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Nathan Smith came in for Henry, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-20251:27

Southee: Henry not playing the final a ‘massive loss’ for New Zealand

Matt Henry was ruled out of the Champions Trophy final against India because of the shoulder injury he picked up in the semi-final, against South Africa, on March 5 in Lahore. Nathan Smith was brought in as Henry’s replacement in the New Zealand XI.Doubts about Henry’s availability for the final emerged on Friday when Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, said, “We’ve had some scans and stuff done on him, and we’re going to give him every chance to be playing in this match. [But it’s] still a little bit unknown at this stage.”Henry bowled and fielded in the New Zealand training sessions on match eve, raising his team’s hopes. But, on the morning on the match, when Henry was out on the ground with the rest of the team, he turned his arm over just a few times, grimacing each time, and walked out.Related

• New ball or old, Henry will make things happen

Henry, the highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy leading up to the final with ten strikes, had hurt his shoulder while taking the catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen. He left the field but returned to bowl two overs late in the match. He was also seen diving in the field after he came back.Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, had been optimistic about Henry’s availability soon after the match against South Africa, and Stead had also sounded a positive note, saying, “I guess the positive thing from our perspective is he got back out there to bowl.”Henry had been crucial to New Zealand’s run to the final. In the only match they lost in the first round, against India – also their opponents in the final – Henry returned a five-for. That match was also played in Dubai, like the final.New Zealand opted to field allrounder Smith in Henry’s place even though they had the option of a fast bowler in Jacob Duffy. Smith played one game in the Champions Trophy, the tournament opener in Karachi against Pakistan, where he didn’t get a chance to bat and picked up one wicket in two overs with the ball as New Zealand won by 60 runs.

Follow ESPNcricinfo’s live report of Afghanistan’s entry to Test cricket, against India in Bengaluru

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2018

They became the joint-most-expensive uncapped Indian players ever signed at an IPL auction

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-20251:11

Watch – Prashant Veer’s family soak in the moment after CSK buy him for INR 14.2 crores

Prashant Veer, a 20-year old left-arm spin allrounder from Uttar Pradesh, and Kartik Sharma, a 19-year old wicketkeeper from Rajasthan, have smashed the record for the most expensive uncapped Indian player ever bought at an IPL auction, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bidding a whopping INR 14.2 crore for each of them at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.The previous record bid for an uncapped Indian was INR 10 crore for fast bowler Avesh Khan by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022.Veer and Kartik headlined a massive payday for uncapped Indians, with Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi getting signed by Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 8.4 crore, and 23-year-old pace allrounder Mangesh Yadav by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for INR 5.2 crore. Wicketkeepers Tejasvi Dahiya (INR 3 crore to KKR), Mukul Choudhary (INR 2.6 crore to LSG) and Salil Arora (INR 1.5 crore to SRH), batter Akshat Raghuwanshi (INR 2.2 crore to LSG), and fast bowler Naman Tiwari (INR 1 CR to LSG) were the other uncapped Indians to get to or past the INR 1 crore mark.Related

• Fleming on CSK's philosophy shift: 'Might've been a little bit slow to evolve'

• J&K star Auqib Nabi is used to IPL rejection, but this time 'feels different'

• Cameron Green becomes most expensive overseas player in IPL; uncapped Indians go big

Veer’s base price at the auction was INR 30 lakh but the bidding for him skyrocketed – it began between Mumbai Indians (MI) and LSG initially, followed by a battle between CSK and LSG, then with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and eventually Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) joining in. At the time of the auction, Veer had played nine domestic T20s and his performances in the UPT20 League, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Uttar Pradesh’s Under-23 fixtures earned him a call up for trials with CSK.After CSK had signed Veer for INR 14.2 crore from the set of uncapped allrounders, they bid aggressively for Kartik, whose base price was also INR 30 lakh, from the next set of uncapped wicketkeepers. Once again MI and LSG began the bidding, followed by battles between LSG and KKR, KKR and CSK, and eventually CSK and SRH, who once again dropped out once the bid reached INR 14.2 crore. Kartik, who has been signed up by JSW Sports, which manages several top athletes including the Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, is building a reputation as a lower-order finisher who can hit big sixes. In 12 T20s, Kartik has scored 334 runs at a strike rate of 164, hitting 28 sixes.Prashant Veer (left) has become the joint most expensive uncapped Indian player bought at an IPL auction•UPT20 League

