The first of the two-match series between New Zealand and Afghanistan will be held at Sharjah International Stadium, UAE. The Kiwis definitely hold the upper hand when it comes to comparing the previous test statistics between the two nations. However, the Pashtun team is known to be rather unpredictable and we won’t be surprised if they challenge New Zealand in this 1st encounter.
Live Streaming Info
Fans can tune in to watch NZ Vs Sri live on Tens Sports and A Sports in Pakistan, Sky Sports in New Zealand, and Sony Live TV in Sri Lanka. This match will be streamed at 9:30 am PST, 10:00 am IST, and 4:30 am GMT.
Team Analysis
The experienced and legendary Kiwi pacer, Tim Southee will be leading New Zealand in this match after their former skipper, Kane Williamson stepped down. Perhaps, the biggest strength of the New Zealand team in this test match is their incredibly strong batting line-up featuring a versatile list of players with attacking as well as defensive batting styles. Few noticeable mentions are Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, and Daryl Mitchell.
Moreover, the kiwi spin unit is yet another one their key strength in this 1st test encounter. Players like Mitchelle Santner, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Devon Conway are exceptional with the bowl and are likely to provide their team with quick dismissals and breakthroughs in this game.
Dhananjaya de Silva is leading Sri Lanka in this series and Sri Lankan fans have huge expectations from their team to perform exceptionally well and bring home the glory. Sri Lankan enjoys a strong top-order featuring quality players like Kusal Mnedis, Pathum Nissanka, and Sadeera Samarawickrama. However, light should be shed upon the fact that the Sri Lankan bowling line-up is quite deficient and few big names are missing. These include Hasaranga, Dilshan Madushanka, and Mahesh Theekshana. How will the Sri Lankan lions cope with the absence of these players, especially when the Kiwi batting line-up is as good as it is.
Match Insights And Conclusion
Considering that these two test matches are a part of the World Test Championship, we expect both of the competing teams to give their best efforts to win these matches. The key impact players for this encounter includes Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, and Glenn Phillips from the New Zealand side, and Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, and Pathum Nissanka from the Sri Lankan side. If you want to catch NZ Vs Sri live, scroll above and click on the link provided.
