Sri Lanka and New Zealand, 1st ODI. (Source – Getty Images)
Courtesy of back-to-back victories in Dambulla and Pallekele, Sri Lanka (SL) have bagged the ODI series against New Zealand (NZ). The third game is going to be a mere formality but the Charith Asalanka-led side would be eager to win whitewash the Kiwis on their home turf. The hosts have played some brilliant cricket while New Zealand looked lacklustre and not having senior cricketers in the mix didn’t help.
The Mitchell Santner-led side missed the services of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, and Tim Southee among many others. It affected their performance in the series, leading to defeats. However, the players available will be hoping to bounce back and produce a better show in the final game of the series.
Sri Lanka meanwhile has done a commendable job under Sanath Jayasuriya. Captain Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, and Kamindu Mendis have been very effective as they are now more consistent than they have been in the recent past. The goal will be to keep up with the momentum and finish matches on a winning note. Bowling has been effective too but against inexperienced Kiwi batters, it can’t be judged well.
Match Details
Match | Venue | Date & Time | Live Broadcast & Streaming Details |
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele | November 19, Tuesday, 2:30 pm IST | Sony LIV & FanCode (App & Website) |
Pitch Report
The surface in Pallekele traditionally supports the spinners, as it did in the second ODI. Hence a low-scoring encounter is expected once again and anything over 250 runs can be decisive in the upcoming fixture.
Head-To-Head Records
Matches Played | Won by Sri Lanka | Won by New Zealand | Tied | No Result | First-ever Fixture | Most-recent Fixture |
104 | 43 | 52 | 01 | 08 | June 9, 1979 | November 16, 2024 |
Probable Playing XIs
Sri Lanka:
There’s no need for Sri Lanka to change the winning combination. The top order has put up a good show with the bat and that is what Sri Lanka would want again to happen. It sets the tone for the middle order.
Probable Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (c), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Jeffrey Vandersay, Maheesh Theekshana, and Asitha Fernando.
Click Here: Most runs in SL vs NZ
New Zealand:
New Zealand doesn’t have enough options. All they would hope for is to produce a better show. Consistency is something that they need to work on.
Probable Playing XI: Will Young, Tim Robinson, Henry Nicholls, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitch Hay (wk), Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, and Jacob Duffy.