Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl in the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban, South Africa on Wednesday (13).
The toss could prove crucial with the current overcast conditions.
The Proteas have opted to go into the match with four specialist seamers in Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander and Duanne Olivier while spinner Keshav Maharaj also plays.
Dimuth Karunaratne, captaining Sri Lanka for the first time, said he believed conditions would help his bowlers at the start of the match.
“There is quite a bit of grass and a bit of moisture in the surface. We want to get the maximum out of it.”
Sri Lanka included two new caps in batsman Oshada Fernando and left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya.
“The four seamers are so much of an X-factor,” said South African captain Faf du Plessis.
The match was due to start in hot, sunny conditions but rain was likely later in the day.
Teams
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Duanne Olivier.
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wkt), Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lasith Embuldeniya.
-Agencies
