Bhathiya Barukanda
A win in the pocket sees a odds on highly buoyant Sri Lanka from a 1-up groove braced for a clean up second test stomping of New Zealand that would boost the island nation’s chances of making it to the ICC World Test Championship finals when the two sides face off tomorrow at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Indeed, it has been a type of fairytale rollercoaster ripening to Dhananjaya de Silva’s team to the brink of world cricket’s top billings that opened up following the third test hammering handed out to backyard England to the home first test leapfrogging thrashing of the Black Caps in a truly decisive fronting tomorrow for both sides in such perspective with Tim Southee’s team’s ultimate to the Test’ Championship at stake now reversed by Monday’s defeat to fourth in the rankings.
The first test Lankan high from the twist and turn of even exchanges to that final dramatic game changer courtesy leg spinner Prabath Jayasuriya’s brilliant exploitation of a cracking surface on the last two days does mirror a second test throw up of a host team’s edge on a sound bowling-batting outlook from last time’s exchanges where the New Zealanders were finally outplayed in both key departments of the game.
In that vein, the Lankan camp has by and large ridden to quite a muscled up outfit since the two defeats to England with Jayasuriya a trump card in ideal local conditions with ideally cushioning 6-wicket up Ramesh Mendis and wily slow undoing stuff by the skipper himself, the batting in the new star brimstone of Kamindu Mendis’ with compatibly most of the specialists coming good via Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis and veterans Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews.
New Zealand will necessarily look to upping their game particularly in the batting front that was a let down with Rachin Ravindra’s 92 effort lacking the desired support to carry them through.
Their bowling strong arms are chiefly off f spinner Ajaz Patel and pacer William O’Rourke who were among the wickets. Patel’s second innings 6 wickets makes him key to the Kiwis evening up while O’Rourke” hostile 5 in the first and 3 in the second innings does make the duo their match winning prospects. Therein, key bowler on the form book skipper Tim Southee who was a let down, will face the ultimate test of lead from the front coming good in this must win game.
Source: sri lanka cricket.lk
