Manashimaya
Not many expected Sri Lanka to win the final Test in England despite it being a dead rubber. Not many expected Sri Lanka to put up a brave fight in the entire series at different junctures. Had they managed to seize their moments in the opening two Tests, the result could have definitely been different. Confidence-wise, Sri Lanka are definitely on a high having reached their shores for the next challenge.
Pathum Nissanka’s player of the match performance at the Oval has solved one headache up top whereas Kamindu Mendis has continued his meteoric rise. In familiar conditions, these players should only go from strength to strength. They will also be up against an undercooked opponent in New Zealand. With the one-off Test against Afghanistan washed out without a single ball being bowled, New Zealand entered this series with little to no preparation. It is not a good sign for the visitors on a sub-continental tour, especially if the ball starts turning square right from the outset.
There will be a lot of reliance on Kane Williamson in spin-friendly conditions, but the rest of the batters will have to adapt quickly and step up as well. Sterner tests await New Zealand in India after the conclusion of this series so a positive result here would help massively and imbibe confidence into the squad. They can also take confidence from the fact that they have avoided series defeats in their last two Test tours to the island nation.
When: 1st Test, September 18-23, 10 AM local time
Where: Galle International Stadium, Galle
What to expect: Spin is again expected to play a role in the game, as was witnessed the last time Galle hosted a Test match. However, rain is expected to disrupt proceedings almost every day. There will be a rest day on September 21 due to the elections in Sri Lanka.
Team News
Sri Lanka
The hosts have made a few changes from their previous XI owing to conditions predominantly. Milan Rathnayake has been left out despite putting up decent performances in his debut series in England. But Sri Lanka had to make that tough call to bring in their spinners. Dinesh Chandimal has been relieved of his keeping duties and has been promoted to No.3. Kusal Mendis, their wicketkeeper for this Test, will now move to No.7.
Probable XI: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (C), Kusal Mendis (WK), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando
New Zealand
There were initial doubts over the number of Tests their skipper Tim Southee potentially would play in this part of the world. But there won’t be any question marks over his participation in this Test, given he played a huge role in New Zealand’s last two Test wins in Sri Lankan soil.
Probable XI: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (WK), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (C), Matt Henry/Ben Sears, Ajaz Patel
What they said:
“Unfortunately we can’t bring Milan into this XI. We can only play two quicks. Everyone knows what the Galle pitch is like. We already have filled those spots with our two best quicks: Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara.” – Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s interim head coach
“I guess over time, when you play for a long period, you’re able to I guess come close to those, but still being 20 wickets away is a lot of tours, especially in this part of the world.” – Tim Southee on getting closer to 400 Test wickets
