New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, NZ vs SL, Today Match Prediction 28 March 2023

nz vs sl Match Prediction & Analysis

The visitors are all set to face the Kiwis in the 2nd ODI as they look to make a comeback and stay alive in the series. After a 2-0 whitewash in the Tests, Sri Lanka’s form slipped even further as they were all out for just 76 runs in the 1st ODI.

The key bowlers in the side were impressive in their respective spells to restrict the hosts to a par total. A 275-run target isn’t much in Auckland where teams have managed to chase down even bigger totals.

Tom Latham who is leading the hosts in the ODI series scored a brilliant hundred the last time he played in Christchurch. New Zealand have quite a few newcomers in their side.

Of those, Henry Shipley made his mark with a fifer in the 4th ODI of his career. Boult and Southee aren’t part of this NZ squad. New Zealand have some promising batters in the side and we expect them to deliver at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch in the 2nd ODI.

TEAMS PREVIEW

New Zealand Preview

New Zealand have kicked off the ODI series with a bang. Soon after the whitewash in the Test series, the hosts outplayed the visitors in the opening match of the ODI series.

Though they fielded a new-look team with most of their senior players rested, New Zealand still managed to gain the upper hand in the contest. Chad Bowes made his ODI debut and opened the innings alongside Finn Allen. It wasn’t a remarkable debut as the Canterbury batsman was out for just 14 off 15 balls.

Skipper Tom Latham struggled to get going. He was part of a 39-run stand for the 4th wicket though he scored just 5 off 17 balls. Nevertheless, he is a key player for NZ in the middle order. At the top, Finn Allen, Will Young, and Daryl Mitchell will be crucial to get NZ off to a good start.

Rachin Ravindra looked promising in the lower middle order as he missed a fifty on his debut by just one run. There is no dearth of match-winning players in the batting department.

New Zealand’s new generation of bowlers haven’t been as lethal as their predecessors. And the recent win seems to have given them a boost in the right direction. Henry Shipley, Matt Henry, and Blair Tickner will be the key bowlers to watch out for in this lineup.

New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:

Finn Allen, Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner

Sri Lanka Preview

Dasun Shanaka will be furious with the result of the 1st ODI in Auckland, a venue that is known to be favourable for chasing. The skipper himself was out for a golden duck as the team bundled up for just 76 runs. The bowlers did a fine job with Chamika Karunaratne and Lahiru Kumara finishing with an economy of below 5 r.p.o.

Kasun Rajitha also managed to pick up a couple of wickets at an economy of just above 5. What Sri Lanka will be looking for is a complete turnaround in the batting department. 

And it will start with Pathum Nissanka at the top followed by Kusal Mendis at number 3. These two batters are key to a comeback and Mendis, in particular, needs to play a big knock to take Sri Lanka to a competitive total. Hagley Oval in Christchurch is another such venue where NZ can chase down a total.

And as such, if Sri Lanka were to bat first, they will need to post a big enough total. Angelo Matthews will be expected to bring his experience into play and deliver some crucial partnerships along with Chamika Karunaratne and Dasun Shanaka.

Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:

Nuwanidu Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch is good for batting. It offers good and consistent bounce and also has a bit of grass cover. The pacers can get some movement off the pitch. The weather forecast is for rain on the match day with a high of 15 degrees Celsius.

Venue Details

Hagley Oval in Christchurch will be the venue for the 2nd ODI. It has hosted 24 matches so far and the average 1st innings score here is 248 runs. A 265-275 total will be a competitive 1st innings total on this ground.

Toss: To Bat

Teams batting first have won 12 of the 24 ODIs played at this venue. There is no clear advantage to either batting first or second on this ground. However, the highest score chased at this venue was 275 runs. That indicates there is a good chance of defending a total here and both teams would be inclined to bat first.