After a gruelling Test series which saw the two sides share points in the ICC World Test Championship, Sri Lanka and New Zealand prepare to face off in coloured clothing, with the white ball in hand under floodlights.

The two teams play the first of the three scheduled T20Is, the last leg of the Black Caps’ ongoing tour, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Sri Lanka won the toss, which was delayed by nearly 30 minutes due to rain, and opted to bat.

The T20Is will see a change in leadership from the Tests for both teams, with pacers Lasith Malinga and Tim Southee taking over as captain of Sri Lanka and New Zealand respectively.

Earlier, Sri Lanka went 1-0 up in the Test series with a six-wicket victory in the first Test at Galle. Home team captain Dimuth Karunaratne slam a match-winning 122 in the second innings to help chase the 268-run target down with ease.

New Zealand, however, bounced back in the next game with a series-levelling victory at the P Sara Oval in Colombo, hammering the home team by an innings and 65 runs. Tom Latham and BJ Watling slammed centuries to help the Black Caps collect a 187-run first innings lead, before dismantling the hosts for 122 on the final day.

Teams:

Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Dasun Shanaka, Shehan Jayasuriya, Akila Dananjaya, Isuru Udana, Wanidu Hasaranga, Lasith Malinga(c), Kasun Rajitha

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Seifert(w), Mitchell Santner, Seth Rance, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee(c), Ish Sodhi.

Source: First Post
-Agencies