Sri Lanka bat against Australia

PALLEKELE: Sri Lanka's captain Tillakaratne Dilshan won the toss and elected to bat in the second cricket Test against Australia at the Pallekele International Stadium on Thursday.

Australia made one change from the side that won the first Test in Galle, bringing in debutant Shaun Marsh for former captain Ricky Ponting, who returned home for the birth of his second child.

The left-hander received his baggy green Australian cap before the start of play from his father, Geoff Marsh, a former opening batsman who played 50 Tests and 117 one-dayers before retiring in 1992.

Sri Lanka included leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna for his maiden Test match after both Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis were ruled out with injuries.

Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Philip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon. 12th man: Michael Beer.

Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Suraj Randiv, Suranga Lakmal, Chanaka Welegedara, Seekkuge Prasanna. 12th man: Shaminda Eranga.

Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Tony Hill (NZL)

TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011