Galle International Stadium Pitch Report For SL Vs NZ 1st Test Match

Galle International Stadium [X]Galle International Stadium [X]

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka will cross swords against New Zealand in the first Test of the upcoming two-match series. The high-octane clash is scheduled at the iconic Galle International Stadium in Sri Lanka. 

Led by Dhananjaya de Silva, the Lankan Lions are high on confidence following their recent Test victory over England at Kennington Oval. They have announced a robust squad, recalling Oshada Fernando for the Test series. Given that they will play in their backyard, Sri Lanka would like to capitalise on their home advantage and swat aside the Kiwis. 

Meanwhile, New Zealand have a solid squad, which can give the Lankans a taste of their own medicine on spin-friendly pitches. The BlackCaps recently witnessed an abandoned one-off Test against Afghanistan and would be keen to put up a heroic performance in the island nation. They  Furthermore, given that this series holds paramount importance from their WTC campaign's perspective, the BlackCaps would like to punch above their weight and secure a victory against the odds. 

So, as both teams gear up to face each other, let's see how the surface at Galle International Stadium will behave throughout the contest. 

Galle International Stadium Pitch Report

The pitch at Galle International Stadium will offer significant lateral movement to the fast bowlers early on with the new ball. The pacers will also get a hint of extra bounce and capitalise on it to trouble the batters. However, as the game progresses, the degree of seam movement might decrease, with the track becoming slightly better for the batters. 

The surface at this venue generally brings the spinners into play from the very first day. So, the spinners are expected to make the ball talk in all five days, with the last two days extremely favouring them. Considering the ground's track record, the toss-winner is expected to bat first.