“Kartik Sharma, we had him last year and he did some trialing with us,” CSK coach Stephen Fleming said. “We’ve been watching Kartik for some time and I’ll go back to the scouting and the work that’s done in a lot of tournaments. Prashant Veer, given that we needed that kind of skillset with trading Jadeja for Sanju and we identified him as a good talent going forward and filling that spot for us, doing that skillset.”As the game has evolved, we might have been a little bit slow to evolve with it. Only halfway through the tournament [IPL 2025] we had a big shift and you saw with the players we got in as reserves, there was a shift in what we needed to do. Sometimes you can hang on to theories and philosophies because of past success but we identified that we needed to shift and partly the work that we did last season halfway through has enabled us to continue that work done.”We knew if we can get a strong core of local players I think your team’s in good shape, and sometimes you have to invest time in them and also money because what is happening is the scouting on numerous tournaments around India are becoming very important. So players are being watched and being studied and being bought with a view to perform in the way they’re performing now but also another eye on the future. The fact it can be life-changing is a very rewarding aspect for doing something that they love. But first and foremost they are bought for their skills and that’s what they’ve been identified as doing which is a celebration for them and their family.”The first uncapped Indian player to go big at the IPL 2026 auction was Nabi, who was signed by DC after they fought off competition from RR, RCB and SRH. Unlike Veer and Kartik, the 29-year-old Nabi has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket over the past few seasons. In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has taken 15 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of under eight and has been a net bowler with KKR and SRH in the past.”He’s done well in all formats, he’s somebody we believe that gives us an option up top, he can bat a bit, and there’s a reason why he’s gone for that [high] price,” DC head coach Hemang Badani said. “And only when someone else is bidding against us can someone go up to 8-8.5 crores. So, that tells you that this kid has something in him, like a Prashant Veer has or a Karthik Sharma has. There’s a reason why people go up to 12 or 14 crores. One kid doesn’t go up to that price unless there’s a bidding war. A lot of the younger boys are coming through and Auqib Nabi is one of those we feel will go forward. We believe he’s a good bowler for us.”Mangesh’s bidding was between RCB and SRH, and his bid rose from his base price of INR 30 lakh to INR 5.2 crore, at which point SRH dropped out. He has played only two domestic T20s, scoring 28 runs off 12 balls and taking three wickets, but made a strong impression in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League.

Opening batsman says New Zealand were “right in the box seat” until his throw deflected for four off Ben Stokes’ bat

Andrew Miller18-Jul-2019New Zealand’s crushing disappointment after the World Cup final against England on Sunday was mitigated by the knowledge that they had played a huge part in one of the most thrilling cricket matches of all time, according to Martin Guptill, the opening batsman whose ill-fortune came to epitomise his side’s cruel luck.Not only was Guptill the man left sprawling for his crease in the Super Over, as Jos Buttler fielded the shy from midwicket that sealed the final in England’s favour, he was also the man whose own throw from the deep – in England’s final over of the original run-chase – inadvertently turned the course of the match on its head.After gathering Ben Stokes’ clip to midwicket with nine runs needed from three balls, Guptill’s return to the keeper deflected off Stokes’ bat and away to the third man boundary for four overthrows, making a total of six runs for the incident. Stokes had already smashed the third ball of the over for another six, and managed to eke out two more singles from the final two balls of Trent Boult’s over to tie the scores.”Up until the third ball we were right in the box seat,” Guptill told Sky Sports ahead of his debut for Worcestershire Rapids in the Vitality Blast. “And then it wasn’t to be, but that’s just the way cricket goes, as players. It was one hell of a final.”Guptill admitted that “the thought crosses your mind” that New Zealand were simply fated to miss out, but he had no doubt about the moment that changed the game.”I guess it was the throw that I threw in from the boundary and hit the back of Stokes’ bat, and trickled off for four,” he said. “You know when that sort of thing happens, from a throw from the boundary, it tends not to go your way.”Chasing 16 runs to win the Super Over, Guptill was left needing two from the final ball of the match, but this time Jason Roy’s shy from midwicket was accurate enough to leave him well short as Buttler confirmed England’s first World Cup in 44 barren years.”I didn’t really know where the ball was, I just put the head down and just started running,” Guptill said. “It was a good throw and I dived from about halfway, and just come up a little bit short.”New Zealand received huge credit for the manner in which they accepted their defeat, in spite of having scored the same number of runs across the match, and Guptill said that the team had been quick to recognise quite what a massive part of sporting history they had played a part in.”Yeah, I think so,” he said. “You know, the support that we had from back home and even around here, and what you see on social media, everyone just loved the game, whether they were cricket watchers or not. Everyone was all over the game and they loved it and it was just a shame for us about the result.”We actually had quite a good party,” he added. “I mean, obviously it was quite a sombre mood for a while but then we realised we were part of one of the greatest games in cricket history, so we got over it fairly quickly. We had a good time together, because we’re not going to be together as a group like that for a while yet.”Guptill’s World Cup had been a luckless affair for much of the campaign. Despite making a half-century to seal a ten-wicket win over Sri Lanka in New Zealand’s opening match, he didn’t pass 35 in his remaining 10 innings.But a change of scene could be just the tonic, as he links up with Worcestershire, the defending T20 Blast champions.”You need a bit of luck in the game as a batsman sometimes,” he said. “And T20 can be the place to find that luck. So who knows, hopefully tonight I can find a little bit and hopefully score a few runs.”It’s a young team and I think there’s a lot of excitement around it,” he added of his Worcestershire team-mates. “The guys just have fun playing together. I think that’s a big part of cricket and something that we pride ourselves on as New Zealanders and the Black Caps. We just go out and have some fun with our mates.”

