The first match of the two-Test series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand is played in Galle. In this game, the host Sri Lanka won by 63 points. New Zealand’s target was to win the match by 275 runs, but on the fifth day of the tournament, the team was restricted to 211 runs. The hero of Sri Lanka’s victory was spinner Prabhat Jayasuriya, who took a total of 9 wickets in this match. With this win, Sri Lanka takes a 1-0 lead in the Test series. The second and final game of the series will be played at this venue from September 26.
Ravindra’s innings doesn’t work for New Zealand
In the fourth game of the game, New Zealand team Rachin Ravindra played well but failed to lead the team to victory. Ravindra faced 168 balls and scored 92 runs, including 9 fours and 1 six. In addition, Tom Latham and Tom Brundle contributed 30-30 points. Prabhat Jayasuriya took 5 wickets for Sri Lanka. While another spinner Ramesh Mendis has three wins.
Prabath Jayasuriya’s five-wicket haul gives Sri Lanka a memorable win 👏
🇱🇰Leading the series 1-0🔥#WTC25 | #SLvNZ 📝： pic.twitter.com/xGbPuc7B7l
— International Chamber of Commerce (@ICC) September 23, 2024
Earlier, Sri Lanka scored 309 runs in the second innings. Dimuth Karunaratne (83), Dinesh Chandimal (61) and Angelo Mathews (50) hit half-centuries for Sri Lanka. Indo-New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel took six wickets. While William O’Rourke took three wickets.
In the match, Sri Lanka won the toss, batted first, and scored 305 runs in the first innings. Kamindu Mendis maintained his storming form and contributed an outstanding 114 runs. Kamindu hit 11 fours in 173 innings. Kusal Mendis also contributed a half-century (50). In New Zealand, fast bowler William O’Rourke claimed five hits. While Glenn Phillips and Ajaz Patel took two wickets each.
New Zealand scored 340 runs in the first innings, taking a 35-run lead based on the first innings. Tom Latham contributed 70 points, Darryl Mitchell added 57 points and former captain Kane Williamson added 55 points. Prabhat Jayasuriya had four hits and Ramesh Mendis had three hits.
Game summary scorecard
Sri Lanka – First innings: 305 runs, Second innings: 309 runs
Goal: 275 runs
New Zealand – 1st innings: 340 runs, 2nd innings: 211 runs
This is a major setback for New Zealand ahead of India tour
This defeat will be very painful for the Tim Southee-led New Zealand team. Due to this defeat, the morale of the New Zealand players will also drop before the tour of India. New Zealand have to play a three-Test series against India from October 16. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, showed with this victory that they cannot afford to take things lightly. Sri Lanka recently achieved a historic victory in the Oval Test match against England.
