NZ vs SL Match Preview
Sri Lanka has adequately prepared for the game, with players participating in the National Super League and a residential camp at the newly refurbished Radella ground, providing conditions that simulate what they might face in New Zealand. However, the team's inexperienced bowling attack could pose a challenge.
Sri Lanka's batting order, featuring key players like Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, and Angelo Mathews, will need to perform well to compete against New Zealand's robust attack.
New Zealand boasts a well-balanced team, combining youth and experience. The team's recent victory against England, where they followed on, will have given them a lot of confidence heading into the series. The home team will depend heavily on their fast bowlers, who have a track record of success on this ground.
Although New Zealand might miss their skipper Kane Williamson due to personal reasons, the team still has exceptional players like Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, and Tim Southee, who will be looking to lead the charge.
Weather Report
As is often the case in New Zealand, we can expect rain to play its part in the match albeit it might not be much. The weather will be cool and is expected to help the quicker bowlers. Besides, the surface is unlikely to change much over the course of the match. We expect the captain winning the toss to field first.
Pitch Report
Hagley Oval has historically favored fast bowlers, and the pitch is expected to have some bounce and seam movement, which will challenge the batsmen. The key for both teams will be to perform well in the first innings and set a solid foundation for the match.
Team News
No injuries to report of.
NZ vs SL Probable 11
NZ Playing 11
- Tom Latham
- Devon Conway
- Kane Williamson (C)
- Henry Nicholls
- Daryl Mitchell
- Tom Blundell (Wk)
- Michael Bracewell
- Tim Southee
- Matt Henry
- Neil Wagner
- Blair Tickner
SL Playing 11
- Oshada Fernando
- Dimuth Karunaratne (C)
- Kusal Mendis
- Angelo Matthews
- Dinesh Chandimal (Wk)
- Dhananjay de Silva
- Niroshan Dickwella
- Vishwa Fernando
- Kasun Rajitha
- Prabath Jayasuriya
- Asitha Fernando
Dream11 Prediction
Check out the Dream11 fantasy team lineup for the upcoming test match that is to be played between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Don’t forget to check back the latest updated team lineup right after the toss.
Top Picks
Angelo Mathews boasts the best batting record among Sri Lankan players in New Zealand, with an impressive average of 55.88 largely due to his outstanding scores during his last tour, including 83, 120*, 33*, and 22*. Despite previously being a busy cricketer, Mathews has primarily focused on Test cricket in the last two years, which has seemingly had a positive impact on his batting. In fact, he scored 615 runs at an average of 51.25 in Tests last year. Recently, Mathews has also been in good form, having scored a century in a first-class match in early February.
Kane Williamson needs just eight runs to reach the milestone of 1000 runs against Sri Lanka, which he has previously achieved only against Pakistan. Despite a recent bereavement in his family and joining the squad just before the match, he is expected to perform well, given his exceptional batting skills as demonstrated by his outstanding hundred in the previous match against England. Sri Lanka's bowling attack will likely have their work cut out for them, as Williamson is undoubtedly one of the most formidable batters they will face.
NZ vs SL Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: Dinesh Chandimal
Batters: Angelo Matthews, Kane Williamson (VC), Dimuth Karunaratne , Tom Latham (C), Michael Bracewell , D de Silva
Bowlers: Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry , Kasun Rajitha
