Black Caps eye top prize

| | Galle
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Black Caps eye top prize

Wednesday, 14 August 2019 | AFP | Galle

New Zealand have a chance of securing the top spot in Test cricket when they take on Sri Lanka in a two-match series starting from today, exactly a month after their cruel World Cup defeat to England.

New Zealand, with 109 points in Test cricket, are ranked behind India on 113 points, but a 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka will see the Kiwis leapfrog the Asian heavyweights.

Test rankings have added relevance with the new, two-year ICC World Test Championship now under way, culminating in a 2021 final at Lord’s between the top two teams.

Sri Lanka will be wary of providing a rank turning wicket in the first Test here after being outsmarted by England in the most recent encounter at the venue.

England overcame the battle with a variety of off-, leg- and left-arm spin as the trio of Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Jack Leach played a key role in a 3-0 series sweep.

The Kiwis too are carrying plenty of spin options and are likely to play two of them. Bombay-born left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel is likely to be the second spinner to leggie Todd Astle.

Although seam is New Zealand’s strength, they are likely to stick to two seamers with all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme coming in as the third option.

Trent Boult will be the number one pick while they will have to make a call between Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, possibly the later, who picked up nine wickets in New Zealand’s last Test match.

But the hosts will be no pushover, as they showed by winning their recent 2-0 series in South Africa — becoming the first Asian nation to do so. And they have some tough choices, and in all departments.

Fernando, one of the brightest prospects to emerge in recent times, is set to miss both Tests with the return of Angelo Mathews, who was injured for South Africa.

Former captain Dinesh Chandimal, who also missed out on touring South Africa, is back in the squad and the wicketkeeper’s slot will be a toss up between him and Niroshan Dickwella.

Lahiru Kumara, another player who didn’t go to South Africa, will be Sri Lanka’s lead fast bowler and it remains to be seen with whom he will share the new ball.

Both Suranga Lakmal and Vishwa Fernando were main architects during the win in South Africa.

 

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