Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva won the toss for the second consecutive Test in Galle and opted to bat first on another expected turner. Despite the pitch appearing ‘firmer with less grass,’ New Zealand will once again have to bat last.
Sri Lanka made two changes: Milan Rathnayake, who impressed in his debut series in England, replaced Lahiru Kumara, while Nishan Peiris debuted in place of offspinner Ramesh Mendis. Kumar went wicketless in the first Test, while Mendis, despite taking six wickets, lacked control at times.
New Zealand remained unchanged after their competitive performance in the first Test, which they lost by a narrow 63 runs. Short showers are expected in Galle, but the weather was sunny at the toss.
Aiming for another home victory, Sri Lanka’s second-wicket partnership is thriving after a shaky start. Dinesh Chandimal, the experienced campaigner, notched his 30th Test half-century, while Dimuth Karunaratna provided steady support. The duo’s partnership is crucial for Sri Lanka’s hopes of a series win.
