Sri Lanka win toss, New Zealand to bat in first test

The visitors have lost wicketkeeper batsman Kusal Perera, who tested positive for banned substance.

Captain Angelo Mathews called correctly on Thursday morning in Dunedin, where New Zealand is playing its first home Test of the summer at University Oval.

Last time the two sides met in New Zealand in test matches, the result was rather one sided.

Mathews was the best of the Sri Lanka bowlers, lacking pace but finding a nagging length.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of ending that run suffered a blow when Dhammika Prasad returned home after suffering a back injury, with Vishwa Fernando replacing him. Apart from Vandersay, Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera provide spin options, but the nature of the Dunedin track could mean there will be place for only one specialist spinner.

New Zealand play the first Test match on December 10 in Dunedin. But with New Zealand naming a 12-man squad, Guptill will likely continue to open the innings with Tom Latham.

New Zealand’s players and management were aghast when Llong ignored what appeared to be a clear edge on Australian tailender Nathan Lyon’s bat and upheld the on-field’s decision of not out after Kane Williamson caught the deflection in what proved a critical point of the third test in Adelaide last month.

Williamson looked in outstanding form, as he was in Australia where he made centuries in the first and second tests.

New Zealand has enough firepower in the batting. However, it did struggle in the tour game against the Board President’s XI, where it was bowled out for 193 and then saw the opposition pile up 399 for 8 declared.

Mathews’s side return a year later, still in a rebuilding phase, to face a settled New Zealand line-up looking for a confidence boost after losing their recent away series defeat to Australia.