New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Match Prediction
National teams
Basin Reserve
Facts
- Kane Williamson scored a match-winning hundred in his last two Test matches.
- Pacer Asitha Fernando picked seven wickets for Sri Lanka in the first Test.
- Angelo Mathews scored 47 and 115 in the two innings of the first Test vs New Zealand.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Chance of Winning
Sri Lanka last won a Test match in Sri Lanka in 2006. New Zealand haven't lost any of their seven Test matches against Sri Lanka at home. Further, New Zealand are high on confidence from their thrilling one-run win to draw the preceding series against England 1-1. The thrilling one-run one on the last ball of the Test match against Sri Lanka in Christchurch will boost their confidence further.
Chasing 285, New Zealand needed five off the last three deliveries when Kane Williamson (121*) hit a boundary and ran a bye single on the last delivery.
Sri Lanka were undoubtedly competitive throughout the match but as expected, New Zealand edged past them because of their home conditions and the brilliance of Kane Williamson.
New Zealand would again be a tough opposition with Williamson, Daryl Mitchell (102 and 81 in 1st Test) and Tom Latham (67 in first innings in form). The bowlers also did well in front of a very determined and disciplined Sri Lanka batting attack.
Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva chipped in with decent contributions in both the innings while Angelo Mathews scored a hundred in the second. Sri Lanka looked a better batting side in the first innings but found themselves under a bit of pressure in the second innings after pace trio of Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Blair Tickner came all guns blazing.
With a 2-0 win on the cards, a spirited New Zealand side is expected to win the second Test as well.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Tournament Prediction & Betting Tips 2023
New Zealand are certain of winning the 2-Test series. A whitewash is very well on the cards.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Match Toss Prediction
In the last Test match in Wellington, New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat second. The won the match by one run. In the match prior to it at the venue, New Zealand were asked to bat first after losing the toss against West Indies. However, the hosts won the match by an innings and 12 runs. In the third last match in Wellington New Zealand won the toss and elected to field against India. They won the match by 10 wickets. The side winning the toss could look to field first again on Friday.
Weather Report
Rain is on cards on Day 1, 2 and 5. "A stray shower in the morning" on Day 2 according to AccuWeather. Day 3 will be the sunniest during the Test. The temperature will hover around 20 degree celsius.
New Zealand Player List
New Zealand Squad
Tim Southee (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Tom Latham (wk), Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson, Neil Wagner, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Scott Kuggeleijn
New Zealand Predicted XI
|
Tom Latham |
Batsman |
|
Devon Conway |
Batsman |
|
Kane Williamson |
Batsman |
|
Will Young |
Batsman |
|
Henry Nicholls |
Batsman |
|
Daryll Mitchell |
All-rounder |
|
Tom Blundell (WK) |
Batsman and wicket-keeper |
|
Michael Bracewell |
All-rounder |
|
Matt Henry |
Bowler |
|
Tim Southee (c) |
Bowler |
|
Doug Bracewell |
Bowler |
New Zealand Team Form
New Zealand scripted a historic come-from-behind in their last Test against England. They defeated England by one run after being forced to follow-on. Latham scored 83 in the second innings, whereas Williamson slammed a hundred. Daryl Mitchell and Blundell also chipped in with 54 and 90 runs respectively. Defending 258, Wagner, Southee and Henry picked 4, 3 and 2 wickets each. The performance must have lifted the spirits of New Zealand who would look to move forward with the momentum.
In the following match too, New Zealand fought till the very end to clinch a two-wicket victory on the final ball of the final day of the first Test against Sri Lanka. The likes of Williamson, MItchell and Latham fired with the bat, while the famous pace attack did their job perfectly. The team would want the likes of Nicholls, Conway and Blundell also to fire in the second Test.
Sri Lanka Player List
Sri Lanka Squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Niroshan Dickewella (wk), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Nishan Madushka (wk), Kusal Mendis (wk), Asitha Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Kasun Rajitha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Ramesh Mendis, Vishwa Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Kumara, Chamika Karunaratne, Prabath Jayasuriya, Oshada Fernando.
