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Dhananjaya de Silva-led Sri Lanka will take on Tim Southee’s New Zealand team in the first Test of two-match series beginning at Galle on Wednesday, September 18. Published: September 18, 2024 9:03 AM IST By Edited by Sri Lanka will look to build on the gains from their England tour as they get ready to face former World Test Championship (WTC) winners New Zealand in the first Test of the two-match series at Galle from Wednesday (September 18). The Lankans stunned England at the Oval in their last Test match but went on to lose the three-match series 2-1.
New Zealand, on the other hand, faced the disappointment of a washed-out one-off Test match against Afghanistan at the Greater Noida Sports Complex last week. These two Tests are part of WTC 2023-25 calendar and are crucial to both sides. The Black Caps are currently in third place on the points table while Sri Lanka have leapfrogged over England to move to 5th spot thanks to their win at the Oval.
The Kiwis hold the edge over Lanka in head-to-head matches, having won 18 out of the 38 Tests between the two sides while Sri Lanka have won just 11. Meanwhile, New Zealand skipper Tim Southee is not thinking about the 400 Test wickets mark in his career, since he is still 20 wickets short of that landmark. Southee feels that the 400-wicket feat is still a couple of tours away from him, especially touring Asia, where spinners are favourites to dominate red-ball cricket.
“I guess over time, when you play for a long period, you’re able to, I guess, come close to those, but still being 20 wickets away is a lot of tours, especially in this part of the world. But yeah, every game you’re going out and trying to do your role and take some wickets for your side, and it’d be nice if you do achieve those milestones along the way,” Southee said on the eve of the first Test. With New Zealand playing two Tests in Galle from Wednesday, spinners emerge as the most likely candidates to pick the majority of the wickets.
Yet Southee feels that pacers will have a role to play in the series even though it is a tough challenge. “I think historically, here, in Galle in particular, spin has played a pretty big part. But as pace bowlers, if you can come here and do well, that’s a tough challenge but a very rewarding challenge,” Southee said.
📣 Sri Lanka announced playing XI for the first Test vs New Zealand. — Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) When is Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test going to take place? The Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test will take place from September 18 to 22. Where is Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test going to take place? The Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test will be held at the Galle cricket stadium.
What time will Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test start? The Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test Day 1 will begin at 10am IST. The toss for the match will be held at 930am. Where can I watch Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test on TV in India? The Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test will be available LIVE on Sony Sports Network on TV in India.
How can I watch livestreaming of Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test in India? The Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test will be available for livestreaming for free on SonyLiv and Fancode website and app. Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test Predicted 11 Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Ramesh Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Tom Blundell (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Matt Henry For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on .
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