Watch Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Compaq Cup

Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Compaq Cup, Colombo

New Zealand seek to replicate Twenty20 form

Match facts

Tuesday September 8

Tuesday, 08 Sep 2009

			Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand
Venue :1st Match, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (D/N) Live action starts from: 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST) ODI Compaq Cup 2009 One Day International Match

Start time 14.30 (9.00 GMT)

	Nathan McCullum made the most of his chance in the second Twenty20 © Associated Press
Related Links Analysis : Sri Lanka's chance to regain home dominance Players/Officials: Nuwan Kulasekara | Brendon McCullum Matches: Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Colombo (RPS) Series/Tournaments: Compaq Cup Teams: New Zealand | Sri Lanka

Big Picture

Sri Lanka, after consecutive Twenty20 defeats, and New Zealand, after a 50-over warm-up defeat to Sri Lanka A on Sunday, will attempt to kick-start the Compaq Cup on Tuesday, though the weather threatens to be a dampener. Scattered thunderstorms are predicted for each of the days this week and a short four-game tournament, already being criticised for its duration and practicality, needs to be competitive throughout to silence growing criticism of the 50-over game's future.

Sri Lanka, almost always formidable opponents on their own soil, do not start as favourites. New Zealand took plenty of confidence from two night wins at the Premadasa last week and they know their biggest shot at winning is getting into Sri Lanka's top order. New Zealand have repeatedly highlighted the importance of dismissing Tillakaratne Dilshan early to put pressure on Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, leaving a shaky lower order sweating.

Successive middle-order muddles during the Twenty20s left Kumar Sangakkara ruing the lack of application and calling on the players to introspect going into this series. Sri Lanka will hope that Sanath Jayasuriya finds form at a venue in which he has scored 2373 runs at 38.27, but contributions from the likes of Angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera will be equally important. Another worry for the home side is that Muttiah Muralitharan is in some doubt after not recovering entirely from a groin strain sustained on day five of the SSC Test, and both teams will keenly await news on his fitness tomorrow.

New Zealand did little wrong in the Twenty20s. Their response to Dilshan's onslaught in game one was calm and their batting and bowling more than efficient during the series clincher. Their effective handling of Ajantha Mendis - who caused nightmares at Trent Bridge this summer - was another reason behind their victory over Sri Lanka.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLWWW
New Zealand NrWWLW

Watch out for...

Nuwan Kulasekara had a fantastic 2008 in ODI cricket, and he translated that into a Man-of-the-Series performance in the home Tests against Pakistan. He was rested for the second Test against New Zealand keeping in mind Sri Lanka's heavy limited-overs workload, and returns to the format which he has dominated. In 15 matches in 2009, he has taken 26 wickets at 22.80 and has become Sri Lanka's premier one-day quick bowler.

Brendon McCullum has earned a reputation as on of the most feared hitters in international cricket, and after easing back to form with 49 in the second Twenty20 international, spoke of a calmness at the crease that was missing during the Tests. Seven years after his debut, McCullum still has only one ODI century; after warning his tri-series opponents about how his confidence has returned, he'll fancy his chances of improving that count in this series.

Team news

Murali's fitness will be evaluated later this evening and tomorrow morning before the game and Sri Lanka are hopeful he will be ready. Sri Lanka may hand young left-handed batsman Gihan Rupasinghe a debut, meaning Angelo Mathews may drop down a spot. Thilan Thushara will come back into the side after missing the Twenty20s and forms a potent pace attack along with Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga.

Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Gihan Rupasinghe, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Thilan Thushara, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Daniel Vettori, Ross Taylor and Shane Bond will be back after sitting out the warm-up loss on Sunday. Bond will replace Daryl Tuffey, who is not part of the ODI squad. If Brendon McCullum is given the wicketkeeping role then both Grant Elliott and Neil Broom, neither of whom did anything of note against Sri Lanka A, could feature. The second spinner's spot will be a toss-up between Jeetan Patel and Nathan McCullum, who impressed in the second Twenty20 and the practice match and brings more depth in batting and fielding.

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Grant Elliot, 7 Neil Broom, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Shane Bond.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the Premadasa is a dry one and favours batting. Going by the recent trend, the side winning the toss will almost certainly opt to bat. The weather cannot be discounted, however, with rain never too far from Colombo. Scattered showers are forecast. The Premadasa is tied with the SSC as the grounds to have hosted the maximum number of washed out games - six each - and if the prediction turns out to be accurate, this ground could sneak to the top of a rather unflattering category.

