• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Sri Lanka Announce Playing Xi For 1St Test Vs New Zealand Ramesh Mendis Returns

Sri Lanka Announce Playing XI For 1st Test Vs New Zealand; Ramesh Mendis Returns

Ramesh Mendis returns after one-year [x] Ramesh Mendis returns after one-year [x]

After a stellar performance against England at the Oval Test, Sri Lankan team will be riding high on confidence when they take on New Zealand in their own backyard. The two-match Test series is a part of the WTC schedule and it provides a great chance for both the teams to strengthen their position.

New Zealand are coming into this Test series with no red-ball practice. The Kiwis were slated to play Afghanistan in a one-off Test in Greater Noida, but the match never took place due to poor poor drainage system and wet outfield. The Afghanistan Test match was a great chance for the New Zealand side to test their bench strength, but their plans got ruined.

Ramesh Mendis makes his return after one-year

With less than 24 hours to go, Sri Lanka have announced their playing XI for the first Test at Galle. Ramesh Mendis, the spinner who last played for the Lankan Lions in July 2023, makes his return in the starting XI. Sri Lanka have mostly deployed Mendis in home conditions, and with the Island Nation playing most of their Tests away from home, Mendis had to sit out.

Dhananjaya De Silva is set to lead the side, and with the Test match taking place in spin-friendly conditions, the Sri Lankan side have gone in with two specialist spinners, with Prabath Jayasuriya also back in the playing XI, having misses out on a chance to play in the last Test Vs England.

Sri Lanka made a small improvement in the WTC points table by defeating England, and they'll be eager to continue to leapfrog in the table with another series win against the Kiwis.

Sri Lanka Playing XI vs New Zealand at Galle

Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva (captain), Kusal Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.