Sri Lanka Predicted XI
|
Oshada Fernando |
Batsman |
|
Dimuth Karunaratne (c) |
Batsman |
|
Kusal Mendis |
Batsman |
|
Angelo Mathews |
All-rounder |
|
Dinesh Chandimal |
Batsman |
|
Dhananjaya de Silva |
All-rounder |
|
Niroshan Dickwella (WK) |
Batsman and wicket-keeper |
|
Ramesh Mendis |
All-rounder |
|
Lahiru Kumara |
Bowler |
|
Asitha Fernando |
Bowler |
|
Kasun Rajitha |
Bowler |
Sri Lanka Team Form
Sri Lanka played their first Test after June 2022 but they were highly impressive in their outing. Batters Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis scored a fifty each in the first innings. Angelo Mathews scored 47 in the first innings and 115 in the second innings. Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva also chipped in with handy contributions across the two innings. The batting impressed as a unit in both the innings. Asitha Fernando was the most successful bowler with seven wickets in the match. Sri Lanka gave New Zealand a run for their money while defending 285.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Aces Head to Head
The two teams have played a total of 37 Test matches against each other. New Zealand have won 17. Sri Lanka have won nine. 11 matches have ended in a draw. In New Zealand, the hosts have won 12 of the 20 matches. Sri Lanka till date have won only two Tests in New Zealand.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Betting Odds
New Zealand to win
New Zealand are the clear favourites to win the series-opener against Sri Lanka who last won a Test match in New Zealand back in 2006. Sri Lanka batters performed as a unit in the first innings but fell flat in the second innings. If not for the Angelo Mathews century, Sri Lanka would have been comprehensively beaten in Christchurch. Further, the likes of Devon Conway and Tom Latham did not fire for New Zealand in the first Test. They are expected to join the party too in Wellington.
New Zealand have now won back-to-back two thrillers. They defeated England in a last-over thriller to level the series 1-1. In the match against Sri Lanka they chased down 285 runs in the fourth innings despite rain interruption on the final Day. They gave it their all and won the match on the final ball of the Test match. The pace trio of Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Blair Tickner would again be threatening to Sri Lanka. Notably, Neil Wagner suffered a hamstring strain in the first Test and will not feature in the second Test. New Zealand also have the opportunity to register their first clean sweep at home since 2020. The same and no Test cricket in the near future would allow New Zealand to end the season on a high.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Top Team Batsmen
Tom Blundell to be New Zealand's top batter
Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell scored 138, 1, 38 and 90 in the four innings against England recently. He finished as the highest run-scorer for New Zealand with 267 runs in two matches. He failed to get going in the first Test against Sri Lanka but is expected to bounce back in the second Test. Overall, he has scored 1641 runs at an average of 43.18 in 25 Tests. He has four hundreds and 10 fifties to his name in the format.
Dinesh Chandimal to be Sri Lanka's top batter
The experienced batter scored 80 and 21 runs in his last Test outing before landing in New Zealand. Being one of the senior-most members in the team, Chandimal was expected to be amongst runs and he did not disappoint. He scored 39 in the first innings and 42 in the second. In the second Test, the 33-year-old would aim to convert the starts into big scores. Overall, he has played 71 Test matches and scored 5017 runs at an average of 43.25. He has 13 hundreds to his name in the format.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka top bowlers
Matt Henry to be New Zealand's top bowler
Pacer Matt Henry could emerge as the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand in the second Test. He picked four wickets in the first innings against Sri Lanka. In the second innings, he chipped in with three more wickets. The 32-year-old had picked six wickets in his second-last Test against England. Overall, he has played 28 Test matches and picked 68 wickets at an average of 38.02.
Asitha Fernando to be Sri Lanka's top bowler
Eyes will be on Asitha Fernando in the second Test match. The Sri Lanka pacer picked four wickets (including openers Latham and Conway) in the first innings against New Zealand. In the second innings he picked three including that of Mitchell and Blundell. He will look to leave impact in the second Test as well. Overall, he has played in 8 Test matches and picked 27 wickets at an average of 23.66.
Our Prediction
Favorites to win: New Zealand
New Zealand are the clear favourites to win the series-opener against Sri Lanka who last won a Test match in New Zealand back in 2006. Sri Lanka batters performed as a unit in the first innings but fell flat in the second innings. If not for the Angelo Mathews century, Sri Lanka would have been comprehensively beaten in Christchurch. Further, the likes of Devon Conway and Tom Latham did not fire for New Zealand in the first Test. They are expected to join the party too in Wellington.
New Zealand have now won back-to-back two thrillers. They defeated England in a last-over thriller to level the series 1-1. In the match against Sri Lanka they chased down 285 runs in the fourth innings despite rain interruption on the final Day. They gave it their all and won the match on the final ball of the Test match. The pace trio of Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Blair Tickner would again be threatening to Sri Lanka. New Zealand also have the opportunity to register their first clean sweep at home since 2020. The same and no Test cricket in the near future would allow New Zealand to end the season on a high.
