Big picture: Last Test of New Zealand summer
Often Sri Lanka bowlers are easier to hit off their lengths, and do not move the ball for as long or as prodigiously as New Zealand seamers. In Christchurch, all three frontliners created both catching and lbw chances.
For New Zealand, this is the last Test of their summer, and they have none on the horizon until December. A 2-0 series victory here would help salvage some pride, if little else, from what has been a disappointing World Test Championship cycle for them as defending champions.
New Zealand WWLDD (last five Tests, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWLWL
In the spotlight: Henry Nicholls and Asitha Fernando
Pitch and conditions: Rain could play spoilsport
Usually, Basin Reserve pitches start off very seamer-friendly, before flattening out substantially as the Test goes on.
Team news: Will Sri Lanka field a four-man seam attack?
New Zealand will likely just swap Doug Bracewell for the injured Neil Wagner. This will be Doug’s first Test since 2016.
New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Matt Henry, 11 Blair Tickner
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Oshada Fernando, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathew, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Nishan Madushka (wk), 8 Kasun Rajitha, 9 Vishwa Fernando/Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Lahiru Kumara
“They’re a quality side and we saw that over the five days in Christchurch. A number of those guys have had a number of tours to New Zealand now and have that experience. We’re seeing the benefit of that. They’ve had a great two-year period in the World Test Championship cycle, and would like to finish strong.”
New Zealand captain Tim Southee on Sri Lanka
“We challenged the Kiwi top order with our bowling. Even some of their players came up to me and said they hadn’t expected that kind of pressure from the Sri Lanka bowlers. I’ve toured New Zealand a few times, but this is the first time I’ve seen the Kiwis struggling like this against our fast bowlers.”
Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne