<p><strong>South Africa v Sri Lanka – 1<sup>st</sup> Test – Toss Report</strong></p>
<p>South Africa won the toss and opted to field first against Sri Lanka in the first Test of the three match series at the SuperSport Park, Centurion in South Africa on Thursday, December 15, 2011.</p>
<p>There was a lot of grass on the pitch and any captain winning the toss would have chosen to bowl.</p>
<p>The home team’s skipper Graeme Smith was confident that his pacers will be able to take early wickets in the day and put pressure on the opposition.</p>
<p>South Africa have one of the best fast bowling attacks in the world and can unsettle any other opposition. Dale Steyn is currently the leading pacer in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings. He has the ability to swing the new ball at more than 90 miles per hour
and can prove to be devastating for the tail-enders as well.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the Proteas have Morne Morkel, who is also not far behind his fellow-pacer. He is ranked number three in the Test bowlers list and has the potential to take the top spot from Steyn.</p>
<p>Apart from these bowlers, Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis are more than handy support bowlers. They can swing the ball and can be lethal bowling in home conditions, where the ball gets extra bounce.</p>
<p>Leg-spinner Imran Tahir completes the perfect bowling combination for the home team, which has seldom produced top quality spin bowlers in the past.</p>
<p>The South African playing eleven for today’s game is: Smith, Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla, Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Steyn, Morkel, Philander and Tahir.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Sri Lanka look vulnerable in bowling friendly conditions at Centurion. The team has never managed to win a Test match in South Africa and the recent record under skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan is also not good.</p>
<p>However, the Lankan Lions have some top-class batsmen like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera. The trio will need to score runs with consistency in order to win games against the Proteas.</p>
<p>The tourists’ playing eleven for the opening Test is: Tharanga Paranavitana, Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Kaushal Silva, Rangana Herath, Thisara Perera, Chanaka Welegedara and Dilhara Fernando.</p>
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