Sri Lanka will look to strike an early blow in opposition to New Zealand in Christchurch this week and hope Australia can thwart India to maintain the World Test Championship 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 Test within the subcontinent.
The collection begins at Hagley Oval on Thursday, the identical day India and Australia begin their remaining Test on the mega-stadium in Ahmedabad.
Sri Lanka have 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 Test in New Zealand and their final victory was in 2006, when Mahela Jayawardene’s group cut up a 1-1 collection with the Stephen Fleming-captained hosts.
“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 advised 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 not too long ago held a coaching camp at a brand new facility within the hills south of Kandy to attempt to simulate New Zealand’s cool circumstances and bouncy wickets.
A group extra accustomed to attacking with spin, Sri Lanka have introduced a full secure of tempo bowlers to New Zealand.
They should be taught on the job as not one of the quicks has ever performed a Test in New Zealand, whereas Milan Priyanath and seam-bowling all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne boast one Test 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 at 1-1 and preserved the Black Caps’ unbeaten report at residence relationship again to 2017.
The group’s prime batsman and former captain Kane Williamson will likely be a late arrival in Christchurch as he mourns the dying of his grandmother.
The squad is in any other case “buzzing”, mentioned skipper Tim Southee.
“We haven’t felt that for a while and just to have that buzz around Test cricket is great,” mentioned the quick bowler of the well-attended collection.
“Hopefully, that continues over the next few weeks.”
With some rain forecast by the Christchurch Test, Dimuth Karunaratne’s Sri Lanka may do nicely to observe England’s attacking instance and search to maneuver the sport on shortly in pursuit of victory.
Anything lower than a win earlier than the second Test in Wellington will put India into the WTC remaining.
Mathews mentioned Sri Lanka would persist with their model, 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 mentioned.
“No pressure at all. We know that we’ve got to win both the games to be in the final and we have to play really good cricket.
“It’s fairly simple.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
