After crushing India by 200 runs, the Kiwis will look to maintain their consistency while Sri Lanka will want to start their campaign without any major hiccups.
"Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable"- This quote from former American play writer, Wendy Wasserstein, sums up New Zealand's tour de force performance against India. Coming to Sri Lanka in the absence of key players like Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and the retirement of Shane Bond, no one expected the Kiwis to do well at all. However, by the end of the night in Dambulla, the Kiwis achieved something remarkable as they thrashed India by 200 runs. This NZ team of all-rounders have announced themselves in this competition and How!
The key to New Zealand's success has been a two and a half month break from cricket. The match against India was their first international outing since May. This period of rest has helped the Kiwis tremendously. India, on the other hand, have been playing non-stop cricket since March and they looked completely jaded. The performance by NZ holds ominous signs for the Lankans as well, as they are also recovering from a grueling three test series against the Indians.
On paper, both teams look equal in all departments. New Zealand's batting looks strong, with Ross Taylor and Scott Styris forming the pillars in the middle order. These two will be the key if NZ are to maintain stability during the middle overs. Once Taylor and Styris consolidate, it gives players like Oram, Hopkins and Tuffey lower down the order the license to go all out. The only worry for the Black caps will be the openers. Both Guptill and Ingram struggled against the new ball and they will have to come good if the Kiwis are to put SL under pressure at the start. The bowling looked in great touch, with Mills and Tuffey forming a formidable opening pair. Andy McKay was impressive with his pace and zip and he will want to continue with his good show. If SL get off to a flier, then the Kiwis will turn to the gentle medium pace of Styris and Oram to curtail the flow of runs.
Sri Lanka, however, have the home ground advantage. Tharanga and Dilshan will be the key at the top of the order, with Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene forming the bedrock of the middle order. With hitters like Angelo Mathews, Chamara Silva, Samaraweera and Kapugedera in the lower middle order, the Sri Lankans bat deep. The bowling is Sri Lanka's main strength, with the new ball being shared by Kulasekera and Malinga. Malinga has shown that he can be unplayable with the white ball if it swings. His toe-crushers will be in full flow and when accurate, it can be deadly. Under lights, his potency increases as he showed in the first match of the Asia Cup against Pakistan in June at this venue where he picked up 5/34. The spinners will be equally difficult to play on this wicket under lights. Randiv's performance in the 3rd test against India gives the Lankans plenty to cheer about. He and Ajantha Mendis will be a difficult proposition on a wicket that offers a bit more zip.
However, the toss plays a huge part in Dambulla. Teams chasing under the lights have struggled as the ball swings more. The pitch in the previous match had lot more grass and the new ball troubled the batsmen considerably. Once the ball gets soft, run making became easier. This is in complete contrast to the pitches encountered in SL. Looking at the conditions the team composition will be tricky. All this makes this upcoming battle between the hometown giants and the dark horses an absolute cracker.
"Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable"- This quote from former American play writer, Wendy Wasserstein, sums up New Zealand's tour de force performance against India. Coming to Sri Lanka in the absence of key players like Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and the retirement of Shane Bond, no one expected the Kiwis to do well at all. However, by the end of the night in Dambulla, the Kiwis achieved something remarkable as they thrashed India by 200 runs. This NZ team of all-rounders have announced themselves in this competition and How!
The key to New Zealand's success has been a two and a half month break from cricket. The match against India was their first international outing since May. This period of rest has helped the Kiwis tremendously. India, on the other hand, have been playing non-stop cricket since March and they looked completely jaded. The performance by NZ holds ominous signs for the Lankans as well, as they are also recovering from a grueling three test series against the Indians.
On paper, both teams look equal in all departments. New Zealand's batting looks strong, with Ross Taylor and Scott Styris forming the pillars in the middle order. These two will be the key if NZ are to maintain stability during the middle overs. Once Taylor and Styris consolidate, it gives players like Oram, Hopkins and Tuffey lower down the order the license to go all out. The only worry for the Black caps will be the openers. Both Guptill and Ingram struggled against the new ball and they will have to come good if the Kiwis are to put SL under pressure at the start. The bowling looked in great touch, with Mills and Tuffey forming a formidable opening pair. Andy McKay was impressive with his pace and zip and he will want to continue with his good show. If SL get off to a flier, then the Kiwis will turn to the gentle medium pace of Styris and Oram to curtail the flow of runs.
Sri Lanka, however, have the home ground advantage. Tharanga and Dilshan will be the key at the top of the order, with Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene forming the bedrock of the middle order. With hitters like Angelo Mathews, Chamara Silva, Samaraweera and Kapugedera in the lower middle order, the Sri Lankans bat deep. The bowling is Sri Lanka's main strength, with the new ball being shared by Kulasekera and Malinga. Malinga has shown that he can be unplayable with the white ball if it swings. His toe-crushers will be in full flow and when accurate, it can be deadly. Under lights, his potency increases as he showed in the first match of the Asia Cup against Pakistan in June at this venue where he picked up 5/34. The spinners will be equally difficult to play on this wicket under lights. Randiv's performance in the 3rd test against India gives the Lankans plenty to cheer about. He and Ajantha Mendis will be a difficult proposition on a wicket that offers a bit more zip.
However, the toss plays a huge part in Dambulla. Teams chasing under the lights have struggled as the ball swings more. The pitch in the previous match had lot more grass and the new ball troubled the batsmen considerably. Once the ball gets soft, run making became easier. This is in complete contrast to the pitches encountered in SL. Looking at the conditions the team composition will be tricky. All this makes this upcoming battle between the hometown giants and the dark horses an absolute cracker.
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