Sri Lanka will want nothing less than a 2-0 repeat of New Zealand's last
Test tour, and their formula for victory in Galle has been a simple one
over the years: bat first, bat big, and then let the spinners loose on
one of the fastest-wearing Test surfaces anywhere. Each team has a slew
of Test specialists arriving, and with Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna
Jayawardene bolstering Sri Lanka's middle order, New Zealand's bowlers
will know they are no longer facing the "top heavy" batting unit they
were up against in the limited-overs matches.
The hosts will also see this match as the first outing in the lead-up to
their tour of Australia - their biggest Test assignment in a while.
Given that they are unlikely to encounter anything like the Galle pitch
there (at least, not until they reach Sydney for the final Test) this
match will probably be less of a test of their technique, as it is an
opportunity for Sri Lanka's Test side to build some momentum before they
encounter the bouncier pitches at the P Sara Oval and beyond.
New Zealand meanwhile, will hope that the rain around will give their
fast bowlers more to work with than a Galle surface would typically
offer them. If this is the case, the toss will become less important, as
the team batting first may have a difficult first session to negotiate.
The evening rains might also freshen up the surface for each morning,
and as fast bowling is the only area in which New Zealand outgun the
hosts, the weather may give them the opportunity they need to cause an
upset.
Their batsmen however, will need to show more mettle than they did in
India, if they are to compete. Ross Taylor has spoken of Sri Lanka's
attack as an obvious weakness, but they underestimate Rangana Herath at
their peril, and 31 wickets to Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin in their last
Test series suggests New Zealand are not as comfortable against spin as
Taylor seems to believe.
Form guide
Sri Lanka: DDWLW (Most recent first)New Zealand: LLLLD
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