SL_Fan
Senior ODI Player
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2012
- Runs
- 22,652
- Post of the Week
- 1
http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-new-zealand-2012/content/current/story/591556.html
Sri Lanka will want nothing less than a 2-0 repeat of New Zealand's last Test tour, and their formula for victory in Galle has been a simple one over the years: bat first, bat big, and then let the spinners loose on one of the fastest-wearing Test surfaces anywhere. Each team has a slew of Test specialists arriving, and with Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene bolstering Sri Lanka's middle order, New Zealand's bowlers will know they are no longer facing the "top heavy" batting unit they were up against in the limited-overs matches.
New Zealand meanwhile, will hope that the rain around will give their fast bowlers more to work with than a Galle surface would typically offer them. If this is the case, the toss will become less important, as the team batting first may have a difficult first session to negotiate. The evening rains might also freshen up the surface for each morning, and as fast bowling is the only area in which New Zealand outgun the hosts, the weather may give them the opportunity they need to cause an upset.
Their batsmen however, will need to show more mettle than they did in India, if they are to compete. Ross Taylor has spoken of Sri Lanka's attack as an obvious weakness, but they underestimate Rangana Herath at their peril, and 31 wickets to Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin in their last Test series suggests New Zealand are not as comfortable against spin as Taylor seems to believe.
Teams news
Tillakaratne Dilshan has not recovered from his back injury, which means left-hand batsman Dimuth Karunaratne has been brought into the squad, and will get a Test debut. Sri Lanka's major selection conundrum is who their second seam bowler will be. Nuwan Kulasekara had a decent return to Test cricket against Pakistan, but Shaminda Eranga seems the better long-term option for Sri Lanka, as he has both height and speed over Kulasekara, though he cannot swing the ball as prodigiously.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara/Shaminda Eranga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Chanaka Welegedara
New Zealand also have decisions to make around their attack, having shipped five specialist Test bowlers in to join Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who played in the ODIs. They have uncapped legspinner Todd Astle in their ranks, but they will not hesitate to play to their strengths and name only one spinner in their XI if the pitch appears to offer anything for the seam bowlers. Among the quicks, Southee is an almost certain starter, meaning Neil Wagner, Chris Martin, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell will compete for the remaining two spots. Bracewell and Boult are the obvious frontrunners, but Martin provides experience on a potentially difficult pitch.
Martin Guptill returns to the team, after being rested for the ODIs.
New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Daniel Flynn, 6 James Franklin, 7 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Jeetan Patel, 11 Trent Boult/Chris Martin
Stats and trivia
Sri Lanka have won 11 matches, lost four and drawn five in Galle
Mahela Jayawardene has made over one fifth of his 10,540 runs in Galle, and averages 75.60 there
New Zealand last won a Test in Sri Lanka in May 1998
Sri Lanka will want nothing less than a 2-0 repeat of New Zealand's last Test tour, and their formula for victory in Galle has been a simple one over the years: bat first, bat big, and then let the spinners loose on one of the fastest-wearing Test surfaces anywhere. Each team has a slew of Test specialists arriving, and with Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene bolstering Sri Lanka's middle order, New Zealand's bowlers will know they are no longer facing the "top heavy" batting unit they were up against in the limited-overs matches.
New Zealand meanwhile, will hope that the rain around will give their fast bowlers more to work with than a Galle surface would typically offer them. If this is the case, the toss will become less important, as the team batting first may have a difficult first session to negotiate. The evening rains might also freshen up the surface for each morning, and as fast bowling is the only area in which New Zealand outgun the hosts, the weather may give them the opportunity they need to cause an upset.
Their batsmen however, will need to show more mettle than they did in India, if they are to compete. Ross Taylor has spoken of Sri Lanka's attack as an obvious weakness, but they underestimate Rangana Herath at their peril, and 31 wickets to Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin in their last Test series suggests New Zealand are not as comfortable against spin as Taylor seems to believe.
Teams news
Tillakaratne Dilshan has not recovered from his back injury, which means left-hand batsman Dimuth Karunaratne has been brought into the squad, and will get a Test debut. Sri Lanka's major selection conundrum is who their second seam bowler will be. Nuwan Kulasekara had a decent return to Test cricket against Pakistan, but Shaminda Eranga seems the better long-term option for Sri Lanka, as he has both height and speed over Kulasekara, though he cannot swing the ball as prodigiously.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara/Shaminda Eranga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Chanaka Welegedara
New Zealand also have decisions to make around their attack, having shipped five specialist Test bowlers in to join Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who played in the ODIs. They have uncapped legspinner Todd Astle in their ranks, but they will not hesitate to play to their strengths and name only one spinner in their XI if the pitch appears to offer anything for the seam bowlers. Among the quicks, Southee is an almost certain starter, meaning Neil Wagner, Chris Martin, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell will compete for the remaining two spots. Bracewell and Boult are the obvious frontrunners, but Martin provides experience on a potentially difficult pitch.
Martin Guptill returns to the team, after being rested for the ODIs.
New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Daniel Flynn, 6 James Franklin, 7 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Jeetan Patel, 11 Trent Boult/Chris Martin
Stats and trivia
Sri Lanka have won 11 matches, lost four and drawn five in Galle
Mahela Jayawardene has made over one fifth of his 10,540 runs in Galle, and averages 75.60 there
New Zealand last won a Test in Sri Lanka in May 1998
) Wth was that lol 
, that's the thing didn't need helpful bowling tracks with the master at work.