The offspinner, who has faced scrutiny over his action in the past, will need to undergo independent assessment within 14 days

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2025South Africa allrounder Prenelan Subrayen has been reported for a suspect bowling action following the first ODI against Australia on Tuesday in Cairns.The offspinner took 1 for 46 in his ten overs, dismissing opener Travis Head as South Africa went 1-0 up with a 98-run win. This was the 31-year-old Subrayen’s ODI debut, which came almost two months after he earned his first Test cap against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.Related

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• Maharaj's masterful maiden ODI five-for hands South Africa 1-0 series lead

• Rabada ruled out of Australia ODI series with ankle inflammation

Subrayen now needs to undergo an independent assessment of his action at an ICC-accredited testing facility within 14 days which South Africa are hoping he can do in Brisbane at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre where Australia’s left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann was tested earlier this year. Bowlers are permitted 15 degrees of elbow extension while delivering the ball and he is allowed to continue bowling in matches until the results of his test are known. But South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said on Thursday that the team has decided Subrayen will not play until he has completed the testing process.”He’s available to play,” Conrad said. “You are allowed to play until you get tested.””We just felt that less noise and get him out of the public eye, make sure he is okay and focuses on the testing.”The process is to get him tested as soon as we can and we are looking to do it in Brisbane. That suits everyone. We are going to the UK via Brisbane so hopefully we can get it sooner rather than later.”This is not the first time the Subrayen has faced scrutiny over his action. In December 2012, Cricket South Africa (CSA) placed him under rehabilitation after two separate independent tests deemed his action illegal. He was cleared to bowl again in January 2013 after undergoing remedial work and re-testing.Subrayen was reported in September 2014 during the Champions League T20 tournament in India, and once more during a domestic T20 game in November 2015, and suspended from bowling after an assessment of his action found all his deliveries to exceed the 15-degree limit. He failed a re-assessment in January 2016, and was eventually cleared to resume bowling after having his action cleared at the CSA’s High Performance Centre in March 2016.”He has gone through this process before,” Conrad said. “It’s never easy. It’s taken him a long time to make his debut and we are rallying around him. Next week will reveal a lot and we will take it from there.”They’ve [the ICC] flagged 12 balls which they’ve forwarded to us. He has got to emulate those 12 balls during the test. We are going to be sending our bowling coach (Piet Botha) with him for support and for us to gain some knowledge about how these things work.”The second and third ODIs, which are the last two matches of South Africa’s white-ball tour of Australia, will be played on August 22 and 24 in Mackay.

