SL vs NZ: Sri Lanka will be hosting the Kiwis for a two-match red-ball tour as the Blackcaps are headed to the subcontinent to feature in a long streak of red-ball contests. First New Zealand were to play in the one-off test against Afghanistan at Greater Noida, which was abandoned after rain called off play in all 5-days of the game.
New Zealand will now travel to the Lankan Islands post-series; they will again return to India to feature in a 3-match red ball tour against the Men in Blue. The series against Sri Lanka will be played from the 18th of September at the Galle International Stadium.
Nishan Madushka, who was a part of the Lankan squad that traveled to England, has been dropped over his weak form, while star Sri Lanka batter Oshada Fernando makes a comeback to red-ball cricket following 18 months of injury.
The 32-year-old batter from Sri Lanka went on to score 1091 runs in 21 games at an average of 33.06, as the batter scored a hundred and 7 half-centuries in the longest format of the game. After, Pathum Nissanka’s match-winning century in the Oval test made him the first-choice player for the following series.
Alongside players like Dimuth Karunaratne, who recently concluded 7000 test runs, Kusal Mendis, veteran greats Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, alongside skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, and Sri Lanka’s most informed player, Kamindu Mendis.
Pacers like Kasun Rajitha and Tharaka have been withdrawn from the test squad, while seamers like Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Milan Rathnayake impressed with the ball, while Rathnayake can also come in handy with the bat, down the order as he comes in to bat at no. 9.
However, this time around, with matches to be played on sub-continent tracks, Sadeera Samarawickrama might make a comeback to the Playing 11, while Ramesh Mendis might also make a comeback to strengthen their batting alongside their spin options.
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Sri Lanka Squad for the NZ series: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake
New Zealand Squad for Sri Lanka Tour: Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Will Young, Daryll Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Ben Sears, Tim Southee [C], Ajaz Patel, Matt Henry, and William O’Rourke.