Stats and Trivia

• Sri Lanka have won 46 out of 75 ODIs at the Premadasa.

• New Zealand have won three out of nine matches here, but only one against Sri Lanka.

• In 30 matches since 2004, a 300-plus total has been achieved only four times at the Premadasa. On average, teams have managed 26.77 per wicket at a rate of 4.73.

• Fast bowlers have taken more wickets at the Premadasa since 2004 - 262 at an average of 27.04. Spinners have managed 160 wickets at 32.53 apiece.

  Since 2004, the team winning the toss has batted first on 24 out of 30 occasions. In the last 11 ODIs, teams chose to bat every time and the result went their way on each occasion.

• Murali has a bowling average of 26.37 and a best of 5 for 44 at this ground, with 69 wickets from 52 ODIs.

Quotes

"If you know a trend, you know the past, you try and go out there and change it."
Sangakkara reacts to a question about conditions and the toss at the Premadasa.

"It's been good to have him back. He's a smart bowler. He probably doesn't have the genuine pace he had in the VB Series a couple of years ago [2007] but he's certainly a better bowler with the ability to read the game and read a player."
Brendon McCullum is glad to be back keeping wicket to Shane Bond.

"You can't really write him off, can you? He's got so much experience; he's been tearing attacks apart over the years, so we're not writing him off."
McCullum hasn't read too much into Jayasuriya's prolonged run of bad form.

Watch Sri Lanka vs New Zealand Live Streaming

Wednesday, 26 Aug 2009

			Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand
Venue :2nd Test Match, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo Live action starts from: 04:30 GMT (10:00 IST) Test New Zealand Tour of Sri Lanka 2009 Test Match Match

Watch Sri Lanka v New Zealand 1st Test Live Streaming

Sri Lanka v New Zealand, 1st Test, Galle

New Zealand face test of character

Match facts

	Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand
Venue :1st Test Match, P Sara Oval, Colombo Live action starts from: 04:30 GMT (10:00 IST) Test New Zealand Tour of Sri Lanka 2009 Test Match Match

August 18-22, 2009
Start time 10.00am (04.30 GMT)

The Big Picture

	Sri Lanka is the toughest test for Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder, neither of whom has played in such sapping conditions

It's a telling statistic that Daniel Vettori (5), Daryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram (2 each) are the only players in the New Zealand squad to have featured in Tests in Sri Lanka. Such are the odds stacked against the visitors as they head into another two-Test series in Sri Lanka, this time with an inexperienced squad not accustomed to victory. While New Zealand possess a decent record on the island - three wins, three losses and five draws - it's their recent form that raises a question about their chances of success.

While Sri Lanka have just completed their first home series win against Pakistan by a 2-0 margin, New Zealand have won only four Tests in the past two seasons - three of which were against Bangladesh. What makes Sri Lanka their toughest test in recent years is that hardly any of their squad have played on similar pitches or in such gruelling heat and humidity. Vettori had admitted that drawing both Tests would be a positive result for this inexperienced side, and how their newer members adapt to Sri Lankan conditions could have a significant bearing on the result.

The most irritating problem for Vettori is the inconsistency of the top order. New Zealand posted totals of 297 and 240 for 6 against an unassuming attack in their final tour match and their batsmen haven't showed the deliberation and purpose necessary to survive on unfamiliar tracks. Among the bowlers, Vettori is the most experienced and needs the rest to step up. Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien, the most likely new-ball pair, have no experience in Sri Lanka. Galle may be New Zealand's best bet for success given how much seam has worked at the venue, and so they may consider playing three seamers.

Not surprisingly, Sri Lanka start as favourites. They are fearsome at home - since New Zealand's last tour in 2003, Sri Lanka have won nine out of 12 series, losing only to Australia and Pakistan. Their success owes plenty to the tenacity of their batsmen, led by current and former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, whose abilities to bat long periods have resulted in victories. The hosts have a loaded top and middle order with Tillakaratne Dilshan set to open the innings. The fast bowling has rarely looked better with two crafty medium-pacers paving the way for Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath, who is enjoying a successful comeback. Also up for grabs is the No. 2 spot for Sri Lanka if they seal the series, though its not like they need further incentive to win.

