Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, who has not played since the second Test against England at Lord’s, passed a fitness test yesterday and will play today’s opening One-Day International of the five match series against the hosts here at The Oval today.



When vice-captain Thilina Kandamby turned up for the pre-match media briefing, it was expected that he will lead the side as Dilshan was still recovering, but the 34-year-old was seen batting at nets yesterday and was passed fit to play. Dilshan sustained a hairline fracture on his right thumb during his record breaking 193 at Lord’s a fortnight ago.



Today’s first ODI will also be the last match for veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, who will end his 22 year international career just two days before his 42nd birthday. Jayasuriya is the second highest run getter in ODI cricket with over 13,000 runs behind India’s Sachin Tendulkar while he’s the ninth highest wicket taker in One-Day cricket with 322 victims.



He has plenty of happy memories at The Oval as it was here he scored a match winning 213 when Sri Lanka beat England for the first time in Test cricket in 1998. He also scored an ODI hundred when Sri Lanka last played here five years ago.



Vice-captain Thilina Kandamby speaking to journalists said that the team wanted to give Jayasuriya a grand send off, but the plans could be spoilt as rain is expected today.



England, meanwhile, will have a new captain in Alastiar Cook after Andrew Strauss decided to step down from shorter versions of the game. There has been some criticism on the decision to pick Cook as the ODI captain as he was not part of England’s World Cup squad early this year.



"As an international player you have to prove yourself and I am excited about that challenge. My One-Day game has evolved since I last played. I scored runs in Bangladesh and I scored them quickly and I know I have got the talent and the skill to do it," Cook told journalists.



Sri Lanka will fancy their chances against England, who have struggled in ODIs in the last two decades or so. The tourists thrashed them by ten wickets in the World Cup quarter-final in Colombo three months ago. Sri Lanka’s last tour to England saw them thrashing Andrew Strauass’ side 5-0 in the ODIs in 2006.



The game will be a day-night encounter and will begin at 5:30 pm Sri Lanka time.



Sri Lanka (Probable XI)



T.M. Dilshan (Captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Thilna Kandamby, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal and Suraj Randiv.



England (Probable XI)



Craig Kieswetter, Alastair Cook (Captain), Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Jade Dernbach.



Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZ) and Richard Illingworth (Eng)



Third Umpire: Rob Bailey (Eng)



Match Referee: Alan Hurst (Aus)

I am not sure whether he will play this match or not but i hope he will be fit for the next match.

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