What do you make of Sri Lanka’s brilliant run in the ODIs of late? Are they up to building their way back to tier-one teams in the 50-over format? True, they played dismally in India’s ODI World Cup which saw them being left out of the Champions Trophy too. But from how it looks, all of this drubbing seems to have shaken them awake. Or has it?
It could be a case of fans wanting to see the half-glass full. Sri Lanka have won six out of eight ODIs they played after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup. This makes up for an incredible win-to-loss ratio as well as something entirely new for the Islanders. But there lingers one question that is more of a killjoy. Are home conditions skewing the results in Sri Lanka’s favor? After all, they have played all eight of these one-dayers at their home. And you do not need to be an expert to figure out that the Sri Lankan conditions have plenty for spinners and the Sri Lankan spinners have never shied away from milking all of it dry. Glass could also be half empty, no?
Nevertheless, they have won the series, and very deservingly so. New Zealand arguably needed these wins more than them especially since they are going into a mega-event in three months’ time. They still have one ODI game to salvage their pride, given they realize that losing 2-1 is the lesser of the two evils.
Team Overview:
Charith Asalanka is leading a batting pack full of players, who are on a mission to challenge Sri Lanka’s identity as a spin-bowling powerhouse. Just over a year ago, the entire Sri Lankan team crumbled for 50 runs against India in the Asia Cup 2023 final. Fast forward to now. Instead of losing sleep over the team’s batting woes, the Sri Lankan skipper pulls all-nighters to figure out which of his many in-form players should make the XI. Take Nishan Madushka for instance. Despite scoring 38 and 69 runs against West Indies in injured Pathum Nissanka’s place, the young batter has not played a game since. Why? You guessed it, the Sri Lankan batters have not missed a beat to be replaced. This a first for Asalanka but something he would not mind getting used to.
Only four New Zealand batters managed to reach double figures in the second ODI. Mark Chapman’s 76-run knock and Mitchell Hay’s 49-run contribution were two of those. The pitch was undoubtedly sluggish and New Zealand spinners tried to make the most of it. And for some time, it looked like their plan was working but Kusal Mendis refrained to give way. It’s a young batting lineup that New Zealand have and it will not be sane or fair to expect them to navigate through the unforgiving rank-turners of Sri Lanka with ease. Skipper Mitchell Santner confessed that a few more runs would have turned the tide of the game in their favour, but cricket is anything but a game of would-haves.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Sri Lanka and New Zealand have been up against each other 104 times in ODIs. Of these encounters, New Zealand has 52 wins to their name, while Sri Lanka outclassed them in 43. Eight games ended without any result, while one match between both sides was tied.
Weather and Pitch Report:
It was a typical Pallekele surface in the first game. The deck was slow and made the ball spin even under the lights. The pitch had very visible cracks, which obviously caused the ball to deviate from its path. However, this time expect fewer cracks as the rain is expected to welcome the teams in the early stages. The toss-winning captain would want to ball first. The best bet for the batters is to make the most of the new ball. Expect another low-scoring game which will trickle down to the last overs. The tiniest differences between both teams will matter in deciding who gets the slice.
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
