Sri Lanka v New Zealand: Black Caps’ struggle in Asia continues as they prepare for Sri Lanka rematch

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NZ Herald

25 Sep, 2024 06:00 PM4 mins to read

Napier City Rovers’ goal-scoring sensation Oscar Faulds Video / Neil Reid

The Black Caps are looking to bounce back after their opening test loss to Sri Lanka, where they fell short by 63 runs while chasing 275 in Galle.

With the second test at the same venue, where New Zealand has never won, they need to address their issues against spin. Sri Lanka’s spinners dominated, taking 18 of the 20 New Zealand wickets, with 12 bowled or LBW.

Rachin Ravindra, who top-scored with 92 in the fourth innings, believes the issues aren’t as severe as they seem. He highlighted the positives from their approach to playing spin and emphasised the importance of trusting their plans and committing to them. Ravindra’s performance, despite the loss, was a bright spot, showing his potential in challenging conditions.

The Black Caps have experienced players like Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, who have good records in Asia, and the guidance of Sri Lankan great Rangana Herath as an assistant coach. This experience will be crucial as they face more spin challenges in the upcoming tests in India.

Trouble in Asia

This pattern of near-misses in Asia continues, with their last series win in the region dating back to 2008 against Bangladesh.

New Zealand’s struggle in Asia is evident, having gone 10 test series without a win, managing only five draws. Their upcoming challenge is even tougher, with a three-test series in India against the current World Test Championship leaders. The Black Caps, now fourth in the standings, need significant wins to keep their championship hopes alive. Their recent performance has jeopardised their chances, requiring at least five wins from their remaining seven matches.

Their odds were already high heading into this match but New Zealand will rue squandering what could have been a winning position on the third day.

An unnecessary runout between Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell sparked a lower-order collapse that left the tourists leading by only 35 runs when they could have otherwise batted Sri Lanka out of the match.

“We would’ve liked a few less to chase,” Southee said. “The position we got ourselves in with the bat in the first innings, and the way the last four or five wickets fell for not many, there was probably an opportunity there to gain a bit more of a lead, which would have made the second innings slightly easier.”

No quick fix

The Black Caps’ hopes for a test series victory in Asia were dashed after a defeat to Sri Lanka in the first test. Starting the final day needing 68 runs with two wickets in hand, their chances relied heavily on Ravindra. Unfortunately, Ravindra was dismissed early, leaving the tailenders with an insurmountable task. Ajaz Patel and Will O’Rourke couldn’t bridge the gap, leading to a 63-run victory for Sri Lanka, with Prabath Jayasuriya taking crucial wickets.

Captain Tim Southee commended Ravindra’s effort, highlighting the difficulty of batting in challenging conditions.

“He played exceptionally well and deserved a hundred. He was disappointed, but more so that he wasn’t able to do the job.

“It’s obviously not easy to bat when the ball’s spinning and doing all sorts, and for a young guy who hasn’t got a lot of experience in this part of the world to go out and get 90-odd, it kept us in the match and it’s a great sign for him.”

For Ravindra, who top-scored in New Zealand’s fourth innings chase with 92, the Black Caps issues aren’t as troublesome as they appear as they hunt a drawn series.

“I wouldn’t say there’s ever a quick fix - I also don’t think there’s too many issues,” he said. “Yes, we lost the game, and it’s definitely disappointing. But there’s a lot of positives to take from that.”

“The way we approached the game was great. Our mindset towards playing spin was great. There [were] a few moments we could have seized, and that’s test cricket. Hopefully we’ll be able to do that next time.

“The biggest thing for us is to trust what we do, trust ourselves as a team, and commit to individual plans. Hopefully it accumulates to five good days of cricket.”