Australia win toss, elect to bowl against Sri Lanka in third Test match at Sydney

Australia captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bowl against Sri Lanka in the third Test match at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney on Thursday.

Australia are yet to lose against Sri Lanka at home in Tests © Getty Images

Sydney: Jan 3, 2013

Australia captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bowl against Sri Lanka in the third Test match at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney on Thursday.

Although the visitors have already lost the series, they have one last chance to register a win in Tests Down Under. Out of the 12 match played so far, Sri Lanka have lost 10, while they have managed to draw the remaining two.

The match will also be Mahela Jayawardene’s last one as captain. He will hand over the reins of Test captaincy to Angelo Mathews following the Test match.

Players from both the teams will be wearing black armbands when they take the field in memory of the late English cricketer-commentator Tony Greig.

Home team captain Michael Clarke vowed to strive for a 3-0 clean sweep in the final Test to give retiring Mike Hussey a fitting send-off. Although a dead rubber, the enthusiasm to sign off on a high will be at the highest for Hussey as well as the rest of the Australian players.

Clarke, who declared himself fit to play, announced a line up containing four fast bowlers. Mitchell Starc returns after being rested, joining quicks Peter Siddle, Jackson Bird, and MCG man-of-the-match Mitchell Johnson on a green Sydney wicket.

All-rounder Glenn Maxwell was named 12th man, while Usman Khawaja missed out.

Teams:

Australia: Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Michael Clarke(c), Michael Hussey, Matthew Wade(wk), Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Mitchell Starc

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Mahela Jayawardene(c), Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal(wk), Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath, Dhammika Prasad, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep

Catch live scores and ball-by-ball commentary of the first day’s play between Australia and Sri Lanka here