Sri Lanka will look to strike an early blow towards New Zealand in Christchurch this week and hope Australia can thwart India to maintain the World Test Championship (WTC) race alive.
With Australia already confirmed within the WTC remaining, Sri Lanka can be part of them by sweeping New Zealand of their two-test collection if India are denied victory within the fourth take a look at within the subcontinent.
The collection begins at Hagley Oval on Thursday, the identical day India and Australia begin their remaining take a look at on the mega-stadium in Ahmedabad.
Sri Lanka has by far the tougher project, needing to create historical past to leapfrog their south Asian rivals.
They have by no means gained greater than a single take a look at in New Zealand and their final victory was in 2006, when Mahela Jayawardene’s staff cut up a 1-1 collection with the Stephen Fleming-captained hosts.
The two Captains pose for the shutterbugs forward of the #NZvSL two match Test collection. 📸
Who do you reckon is taking this 🏆 dwelling ?
Photo Credit: @BLACKCAPS pic.twitter.com/RD0arOxAz6
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) March 7, 2023
“Beating New Zealand in New Zealand is certainly going to be a huge task but last time we played some good cricket over here,” veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews instructed reporters on Tuesday, referring to their 1-0 defeat on the 2019 tour.
“We have to play fire with fire because they’re going to come hard at us.”
Sri Lanka have left no stone unturned of their preparations and lately held a coaching camp at a brand new facility within the hills south of Kandy to attempt to simulate New Zealand’s cool situations and bouncy wickets.
A staff extra accustomed to attacking with spin, Sri Lanka have introduced a full steady of tempo bowlers to New Zealand.
They should be taught on the job as not one of the quicks has ever performed a take a look at in New Zealand, whereas Milan Priyanath and seam-bowling all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne boast one take a look at between them.
New Zealand, in the meantime, are in good spirits after pulling off a well-known one-run win over England in Wellington final week.
That left the collection a 1-1 draw and preserved the Black Caps’ unbeaten report at dwelling relationship again to 2017.
The staff’s prime batsman and former captain Kane Williamson might be a late arrival to Christchurch as he mourns the loss of life of his grandmother.
The squad is in any other case “buzzing”, stated skipper Tim Southee.
WATCH: Dimuth Karunaratne previews New Zealand Test collection – https://t.co/FafX5SqLH8 #NZvSL
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) March 7, 2023
“We haven’t felt that for a while and just to have that buzz around test cricket is great,” stated the quick bowler of the well-attended England collection.
“Hopefully, that continues over the next few weeks.”
With some rain forecast via the Christchurch take a look at, Dimuth Karunaratne’s Sri Lanka would possibly do nicely to comply with England’s attacking instance and search to maneuver the sport on rapidly in pursuit of victory.
Anything lower than a win earlier than the second take a look at in Wellington will put India into the WTC remaining.
Mathews stated Sri Lanka would persist with their type, having gained three of their final six collection and struggling their solely loss to India away.
“Obviously, the English are playing a different brand of cricket,” he stated.
“No strain in any respect. We know that we’ve acquired to win each the video games to be within the remaining and now we have to play actually good cricket.
“It’s pretty straightforward.”
