Sri Lanka won the toss ahead of the second Test in Galle and, as anticipated, opted to bat, placing New Zealand in the position of batting last on a pitch expected to offer considerable turn. Dhananjaya de Silva remarked that the pitch appeared "firmer than the last one with less grass," following Sri Lanka’s impressive streak of winning six consecutive tosses and seven out of eight this year.
The Sri Lankan team made two changes to their lineup, previously confirmed. Milan Rathnayake, who showcased his abilities with both bat and ball during his debut series in England, replaced Lahiru Kumara. Nishan Peiris, making his debut, stepped in for offspinner Ramesh Mendis as a direct replacement. While Kumara failed to take a wicket in the first Test, Mendis claimed six wickets but struggled with control at times. Peiris, aged 27, comes with a solid first-class record, having taken 172 wickets at an average of 24.37 over 41 matches.
On the other hand, New Zealand maintained their unchanged squad following a commendable effort in the first Test, where they narrowly lost by 63 runs.
While bright and sunny conditions prevailed at the time of the toss, short and sharp showers are expected in Galle throughout the day. Sri Lanka, aiming for another home victory, is currently positioned third on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, trailing behind India and Australia. A win in this match would bring them closer to Australia, who leads with 62.50 per cent of points, as Sri Lanka holds 56 per cent.
New Zealand, on the other hand, seeks to build on their promising performance from the first Test before heading to India. They currently sit fourth in the WTC standings with 42.85 per cent points.
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karuanaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wk), Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (capt), Ajaz Patel, Will O'Rourke.
Current score: Sri Lanka: 78/1 (Dimuth Karunaratne: 29*, Dinesh Chandimal: 48*) in 20.2 overs. Wicket: Tim Southee.