Virat opts to bat; Dhawan, Shami return

With another series win in sight, Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final Test match against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi on Saturday.

New Delhi: With another series win in sight, Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final Test match against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi on Saturday.

Taking some bold decisions, the 29-year-old dropped in-form KL Rahul from the playing XI to allow Murali Vijay to open the Indian innings with Shikhar Dhawan.

Murali Vijay made a sensational comeback from injury with a brilliant 128 in the second Test match and his inclusion in the final Test allows him to prepare for the South Africa tour, which begins next month.

India have made another change to playing XI with Mohammed Shami taking Umesh Yadav’s place in India’s final Test match of 2017.

While the tourist have three massive changes to their starting lineup, the troika of Thirimane, Herath and Shanaka missing out and making way for Lakshan Sandkan, Dhanjay De Silva and Roshan silva, who Makes his debut today.

IND XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (W), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma

SL XI: Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dimuth Karunaratne, Roshen Silva, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (C), Niroshan Dickwella (W), Dhananjaya de Silva, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Gamage, Suranga Lakmal