Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka, 2019, Today Match Prediction 22 Aug 2019

srl vs nz Match Prediction & Analysis

Host Sri Lanka will be looking to carry the momentum forward when they will face New Zealand in the second and final Test of the series at P Sara Oval in Colombo on Thursday. When the last time both side met earlier in the tournament, Hyderabad completed a comprehensive nine-wicket win.

Sri Lanka managed to chase down a competitive score of 268 runs in their final innings to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. Captain Dimuth Karunaratne led from the front and smashed a splendid century to steer his side to a comfortable victory.

On the other hand, New Zealand will be keen to make amends for their mistakes made in the opening game of the series. Captain Kane Williamson will be hoping that big players can deliver the goods with bat and ball in a bid to level the two-match Test series.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Sri Lanka Preview

The home side will be looking to deliver another good performance in order to clinch Test series against New Zealand at P. Sara Oval in Colombo. Captain Dimuth Karunaratne has shown exceptional leadership skills to turn things around for Sri Lanka in Test cricket. Also, Sri Lanka has won three Test matches in a row (which includes their maiden series win in South Africa).

In the batting department, the side will be relying on the likes of Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Matthews and Kusal Perera to deliver the bulk of the runs in this game. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne scored 39 runs in the first innings but came strongly to produce a splendid ton to help Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in the first Test. Opening batsman scored 122 off 243 balls with the help of 6 fours and a six. Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Thiramanne and all-rounder Angelo Matthews also produced crucial half-centuries to help Sri Lanka maintain the pressure on New Zealand in the first Test. Kusal Perera had a poor outing with the bat in the first Test and will be keen to get big runs for the side in the final game of the series. Wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella played well in the first innings and scored 61 runs to help Sri Lanka take a slender lead in the Test match.

Bowling all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva contributed with bat and ball for Sri Lanka in the first game of the series played at Galle. In the bowling department, Akila Dhananjaya has reported for a suspect action by the umpires in the first game and might be replaced by Vishwa Fernando or Lakshan Sadakan for this final game of the series. Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Kumara bowled well as the new-ball pair for Sri Lanka. Lasith Embuldeniya and Dhananjaya de Silva are the prominent spin options for the side for the second and final game of the series.

Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:

Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Angelo Matthews, Lahiru Thiramanne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Lakshan Sadakan, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Lasith Embuldeniya.

Sri Lanka Actual Playing XI:

Niroshan Dickwella, Lasith Embuldeniya, Dilruwan Perera, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis , Suranga Lakmal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Lahiru Kumara

New Zealand Preview

Kane Williamson and co. will need to produce something special in order to level the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The key players failed to produce the goods in the first Test as Sri Lanka cruised to a comfortable win at Galle. Captain Kane Williamson will need to lead from the front and help New Zealand produce competitive totals on the board in this series finale.

Opening batsman Jeet Raval will need to produce decent scores in order for New Zealand to get off to a decent start. Left-hander produced scores of 33 and 4 for New Zealand in the first Test played at Galle. His opening partner, Tom Latham, failed to capitalize on his good start and produced scores of 30 and 45 respectively. New Zealand will be hoping that Latham can get a big score for the side in this game. Kane Williamson will be looking to make a strong comeback in this final game of the series and registered single-digit scores in Galle. He is the premier batsman in the batting department and will need to spend time in the middle to produce a notable score for the side in the second and final game of the series.

Ross Taylor looked in good touch with the bat in the first innings and scored 86 off 132 balls to see New Zealand post a decent total in their innings. He will be looking to continue his good form with the bat in this series finale. Middle-order batsman Henry Nicholls contributed well to the team’s cause in the first game of the series. In the past 12 months, Nicholls has been proved to be a consistent performer for the side in red-ball cricket. Wicketkeeper BJ Watling delivered a much-needed half-century in the second innings in order for New Zealand to set a decent total for Sri Lanka to win the game. He scored 77 runs with the help of six boundaries.

In the bowling department, the spin duo of Ajaz Patel and William Somerville bowled well and picked up 10 wickets between them. Pace bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee bowled tidy spells despite no sort of assistance from the surface. New Zealand might go in with same unchanged XI despite losing the first game of the series.

New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:

Kane Williamson (captain), BJ Watling (wk), Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, William Somerville.

New Zealand Actual Playing XI:

Trent Boult, Tom Latham, Ajaz Patel, Jeet Raval, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, KS Williamson, William Somerville, Ross Taylor, TG Southee

Weather Conditions

The pitch is expected to offer some assistance to quick bowlers on the first day of the game. The weather forecast for the game to be played on Thursday is expected to have thundery storms with light winds. Venue P Sara Oval in Colombo is going to host the second Test match of the series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The venue has not been happy hunting ground in recent times. New Zealand will take heart from the fact that they have managed to win a Test match against Sri Lanka at this venue in 2012.

Toss: To Bat

The side that wins the toss would be looking to bat first and put runs on the board. The surface will deteriorate as the game progresses in the last three days of the game.