India win toss and bat against Sri Lanka

Colombo : India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat as he sought a series-clinching win over Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo on Thursday.

Kohli made just one change to his team after last week's emphatic opening victory in Galle, as fit-again opener Lokesh Rahul was confirmed in the line-up.

Rahul, who missed the first Test with viral fever, returns at the expense of Abhinav Mukund as the world's top-ranked side looks to seal the three-match series.

"The surface looks nice and rolled in. The grass will keep it together. We want to make the best use of the batting conditions," Kohli said at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

Sri Lanka have been bolstered by the return of skipper Dinesh Chandimal, who has recovered from a bout of penumonia that kept him out of the first match.

Chandimal is one of three changes for Sri Lanka, alongside all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant spinner Malinda Pushpakumara.

"The last 10 days was a tough time for me and my family," Chandimal, who has been given a special dispensation to use an inhaler during the game as he recovers from his pneumonia.

"As a batter, if you get a start, you have to score big like Shikhar (Dhahwan) did in the first game. The track looks like a dry surface."

Teams:

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wicketkeeper), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Malinda Pushpakumara, Nuwan Pradeep

India: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav

Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Rod Tucker (AUS)

TV Umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG)

Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)