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*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka

Moss

International Captain
This test is looking even worse for us than the last one, not having any tv coverage of this test series here is looking like being a blessing in disguise.
First test was winnable. This one is shaping to be a wipeout, NZ had their chances and are getting properly crushed for not taking them. SL providing a lesson on how to capitalise.
 

King Kane

International Regular
After a great start he looks mediocre all of a sudden. Can they keep persevering?
He's dropped off a cliff but they will probably still stick with him as the cupboard is bare in terms of test quality openers to replace him.

There are no young John Wrights or Bruce Edgars waiting in the wings for a call up, great test openers like them are a thing of the past.

First test was winnable. This one is shaping to be a wipeout, NZ had their chances and are getting properly crushed for not taking them. SL providing a lesson on how to capitalise.
Sri Lanka are always tough to beat at home, from memory even the mighty Australian team didn't win their last test series there, it finished one all.
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
Kusal Mendis returning to form with a ton, and all it took was moving him down the order and playing at home and batting first coming in at a point where the opposition frontline attack had 1/327 between them
 

Apex Predator

State Vice-Captain
He's dropped off a cliff but they will probably still stick with him as the cupboard is bare in terms of test quality openers to replace him.

There are no young John Wrights or Bruce Edgars waiting in the wings for a call up, great test openers like them are a thing of the past.



Sri Lanka are always tough to beat at home, from memory even the mighty Australian team didn't win their last test series there, it finished one all.
Eng won 3-0 and 2-0 on their last 2 tours & recently even a poor out of form Pakistan
team.
They probably are on a upswing since Sanath's appointment. He has turned it around for them
 

AndyZaltzHair

Hall of Fame Member
First test was winnable. This one is shaping to be a wipeout, NZ had their chances and are getting properly crushed for not taking them. SL providing a lesson on how to capitalise.
Without looking at stats I'm pretty certain its extremely difficult to chase a target of 200-225 in sub continent. When it comes to that I'd rather bank on bowling sides 75%
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
After a great start he looks mediocre all of a sudden. Can they keep persevering?
He, like others in this side, will be trying to hang on until the 2026-27 series in Australia. I don't think he'll get there, given he's shown he wants to continue to T20 globe trot and not fully focus on his game for NZ. He's absolutely cooked
 

Silver Silva

International Regular
Closest Score to a Double Century in a Declared Innings in Tests

197* - Frank Worrell (WI) in 1960
195* - Usman Khawaja (AUS) in 2023
194* - Sachin Tendulkar (IND) in 2004
189* - Jacques Kallis (SA) in 2001
183* - Andy Flower (ZIM) in 2000
182* - Phil Mead (ENG) in 1921
182* - Sunil Gavaskar (IND) in 1978
182* - Viv Richards (WI) in 1981
182* - Jacques Kallis (SA) in 2012
182* - 𝗞𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘀 (SL) in 2024*
178* - Gary Sobers (WI) in 1971
177* - Chandu Borde (IND) in 1961
177* - Steve Waugh (AUS) in 1989
177* - Boeta Dippenaar (SA) in 2003
176* - Hashim Amla (SA) in 2007
176* - VVS Laxman (IND) in 2011
175* - Ravindra Jadeja (IND) in 2022
174* - Stephen Fleming (NZ) in 1998
173* - David Gower (ENG) in 1984
173* - Ross Taylor (NZ) in 2016
171* - Mohd Rizwan (PAK) in 2024
 

Migara

International Coach
Nobody in SL Test history has had this kind of start ..
To give an indication,
the fastest Sri Lankan batsmen to 1000 Test runs was Roy Dias in 1985 and it took him 23 innings ..

Kamindu is on 900+ after 13 innings
Most of SL players are late bloomers. if you consider reverse cumulative, you may see some ridiculous runs like this for many SL batsmen.
 

Migara

International Coach
I think all the earliest posts about him on CW are about his quirk bowling too. It probably was the most interesting thing about him before he became a high-performing domestic bat a few years ago. If the cricinfo profile was last written in 2020 or earlier that's probably what I'd write about
I always said Kamindu the batsman was never given proper appraisal because of more se.xy and IPL-worthy ambidextrous ****.
 

Swamp Witch Hattie

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
NZ has beaten SL 18 times in tests:

NZ vs. SL wins (tests).JPG

SL has beaten NZ 10 times in tests (soon to become 11 by the looks of it):

SL vs. NZ wins (tests).JPG

NZ's largest margins of victory (by an innings) were by an innings and 65 runs at Colombo in 2019 (Latham scored 154) followed by an innings and 61 runs at Colombo in 1984 (Hadlee took 10 wickets). SL's largest margin of victory (by an innings) was by an innings and 16 runs at Galle in 1998 (Mahela Jayawardene scored 167). I think SL has a good chance of improving upon that winning margin here (I'm guessing they will win by an innings and 101 runs, just to see another century on the scoreboard).

According to Google, NZ has just a 1% chance of winning now but I would have thought it was more like 0.01%. The ghost of Bill Paxton needs to have a word with Larry Page and Sergey Brin and tell them to put down the crack pipes!:

 

thundaboult

International Debutant
would love for the young lads phillips and ravindra to have positive outings here, rest can go fk themselves....unlikeable as hell with stead and a leadership group full of dry paint watchers running this team into the ground

matt henry not getting a game is criminal

rooting for sri lanka in all honesty what a team on the rise, still wish they had beat us 2-0 on 2023 when they toured, and went onto the wtc final
 

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