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Sri Lanka chooses to bat first; Peiris makes debut, New Zealand keeps the same lineup
Sri Lanka chooses to bat first; Peiris makes debut, New Zealand keeps the same lineup
Sri Lanka's second change was bringing in Milan Rathnayake for Lahiru Kumara
Sri Lanka won the toss again in Galle and chose to bat first, meaning New Zealand will bat last on what is expected to be another spinning pitch. Dhananjaya de Silva mentioned that the pitch seemed “firmer than the last one with less grass” after Sri Lanka won their sixth toss in a row and seventh out of eight this year.
Sri Lanka's two changes were anticipated. Milan Rathnayake, who showcased his skills with both bat and ball during his debut series in England, replaced Lahiru Kumara. Nishan Peiris made his debut, stepping in for offspinner Ramesh Mendis as a like-for-like replacement. Kumara had gone wicketless in the first Test, while Ramesh, despite taking six wickets, struggled with consistency at times.
Peiris, 27, has an impressive record with 172 wickets in 41 first-class matches, averaging 24.37.
New Zealand retained their lineup after a commendable effort in the first Test, which they narrowly lost by 63 runs.
Although short and sharp showers are forecasted in Galle, the weather was bright and sunny at the time of the toss.
Sri Lanka, aiming for another home victory, is climbing the WTC points table and currently sits third, behind India and Australia. A win at Galle would boost their points to 56%, putting them close to Australia’s 62.50%.
New Zealand, looking to build on their strong performance in the first Test before their India tour, are fourth on the table with 42.85% points.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (C ), Milan Rathnayake, Nishan Peiris, Prabath Jayasuriya, Kusal Mendis (WK), Asitha Fernando
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (WK), Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (C), Ajaz Patel, Will O'Rourke
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