COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – In a highly anticipated encounter, Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka called for a bat after winning the toss in the opening match of the two-game One Day International series against Australia on Wednesday.

This series serves as a preparatory stage for the Australian team, as they gear up for the upcoming Champions Trophy scheduled to occur later this month in Pakistan. Notably, Sri Lanka will not be participating in this prestigious tournament due to their failure to qualify.

The Australian team opted to rest key players such as Travis Head, Josh Inglis, and Glenn Maxwell for this series. On the other hand, Sri Lanka made a solitary adjustment from their last ODI appearance, bringing in Dunith Wellalage to replace Chamindu Wickramasinghe after a match against New Zealand in January.

The Australian squad recently concluded a test series against Sri Lanka with a convincing 2-0 victory, adding to the anticipation surrounding this ODI series.

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**Lineups:**

**Sri Lanka:** Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (captain), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando

**Australia:** Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cooper Connolly, Steve Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson

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