Sri Lanka bowl in first ODI; Chad Bowes, Rachin Ravindra debut for New Zealand
Visitors had Angelo Mathews back, who had last played an ODI two years ago, but there was no Dhananjaya de Silva
Andrew Fidel Fernando
25-Mar-2023 • 2 hrs ago
Rachin Ravindra has already played three Tests and six T20Is • Munir Uz Zaman/AFP
Toss Sri Lanka opt to bowl vs New Zealand
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first in the first ODI against New Zealand. There was a little grass on the drop-in surface at Eden Park, which suggests there may be some early movement on offer for the seam bowlers.
New Zealand had two debutants in their side. Opener Chad Bowes, 30, came into his first international in good form, having struck two centuries in his last four domestic innings. Also playing his first ODI is left arm-spinning allrounder Rachin Ravindra, 23, who has already played three Tests and six T20Is for New Zealand.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, had Angelo Mathews returning to the XI. He had last played an ODI two years ago. Nuwanidu Fernando, who has played two ODIs, is set to open the batting alongside Pathum Nissanka. The attack consists of frontline seamers Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, the spin of Wanindu Hasaranga, and Chanika Karunaratne as the fourth seamer.
However, there was no place for Dhananjaya de Silva.
The weather is expected to remain good through the match.
New Zealand: 1 Finn Allen, 2 Chad Bowes, 3 Will Young, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (capt.)(wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Rachin Ravindra, 8 Henry Shipley, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Blair Tickner
Sri Lanka: 1 Nuwanidu Fernando, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Kasun Rajitha, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Dilshan Madushanka
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf