight is 76 metres. There is a little bit of moisture on it, it is a little bit damp because they had these hessian mats on it, so it's just holding it together because it is a red soil and they don't want it to be too dry too early. There is a bit of grass as well.Teams:
Australia: Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk, capt), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka
(With inputs from AFP)