Test form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka - DWWDD
New Zealand - DDLDD

Watch out for ...

New Zealand's solid middle-order pairing of Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder have impressed against various teams and in different conditions but this is the first time they're playing against tough opposition in the subcontinent. It's going to be hot, it's going to be muggy, the pitches will mostly play slow and low, and then there's Murali. On previous tours the New Zealand batsmen had to dig in and bat for long periods in sapping conditions. Can Taylor and Ryder do the same?

This is also a big series for Chris Martin, who is coming back from another injury. Martin, 34, recently tied with Danny Morrison on 160 Test wickets in the same number of matches but at a better average and now finds himself leading the attack. O'Brien is less experienced and Tuffey is making a comeback, so Martin, despite playing only one Test in the subcontinent, is the man expected to show the way. The conditions in Galle will assist him but its going to be a lot tougher when the series moves to Colombo.

Following his 68 off 60 balls while opening for Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI in the tour game in Colombo, Tillakaratne Dilshan is likely to replace Malinda Warnapura as Tharanga Paranavitana's opening partner. Injury forced Dilshan out of the limited-overs leg of the recent home series against Pakistan, but his amazing form in 2009 precedes him. Never mind that it will be the first time Dilshan will be opening in his 55-Test career, he is up for any role and desperate to prove himself as an opener in Tests.

Team news

Murali is back and will reclaim his spot in the XI, while Ajantha Mendis is likely to miss out again given how well Herath did against Pakistan. Dilshan opening the innings creates room for Angelo Mathews to fit in as an allrounder who offers Sri Lanka a third medium-pace option and a fit Prasanna Jayawardane should take over behind the stumps, allowing Sangakkara to focus on his batting. Nuwan Kulasekara, Man of the Series in the Tests against Pakistan, and Thilan Thushara will make up the pace attack.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tharanga Paranavitana, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

Despite making only 64 runs in three innings, Tim McIntosh should keep his place as opener alongside Martin Guptill, whose three innings have yielded 80 runs. Guptill's only half-century on tour was an assured 54 in New Zealand's first innings of the last warm-up while McIntosh dropped anchor for 43 in the second innings. Daniel Flynn will bat at No. 3 and Jacob Oram should slot into the allrounder's spot at No. 7. New Zealand may be tempted to play an extra seamer given Galle's reputation but Patel should step in to partner Vettori. Martin and O'Brien are the first-choice quick men and Tuffey's lack of international outings over the past few years could go against him.

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Daniel Flynn, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jesse Ryder, 6 Brendon McCullum (wk), 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Jeetan Patel, 10 Iain O'Brien, 11 Chris Martin.

Pitch and conditions

During the last Test played in Galle - in July during the monsoons - the pitch reacted to moisture and the match was won in three days and a session. The ball seamed around throughout the game and conditions were exploited well by the quick bowlers of both Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but ultimately the visitors' inadequacy with the bat proved decisive on the fourth morning. It hasn't rained nearly as much as it did in the lead-up to that Test but the seamers will still fancy their chances.

Stats and trivia

• The last time these two teams played a three-Test series was in Sri Lanka in 1998 , when the hosts won 2-1 after losing the first Test.
• It has been 25 years since New Zealand last won a Test series in Sri Lanka, but they did manage to draw both games when they toured under Stephen Fleming in 2003.
• In five Tests in Sri Lanka, Vettori has taken 20 wickets at 23.30.
• Murali has played six Tests against New Zealand at home, taking 39 wickets at 21.79.
• New Zealand's only Test in Galle was an innings and 16-run defeat in 1998.
• Taylor has scored half-centuries in each of his three innings on the tour so far, and averages 75.33.

Quotes

"It will be a learning curve for a number of our players as it will be against Murali as well. For some of the guys this is the first time they will be seeing Murali."
Daniel Vettori is wary of the threat posed by Test cricket's highest wicket-taker.

"There are a lot of areas we have to work on to become a consistently winning side. We have to take the defeats on the chin and move on by learning from the mistakes we made."
Kumar Sangakkara knows Sri Lanka could be rattled by three limited-overs losses in a row.

"This is a chance for me to push my claims to play more for New Zealand; play more Tests, more one-dayers and maybe get back in the Twenty20 side."
Though not a certainty for Galle, Jeetan Patel is hoping to cement his place.