New Zealand Vs Sri Lanka Test Series: Schedule Squads, Head-To-Head, And World Test Championship Final Qualification Scenario. From March 9 to April 8, Sri Lanka will tour New Zealand to play two Test matches, three ODIs, and three T20Is. The Test series will be part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23. is scheduled for a tour of New Zealand. The first Test will take place in Christchurch from March 9–13 while the second test match will start from March 17–21 in Wellington.
Both Teams Announced Their Squads
Sri Lanka named a 17-member squad for the Test series in New Zealand whereas New Zealand announced its squad on March 3. New Zealand announced an unchanged squad for the Test series that recently beat England at Wellington.
Their premier pace bowler Tim Southee will lead the squad. Dimuth Karunaratne will lead Sri Lanka in a two-Test series against New Zealand. Sri Lanka is studded with some number of pace options in their line-up as pitches in New Zealand support seamers.
Sri Lanka Squad For The Test Series:
Dimuth Karunaratne (C), Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Oshada Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Kumara Kamindu Mendis, Nishan Madushka, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Rathnayake
New Zealand Squad For The Test Series:
Tim Southee (C), Tom Blundell (Wk), Michael Bracewell, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Scott Kuggelejin, Henry Nicholls
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand Head-To-Head In Test
Both teams faced each other in 36 test matches. Kiwis have won 16 whereas Sri Lanka won just 9 matches. 11 test matches ended in a draw. Sri Lanka toured the island nation nine times and clinched the Test series only once in 1994-95.
Sri Lanka played 19 Test matches against the hosts in New Zealand and won only two of them and suffered defeat in 11 matches. So, it will be an uphill task for Lankan Lions to defeat Kiwis in their backyard.
Also Read: ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 Updated Points Table After India vs Australia 3rd Test
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand World Test Championship Final Qualification Scenario
The second edition of the World Test Championship is at an interesting juncture. Sri Lanka have the opportunity to pip India to secure their seat in the WTC 2021-21 final if they managed to win both Test matches against New Zealand.
In the WTC 2021-23 points table, Australia is at the summit with 64.06 points, whereas India follows them with 60.29 percentage points. Australia has won 11 matches out of 18 in the second cycle of the WTC.
Sri Lanka has 53.33 percentage points and sits comfortably in the third position of the point table. If they managed to win both Test matches against New Zealand, they will jump to 61.1 percentage points and outdo India by a small difference to reach the second spot in the WTC 2021-23 points table.
But if team India beat Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy’s last test match which is scheduled to play in Ahmedabad from March 9, then Rohit Sharma and co will easily qualify for WTC 2023 finals.
