Quick question. A paradox, even. Would you want to be with the team on a winning streak just a hundred days before a mega-event it’s not participating in or a team that has yet to start preparing for the said event but has a first-class ticket for it? That’s a tough one to answer, irrelevant in fact. But so is the ODI format, which gets the kiss of life right before every tournament only to be dumped again. New Zealand last played an ODI game in December 2023. And as much as it sounds untrue, they are not the only side with a history of standing the format up for the past year. Pakistan only returned to the ODIs this week for the first time after the World Cup, facing Australia who have largely ignored the format for the past ten months.
Sri Lanka, however, have played the one-day games more frequently than the others since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup. Cherry on top, they are on a roll too. In an ideal universe, this would have been the perfect build-up for their Champions Trophy campaign. However, as things stand in this universe, Sri Lanka are not a part of the tournament and the nearest ODI tournament they can realistically aim for is the World Cup in 2027. But that does not clear them to miss the ODI series they are scheduled to play against the first-classers New Zealand.
New Zealand, stomping over the others, were the last to make it to the semi-finals in the ODI World Cup, only to get knocked out by the eventual champions, India. Following that, they defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in a home ODI series in December last year. The first ODI against Sri Lanka will be the beginning of the end of their lengthy expedition to Asia.
Team Overview:
New Zealand are being led by the tweaker Mitchell Santner, who with others of his kind namely, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, and Glenn Phillips will hope to exploit Dambulla’s spin resources. However, they would be shorthanded without their lead pacer, Lockie Ferguson, who is out with a calf injury after registering a hat-trick in the last T20I. Adam Milne has been called in as his replacement who will be crucial to anchor the otherwise inexperienced pacer attack including Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith. Fast bowling all-rounder, Zakary Foulkes has been the find of the tour for the visitors and will join Josh Clarkson to complement the full-timers. The Kiwis have shown serious signs of struggle while batting in Dambulla across both T20Is but captain Santner would hope that it has more to do with the venue’s hostility towards teams batting first.
Playing two games in Dambulla, you can not come out unscathed. Like the Kiwis, the hosts have also lost one of their prime bowlers, Wanindu Hasaranga to a hamstring injury. Although Dushan Hemantha has been called in the leggie’s place, it looks like the Islanders will go with playing Jeffrey Vandersay instead. The team’s batting has been surprisingly good of late. Interestingly, a different kind of serenity was felt within the lineup as if the batters knew they had everything under control. Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, and Kusal Mendis have all been a sight to hold with the bat in the past couple of series, regardless of formats.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Sri Lanka and New Zealand have been up against each other 102 times in ODIs. Of these encounters, New Zealand has 52 wins to their name, while Sri Lanka outclassed them in 41. Eight games ended without any result, while one match between both sides was tied. The last time both teams crossed swords was during the ODI World Cup in India.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Playing their last three games in Dambulla both sides have learned one thing: You don’t defend at this venue. With rain expected to affect the first game thanks to the monsoon in the country, the above-stated piece of information will hold true in the ODIs too. The pitch offers an unreal amount of spin, though many pacers found success during the T20Is as well. The best time to bat is with the new ball. A low-scoring thriller could be expected. And so is a rain-truncated game.
Prediction:
New Zealand will find it difficult to fare against Sri Lanka, especially when the latter is on a winning streak and has a more settled side.
Where to Watch:
Sri Lanka: Supreme TV, Ten Cricket, Dialog, IPTV, Sri Lanka Cricket’s YouTube Channel
New Zealand: Sky Sports
Pakistan: Tapmad, Ten Sports
India: Sony Sports Network, FanCode App
United Kingdom: TNT Sports
Asia: Sony Liv
MENA: Cricbuzz
Caribbean: RUSH
