NZ vs SL, 2nd Test: Preview, stats, and Fantasy XI
New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be facing off in the 2nd Test match to be held at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Hosts NZ sealed a thrilling last-ball win in the first match, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. Kane Williamson starred for the Kiwis with a match-winning 121* as his side chased down 285. Here we present the 2nd match preview.
How did the first Test pan out?
Batting first in Christchurch, Sri Lanka posted 355 thanks to skipper Dimuth Karunaratne (50) and Kusal Mendis (87). Tim Southee claimed a fifer. Daryl Mitchell's 102 and Matt Henry's 72 powered NZ to 373 in reply. Angelo Mathews scored 115 as SL finished at 302 in their second innings. Chasing 285, NZ batted with intent and crossed the line on the final ball.
Timing, TV listing, and pitch report
The second Test match will start from 3:30 AM onward on February 17. Fans can get access to live streaming in India on the Amazon Prime mobile and TV app. The Basin Reserve track is tailor-made for the pacers and NZ will be aiming to continue their positive run here. One can expect pivotal seam and swing as batters need to be watchful.
NZ will aim for a clean sweep
Credit should go to Sri Lanka for the fight they showed in the first match, pushing the hosts until the final delivery on Day 5. Senior men Karunaratne, Mendis, and Mathews are the major attractions in batting. Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara can impress with the ball. For NZ, Daryl Mitchell was superb in the first match. With the ball, Southee remains a threat.
Head-to-head record between NZ and SL
In terms of the H2H record, the two sides have met on 37 occasions. NZ have won 17 matches, whereas SL have pocketed nine wins. 11 matches have ended in a draw. NZ have won each of the last three series at home versus SL.
A look at the key stats
Williamson has managed 7,909 runs at 53.80. He is on the verge of becoming the first Kiwi batter to smash 8,000 Test runs. In 17 matches so far, Mitchell has smashed 1,299 runs at an average of 59.04. In 93 matches, Southee has claimed a whopping 366 scalps at 29.10. Mathews is Sri Lanka's 3rd-highest scorer with 7,115 runs at 45.60.
A look at the Probable XI of both sides
NZ Probable XI: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee (c), Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Doug Bracewell SL Probable XI: Oshada Fernando, Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya
Here is a look at the Fantasy Dream11 options
Fantasy Dream11 Option 1: Kusal Mendis, Kane Williamson, Dimuth Karunaratne, Tom Latham, Angelo Mathews (vc), Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell (c), Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara Fantasy Dream11 Option 2: Kusal Mendis, Kane Williamson (c), Dimuth Karunaratne (vc), Tom Latham, Angelo Mathews, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Dhananjaya de Silva, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Asitha Fernando
