SL vs NZ Match Prediction & Betting Tips - Sep 26, 2024
Having gone one up in the two-match series, Sri Lanka will look to go for a clean sweep as it faces New Zealand for the second Test. The match will be played at the Galle International Stadium starting Thursday.
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand head-to-head record
The two teams have faced each other in 39 matches to date. Sri Lanka has won 10 games while New Zealand won 18. 11 matches ended in a draw.
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand Live-streaming and Broadcast
This match can be watched live on the Sony Sports Network.
SL vs NZ Team Previews
Sri Lanka
The hosts put up a clinical performance in the first match to register their first Test win over the Black Caps in more than 5 years. As they now have an unassailable lead, Sri Lanka will look to go for the jugular and do a rare whitewash.
Despite a shaky start in the first inning, the home team's middle order put up a brilliant performance to help the team put up a good total. Sri Lanka found a new star in the form of Kamindu Mendis, who scored a brilliant century. Mendis will once again play an important role here and will be supported by the likes of Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, and Dinesh Chandimal.
What will be heartening for Sri Lanka is the fact that most of its players contributed to this win. Prabath bowled brilliantly to pick up 9 wickets in the game. With the pitch once expected to help the slower bowlers, Jayasuriya will play a pivotal role along with Ramesh Mendis.
Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando are expected to retain their place as the two seamers.
Sri Lanka Playing 11
Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Nishan Peiris, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando.
New Zealand
New Zealand faced its 3rd consecutive loss in Test matches and its chances of qualifying for the WTC finals have got even bleaker. Nevertheless, there are some positives that the team can take from the first game and look to build on them.
The batting from the visitors was pretty consistent in both the innings. Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, and Tom Latham scored individual half-centuries in the first innings to help give the team some lead, while Rachin Ravindra played a fighting knock of 92 to keep the hopes alive right till the last day.
In addition, New Zealand is likely to avail the services of Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, and Tom Blundell, making up for a strong batting unit. Coming to the bowling, William ORourke picked up a fifer in the first innings and will be joined by Tim Southee in the pace department, while Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel make up for a strong spin attack.
New Zealand Playing 11
Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O'Rourke.
SL vs NZ Toss Prediction
The team winning the toss will likely opt to bat first.
Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.
Pitch and Conditions
As the first match showed, the pitch at the Galle Stadium is well-balanced and helps the bowlers as well as the batsmen. The surface is firm and offers good pace and bounce, allowing the batsmen to play their shots. That said, the quicker bowlers will be able to extract some movement with the new ball. The average first-inning score here is around 365 runs.
The pitch gets slower and cracks develop on the surface during the last two days, helping the spinners. Anything over 250 will be tricky to chase in the 4th innings.
The weather is likely to remain cloudy on the first 3 days while there is a forecast of a thunderstorm on the last two days.
SL vs NZ Betting Tips
Just like the first match, we are expecting an engaging contest between the two teams. We feel Sri Lanka has an edge here as they usually perform well at home. Also, the team seems to have struck a good balance in its team.
Bet on Sri Lanka to win.
Bonus Cricket Bets
Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka are pretty consistent at the top of the order. The duo has scored 442 runs so far at an average of 40.18. On the other hand, Devon Conway of New Zealand has struggled a bit and is likely to find it difficult to get going.
Sri Lanka has a strong batting line-up with plenty of depth. Some of its key players are in good form and as they play under home conditions, we are expecting a batsman from Sri Lanka to emerge as the best.
Who will win SL vs NZ
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