Allrounder smacks 51 and then returns 5-29 to help Bangladesh script a 62-run win and get in the top half of the points table

The Report by Saurabh Somani24-Jun-2019As it happenedShakib Al Hasan came, spun, and conquered, carrying Bangladesh to a comfortable 62-run win over Afghanistan that kept their semi-final aspirations alive at the 2019 World Cup.Shakib made it to the record books on the way, most significantly becoming only the third player – after Kapil Dev and Yuvraj Singh – to have a century and a five-wicket haul in the same edition of the World Cup, and the second, after Yuvraj, to score a 50-plus score and return a five-for in the same World Cup game. He first extended his good batting form to hit a fifth 50-plus score in six innings in the tournament, and then broke the back of Afghanistan’s chase with 5 for 29 in ten overs – Bangladesh’s best World Cup figures.Watch on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of Bangladesh’s 62-run win over AfghanistanBangladesh now have seven points with two games in hand. Those two games are against India and Pakistan, but the manner in which Bangladesh have been playing, they will have the belief that they can continue to upset pre-tournament predictions.Against Afghanistan, form-wise, Bangladesh were heavily favoured to win. But they have had a prickly history with Afghanistan and the head-to-head record is a lot closer than they would want. They did look tentative in the initial exchanges, but on pitch that gripped, and a ground with long boundaries, that wasn’t catastrophic.Watch on Hotstar (India only): Highlights from Mushfiqur Rahim’s 87-ball 83Gulbadin Naib made the surprising decision to bowl first on winning the toss, a move that made Mashrafe Mortaza happy because he wanted to bat first in any case.Afghanistan’s game plan while bowling revolved around their spinners – making the decision to bat first seem more inexplicable – and Bangladesh prepared their tactics accordingly. They broke up the successful opening combine of Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar, sending Liton Das at the top instead of Soumya to counter Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The move didn’t work, with Mujeeb accounting for Liton with a carrom ball. He would later get Soumya, who came in at No. 5, too.In the middle, he struck another crucial blow by trapping Shakib lbw, which allowed Afghanistan some measure of control in the middle overs. Mujeeb’s 3 for 39 was just rewards for his excellent show. He had bowled the tough overs and kept Bangladesh’s batsmen quiet. Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan too had good outings, with Nabi taking out Tamim.Shakib Al Hasan entered the record books on his way to a match-winning performance•Getty Images

But Mushfiqur Rahim stayed put, moving the score along. Bangladesh had a phase of more than 12 overs – from 24.1 to 36.1 inclusive – without a boundary, but Mushfiqur didn’t lose patience in that phase and opened out after that. He had a shot at emulating countrymen Shakib and Mahmudullah in hitting back-to-back World Cup tons, but fell for an 87-ball 83 in the penultimate over.However, Bangladesh did get the finishing kick courtesy Mossadek Hossain’s 35 off 24, and once they had put on in excess of 250, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Afghanistan, who didn’t help themselves with a sloppy display in the field – ESPNcricinfo’s data had them saving three runs and conceding 19.The chase needed one top-order batsman to play a big innings, batting throughout, but Gulbadin’s 47 was the only substantial score in the top five. The openers built a steady platform, but they needed more than steady. Bangladesh gave the new ball to their pacers, Mortaza and Mustafizur Rahman, and Afghanistan’s best bet was to get off to a fast start against the hard new ball with the sun out, and later milk the spinners. But with Mashrafe and Mustafizur keeping things relatively tight, Afghanistan weren’t quite where they had hoped to be after the first Powerplay.Enter Shakib. And mayhem. He got Rahmat Shah in his first over, and then returned to prise the heart out of Afghanistan’s chase with the wickets of Gulbadin and Nabi within three balls.Adding to Afghanistan’s strange decision-making was another odd move: sending Najibullah Zadran at No. 8, behind wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil. Najibullah showed the folly of that move with pleasing strokeplay, but he had walked in against an asking rate that was improbable, against a spinner on top of his game.Shakib duly got his five-for when Najibullah wandered too far down and was stumped, and any faint hope Afghanistan might have had vanished, even though Samiullah Shinwari, playing his first game of the competition, did push them along with a stroke-filled 49 not out.When Kapil, in 1983, and Yuvraj, in 2011, hit a century and took a five-wicket haul in the same World Cup, their teams lifted the trophy. That final result is still a long way off for this edition, but Shakib’s wizardry has meant that the boulder souls in Bangladesh will dare to hope of a repeat.

