The Kiwis look to tie the series
It was an abysmal performance from New Zealand in the opening T20I against Sri Lanka and the visitors now will be looking to avoid losing the series and squaring it up as they get ready for the second and final T20I.
Ahead of the final T20I, here’s our match preview and predictions.
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I | New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka | 19:00 IST, November 10
The visitors in the first T20I decided to bat after winning the toss but they were spun out by the Sri Lanka spinners as they were bundled out for 135. Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage and Matheesha Pathirana claimed a total of six wickets between them while being economical which saw the Kiwi batters fail to get going. Mitchell Santner will be hoping that his batters take more responsibility and put up a better showing to avoid a series loss. Will Young, Michael Bracewell, Glenn Philips and Santner himself got small starts and New Zealand will count on them to turn those into big scores.
With the ball, Zakary Foulkes was the only one amongst the wickets and to trouble the hosts and on a turning wicket, Santner will be expecting more from himself and the likes of Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi and Glenn Philips.
The hosts meanwhile had a stunning outing with the ball as the spinners just didn’t let New Zealand get going. At 96-8 it looked like the Kiwis might struggle to cross 100 but some late runs from Foulkes got them to 135 and if anything at all, Charith Asalanka will hope his boys are even more clinical to close things out. With the bat, while everyone got starts, Asalanka, like Santner, will be expecting his more experienced names to not let go of a good start and see things home. Asalanka himself played a calm and matured innings with Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendi and Wanindu Hasaranga all getting starts but failing to make a big score out of it.
Taking place in Dambulla again, it will be another slow track with the spinners coming into play and with the quality of spinners the hosts have, expect Sri Lanka to close out the series 2-0.
Fantasy XI: Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Mark Chapman, Glenn Philips, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mitchell Santner, Matheesha Pathirana, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Dunith Wellalage
Venue: Dambulla
Winners Prediction: Sri Lanka
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