Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, First Test 2024: Match Preview, Playing XI, Where to Watch on TV & Live Streaming Details

Sri Lanka are all set to host New Zealand in a two-match Test series in Galle. The first of the two Tests begins on Wednesday, September 18, at the Galle International Stadium.

Sri Lanka recently embarked on a trip to England where they faced The Three Lions in a three-match Test series. The tourists lost the first two Tests gloomily, but bounced back to win the final encounter by eight wickets to end a decade-long wait for a win in the longest format of the game on English soil.

Kamindu Mendis emerged as the highest run-getter for Sri Lanka as he amassed 267 runs from five innings at an average of 53.40. Meanwhile, Pathum Nissanka slammed 64 off 51 balls and 127* off 124 balls in the third Test to showcase his talent against the rampant England bowlers.

Among the bowlers, Asitha Fernando stood out as he picked up 17 wickets in three games at 24.65 to finish as the highest wicket-taker in the series. Lahiru Kumara also impressed with the two matches he played, bagging 11 wickets at 24.73.

Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya bowled a lot of overs during the two Tests he played and picked up eight wickets. He will get a lot of assistance from the Galle surface and could make the lives of the Kiwi batters very difficult. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva led the team well and would have more of a role to play with the ball in the spin-friendly conditions that are expected to greet the teams in Galle.

New Zealand had a great opportunity to prepare for this series as they had a one-off Test match arranged against Afghanistan earlier this month. However, the Test match which was set to be played in Greater Noida was abandoned without any action due to rain and abysmal drainage facilities.

The Blackcaps faced a second-string South Africa in a two-match home Test series earlier this year and managed to pull off a whitewash. However, they subsequently suffered a 0-2 defeat against Australia at home. New Zealand have a fine mix of youth and experience in their squad and would look to get off the blocks with a win in the first Test. The visitors are third on the World Test Championship (WTC) standings and would want to push for a spot in the top two with a series against India on the horizon.

Interestingly, this Test will be a six-day affair, with the rest day included to accommodate the country's presidential election.

Galle International Stadium Pitch Report

The Galle International Stadium is expected to help the spinners, especially as the match progresses. Batters will find it more difficult as time goes on and that is why they would have to make the most of the first innings. The average first innings score at this venue is 385. Out of the 44 Tests that the stadium has hosted, 23 have been won by teams batting first and 15 by the ones batting second. Spinners have picked up 914 wickets compared to the 448 bagged by the pacers.

Click here: SL vs NZ Live Score, First Test, Galle

SL vs NZ Predicted Playing XI

Sri Lanka (SL)

Ramesh Mendis is expected to slot into the side in place of a pacer due to the conditions on offer. Mendis' off-spin and batting down the order will add a lot of balance to the Sri Lankan side. It will be interesting to see whether Sri Lanka bench the in-form Rathnayake to accommodate a specialist pacer.

Predicted XI: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kamindu Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Kumara, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando

New Zealand (NZ)

Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner are the specialist spinners in the side while Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Michael Bracewell are more than handy options as part-time tweakers. While Ajaz and Santner are expected to start, one among Ravindra, Phillips, and Bracewell could be dropped. Matt Henry could slot in as captain Tim Southee's seam-bowling partner.

Predicted XI: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (c), Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel

Also Read: Captain Tim Southee pleased with New Zealand’s balance for Sri Lanka challenge

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