CAPE TOWN Dec 3 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka captain
Tillakaratne Dilshan won the toss and sent South Africa in to
bat in the series-deciding third and final test at Newlands on
Tuesday.
Pace bowler Dilhara Fernando has a knee injury and has been
replaced by fellow seamer Dhammika Prasad, while Sri Lanka have
chosen opening batsman Lahiru Thirimanne for the first time in
the series, ahead of Tharanga Paranavitana.
South Africa have retained struggling batsman Jacques
Rudolph but have shifted him down the order to number six, with
Alviro Petersen coming in to take over as opener.
Despite taking eight wickets on debut in the second test,
fast bowler Marchant de Lange has been omitted to make way for
seamer Vernon Philander, who has recovered from injury.
Sri Lanka recorded a maiden win on South African soil in the
second test to even up the three-match series at 1-1.
Teams
South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Alviro Petersen,
Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph,
Mark Boucher, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran
Tahir.
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan
(captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan
Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhammika Prasad,
Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara.
(Reporting by Ken Borland; Editing by John O’Brien; To
comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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