India elect to bat against Sri Lanka in opening Test

India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the first of the three-match Test series here on Wednesday.

Playing the first game under new coach Ravi Shastri, India decided to go with five bowlers. All-rounder Hardik Pandya is making his Test debut.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile is led by stand-in-skipper Rangana Herath in place of Dinesh Chandimal, who is down with pneumonia.

India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami and Abhinav Mukund.

Sri Lanka: Rangana Herath (Captain), Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (WK), Danushka Gunathilaka, Dilruwan Perera, Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep.

--IANS

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