After a series of meetings with players, coaching staff, selectors and BCB officials, he will put forward recommendations for the appointment of a full-time head coach

Mohammad Isam21-May-2018Gary Kirsten will complete an internal audit of the Bangladesh team before giving his recommendations for the appointment of a full-time head coach. The position has been vacant since the resignation of Chandika Hathurusingha in November 2017. Nizamuddin Chowdhury, BCB’s chief executive, has said Kirsten’s role is limited to these two duties since he has declined the BCB’s offer to stay in a long-term role until the 2019 World Cup.Kirsten, who arrived in Dhaka on Sunday evening, met Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mashrafe Mortaza on Monday morning in three separate meetings. He is scheduled to meet Bangladesh’s coaching staff present in Dhaka later in the evening, and over the next 24 hours will also meet the national selectors and board directors connected to the senior side. Kirsten is also slated to meet BCB chief Nazmul Hassan.While it might seem like too little time for such an assessment, Kirsten’s appointment as an independent auditor of the senior team is a first in Bangladesh cricket. It is certainly a more professional approach than ever before. Never before in Bangladesh cricket have the players been asked for their opinion on the inner workings of the team and on potential coaching candidates.But given how difficult it has been for the BCB to find a head coach who they believe can take the team further, it is believed to be a positive approach to take a little more time during which they conduct an objective analysis of what is required.Chowdhury said Kirsten will first assess the Bangladesh team and, based on that, will tell the board which coach is more suitable to the team’s needs. He said Kirsten’s analysis was essential to the board.”Gary Kirsten is doing an internal audit of the Bangladesh team,” Chowdhury said. “He will give an assessment to the cricket board about how the team can improve looking ahead to ICC competitions like the World Cup and World T20. At the same time, he is also working with us on coach recruitment. We have shortlisted some coaches, and Kirsten also has some names. At this stage he will advise us about which areas to work on, and then he will say which available coach will be effective for us.”The team assessment is more important to us. He is trying to sit with every player, and everyone related to the national team, for this internal audit. There’s also a plan for him to speak to the selectors and relevant directors individually. He is working independently. We are providing logistical support. He is contacting the relevant persons to set up meetings.”Chowdhury said Kirsten had been working with the BCB for some time now, speaking to coaching candidates. He said Kirsten had initially agreed on a long-term relationship, but later decided only to work on a short assignment.”Maybe his work is more visible today as he is working in Dhaka but Kirsten has been working for us for some time now,” Chowdhury said. “He spoke to our current captain already. He has been in contact with the candidates that we are discussing for different coaching positions. He is also in touch with those in his list.”He is working as our consultant in this process. We had initially planned to have him till the 2019 World Cup and he had agreed too. But later after taking account of his various commitments, he said he will work till the appointment of the coach.”

Veteran opener steps away from the game after 16 seasons at Bristol

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2025Chris Dent, Gloucestershire’s long-serving opening batter, has announced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect.Dent, 34, represented Gloucestershire in 356 matches, scoring over 15,000 runs across all formats, including 11,237 at 36.01 in first-class cricket, placing him 28th on the club’s all-time list.Born in Bristol, Dent joined Gloucestershire’s Pathway at the age of 12, and made his senior debut in 2009 during a Pro40 match against Nottinghamshire. He passed 1,000 first-class runs in a season on four occasions, most recently in 2019, when he captained the side to promotion to Division One, their first such appearance since 2005.This season, however, he struggled for form in the opening round of Championship games, and had not featured for the first team since April.”After 16 memorable seasons playing professional cricket, I’ve decided that the time is right to step away from the game,” Dent said. “It’s hard to put into words what cricket has given me, but I will always be truly grateful.”I want to thank Gloucestershire CCC for giving me my opportunity 16 years ago. The support and faith you’ve shown me have been a huge part of any success I’ve had over the years.”To the fans – your encouragement throughout my career has meant everything. What stands out most, especially over these last few difficult years, is the love and kindness you’ve shown me. That support helped me more than you’ll ever know.”The biggest thank you goes to all the players. You guys are what made the last 16 years so memorable. I feel incredibly lucky to have shared the field with so many brilliant people. When I look back on my career, my favourite memories are special because of the people I shared them with. Even though my time as a cricketer is over, I hope there are still more memories to be made with you all.”Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire’s head coach, said: “Reaching the end of a first-class playing career is always a daunting time, but I am sure Denty will look back with brilliant memories of his time with Gloucestershire.”I remember him in his teenage years, knocking around in the Academy, and I am not surprised he became one of our most valued players to come through our Pathway.”Batting at the top for most of his career in England is an unenviable task, but once again he managed to impact games from that position on a regular basis. His presence there kept him perennially in England’s shortlist, though he never quite got the call. I believe the international stage could have seen him flourish.”Although still in great physical shape, it has been more challenging mentally, and on that sad note, his appearances have been somewhat restricted.”The last few years will not define what has been a stellar career with the Glorious, and I would like to thank him for his immense contributions over the years.”

