Angelo Mathews won the toss and chose to bat first on a Galle surface he expected to be good for batting, in the first ODI of the series. Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer said he also would have batted first, with the pitch likely to get slower through the day.
Zimbabwe have made a solitary change to the side that won their most recent ODI, against Scotland, swapping Chris Mpofu for Donald Tiripano, who, like Mpofu, is a right-arm seam bowler.
Sri Lanka meanwhile have stacked their attack with slow bowlers. Offspinner Akila Dananjaya plays his first international since January 2011, while left-arm spinner Amila Aponso – who had impressed in a debut series last year – also finds a place in the XI. Nuwan Pradeep and Lasith Malinga are the seam options. With Angelo Mathews still unable to bowl as a result of injury, Lahiru Madushanka is in the side as the seam-bowling allrounder.
The toss was conducted under blue skies, but there is a chance of showers in Galle in the afternoon. This is the venue’s first ODI since 2000.
