Triumphant Sri Lanka seeks to defeat undercooked New Zealand
Despite being a dead rubber, not many predicted Sri Lanka to win the last Test in England. To be honest, not many people anticipated Sri Lanka to mount a valiant defense during the entire series at various points. The outcome could have been different if they had been able to take advantage of their opportunities in the first two Tests. Sri Lanka is undoubtedly feeling confident after overcoming their obstacles to go to the next task.
While Kamindu Mendis has kept up his incredible ascent, Pathum Nissanka's player of the match effort at the Oval has resolved one headache up top. These players should only get better under familiar circumstances. They will also face an opponent from New Zealand who is not yet ready. With barely a ball being bowled in the one-off Test against Afghanistan, New Zealand comes into this series with little to no preparation. If the ball starts turning square from the start, it is not a positive sign for the visitors on a sub-continental tour.
In spin-friendly conditions, there will be a lot of reliance on Kane Williamson, but the other batsmen will also need to step up and rapidly adjust. After this series, New Zealand will face tougher tests in India, so a win here would be extremely beneficial and instill confidence in the team. The fact that they have avoided series losses in their previous two Test tours to the island nation should also give them confidence.
Sri Lanka
The main reason for the hosts' limited alterations from their starting lineup is the weather. Despite having a respectable debut series in England, Milan Rathnayake has been excluded. But Sri Lanka needed to make the difficult decision to insert their spinners. Dinesh Chandimal has been elevated to No. 3 and relieved of his keeping responsibilities. As for their wicketkeeper, Kusal Mendis
New Zealand
At first, there were questions about how many Test matches their captain, Tim Southee, might play in this region of the world. However, considering how important he was to New Zealand's victories in their last two Test matches held in Sri Lanka, there won't be any doubts about his involvement in this one.
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