New Zealand, the current Test champions will not have to do anything to defend their title as they have already failed to qualify for the 2023 final, but Sri Lanka will have much to play for when the two teams meet in the first of two matches starting in Christchurch on Thursday.
Sri Lanka is following on the tail of India after Australia booked a place in the Test championship final scheduled for June this year and Dimuth Karunaratne’s team will need to win the two Test series against New Zealand 2-0 in a bid to secure the other slot in the final.
Sri Lanka will also have to ensure that India does not win the fourth and final Test against Australia starting on March 9 in Ahamedabad.
For Sri Lanka to convincingly thump New Zealand 2-0, the team will have to play its best cricket since gaining full member status in the International Council (ICC) in 1981 as the Kiwis have most of the time held the upper hand in past matches between the two countries.
Any dream Sri Lanka may have had of having a cakewalk over the Kiwis would have been pushed back further this week when New Zealand successfully reground to pull off one of the most astonishing Test match results as they came from behind to beat England by one run in Wellington in the second and final Test.
The toss is most likely to play a part in the series as the team batting first could heap up the pressure more on the team batting second as past results have shown.
On paper both teams however look evenly balanced but the difference is likely to be in Sri Lanka’s batting versus New Zealand’s bowlers who will have to make up for a home team batting line-up that can look shaky at times.
For the record, Sri Lanka have won just nine matches compared to 16 wins by New Zealand in Tests between the two sides with 11 matches ending in draws.
Most of the Sri Lankan players have not had much experience playing in New Zealand and that could be another factor the team will have to collectively overcome with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews having to shoulder the batting along with Kusal Mendis.
Sri Lanka team to be selected from: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Nishan Madushka, Milan Ratnayake
New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (captain), Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Scot Kuggelein, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nichols, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Will Young