Cricket-Sri Lanka win toss and choose to bowl in first test

* Green-tinged wicket awaits NZ batsmen * Sri Lanka offspinner Kaushal to make test debut (Adds details, quotes) Dec 26 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and chose to bowl in the first test against New Zealand on a green-tinged wicket at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday. Lahiru Thirimanne will fill the massive hole in the Sri Lankan batting lineup left by Mahela Jayawardene's retirement from test cricket while Dhammika Prasad is the third seamer. "The wicket has little bit of grass in it, we are playing four seamers including myself so we will look to exploit that," Mathews said. "As a team we have played pretty good cricket in the past and the confidence is high." Off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal will make his debut for the visitors. New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum added he would have bowled first had he won the toss, though he was hopeful the recalled Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham would be able to see off the new ball attack of Shaminda Eranga and Suranga Lakmal. "We would have bowled first had we won the toss, but the sun is out and we're hoping that it browns off pretty quickly and the guys at the top of the order can do the job," McCullum said. Neil Wagner won the battle for the third specialist seamer spot for New Zealand while allrounder Jimmy Neesham will bat at number six, with bowling all-rounder Doug Bracewell and batsman Dean Brownlie dropping out of the 13-man squad. "It was a tough decision but we have had some success with the team we have had of late so they get the first opportunity," McCullum added. "It's a tough call when you have to leave guys out who are playing so well. But it's a good sign." The match is the first for the ground that will also host the opening match of next year's World Cup between the same sides, and first international clash in Christchurch since a devastating earthquake in February, 2011. "It's great to play a Boxing Day test again, particularly in Christchurch," said McCullum, who lives in the city. "It's an amazing facility, the boys are looking forward to it (and) ...we're hoping to build on what we have done over the last little while." (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Martyn Herman)