NZ vs SL: SL face a tough ask ahead of second Test

A green, hard surface was relished by both the batsmen and the four-man pace attack of New Zealand in the first Test at Dunedin. And, the hosts find any change unnecessary ahead of the second Test starting at Hamilton tomorrow.

Angelo Mathews will be expecting his team to raise their performance in the second Test at Hamilton.

New Zealand will be a confident bunch after their resounding win against an inexperienced Sri Lankan side in the first Test at Dunedin. A green, hard surface there was relished by both the batsmen and the four-man pace attack of New Zealand. And, the hosts find any change unnecessary ahead of the second Test at Hamilton, starting on Friday. There will be a quartet of fast bowlers and the pitch is expected to be greener.

“It’s green, Dunedin was green, and we just feel it might be more suited to seam bowling,” New Zealand’s Kane Williamson said.

“We’re playing the same (line-up) as the last match, with the look of the surface we will go in with that extra seamer,” Williamson said, suggesting New Zealand would likely bowl first if they win the toss.

New Zealand to continue with four pacers

With conditions ripe for seam and swing bowling, New Zealand ruled out bringing in an extra spinner and opted to maintain their four-pronged pace attack.

New Zealand won the first Test in Dunedin by 122 runs despite losing the toss and being forced to bat first.

Their cause was helped by the inexperienced Sri Lankan attack being unable to capitalise on the conditions, but Williamson does not expect New Zealand to get off so lightly this time.

“I’m sure they would have learned a lot (in Dunedin) and it should be a good game,” he said.

Williamson did not make a big deal of his suspected broken finger. “It’s part and parcel of cricket I suppose. You get a few knocks on the fingers and when it doesn’t get hit it settles a little bit and gets a bit less sensitive,” he said.

Will look to be positive: Mathews

Sri Lanka will not confirm their line-up until just before the game, but captain Angelo Mathews indicated changes were also unlikely.

“The wicket’s really green, lots of grass on it, so it’s definitely bowl first and if we bowl first we’ll look to rectify the mistakes that we did in Dunedin because we were nowhere near our best,” he said.

“This will do a lot more than Dunedin, it has a lot more grass and the seamers will come into play.

“It doesn’t really matter if we lose the series 2-0. We’ve got to go out there and keep positive right from the word go, not look to be too cautious, just go out there and play good cricket,” said Mathews.