Visitors cling on after last-wicket pair defy Cricket Australia XI attack for more than an hour

ECB Reporters Network25-Jan-2025England Lions 316 (Flintoff 108, Davies 76, Whitney 4-72) and 276 for 9 (Coles 67, Hurst 53, Elliott 3-38) drew with Cricket Australia XI 214 (Hicks 64, Brown 5-21) and 442 for 9 dec (Ward 120, Clayton 84, Hackney 70*, Radhakrishnan 58, Cook 4-47)England Lions held out for a battling draw after last pair Josh Tongue and Sam Cook defied a Cricket Australia XI attack for more than an hour in their tour game at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Half-centuries from Matt Hurst and James Coles rebuilt the Lions innings after they had slipped to 21 for 4, before the tail held on despite Jem Ryan and Sam Elliott claiming three wickets apiece.The Lions had been set a target of 331 after Ryan Hackney’s unbeaten 70 helped the home side to declare at 441 for 9. Cook finished with 4 for 47 but his unbeaten 8 in 86 minutes of batting at the end of the day was just as valuable as he survived alongside Tongue, who finished unbeaten on 19 from 50 balls.The Lions innings had run into trouble when Elliott struck twice in as many balls, removing Hamza Shaikh and James Rew, to leave the tourists four down inside nine overs.Opener Ben McKinney counter-attacked with 47 before Hurst and Coles got to work on balancing a salvage job with keeping a still-achievable victory target within their scope.Hurst was judged leg before after moving down the wicket and looking to engineer a shot to leg off Elliott before Coles pulled Ryan to Hackney as the field had started to spread.First-innings centurion Rocky Flintoff was cast into a different role, his patient 28 from 64 balls befitting the situation, while Shoaib Bashir (24) batted for an hour before Hugo Burdon found his off stump. Last pair Tongue and Cook completed the rearguard by surviving 45 balls, as the Lions reached stumps on 276 for 9.The Lions now turn their attention to next week’s first-class match against Australia A in Sydney, which start on 30 January.

“We had a really good match, it was just some small moments that we could’ve done better,” says New Zealand head coach Gary Stead

Madushka Balasuriya25-Sep-2024You win the toss, you bat. When it comes to playing a Test in Galle, that is not so much as received wisdom as it as an etched in stone eleventh commandment. While this might on the face of it seem a ploy to get the best of the batting conditions, in actuality, it’s more down to not wanting to get the worst of it.In the first Test, Sri Lanka won the toss and obviously batted, but while the notable turn on day one signified a raging turner from the outset, Sri Lanka still managed to run up 305 in the first innings – even accounting for them losing their last four wickets for just 24 runs.And after that, it was in fact New Zealand’s batters that got to utilise the most batter friendly of conditions across the Test – on day two, when the turn had slowed down and Sri Lanka’s spinners struggled for control. But their innings, too, was hampered by a late collapse, going from a pretty strong 269 for 5 to 340 all out.Related

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• Dhananjaya de Silva's Sri Lanka deliver in contrasting conditions to inch up WTC table

But as the Test wore on, particularly on the fourth and fifth day, batting became the chore Galle is more commonly renowned for, with 14 wickets falling on day four and two wickets within 15 minutes on day five to wrap up the game.”The pitch can change quite quickly and we saw that,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead noted on the eve of the second Test. “From being relatively good off the straight areas, to then spinning, quite a bit on that fourth day. The conditions can change very quickly.”So I think every run you get in the first innings is very important. And making sure you can post a as large a total as possible, as that means it’s just less runs you have to score in the second innings.”Stead’s sentiment was something shared by Sri Lanka batting coach Thilina Kandamby, who spoke towards the importance of setting the tone early on, be it with the bat or ball.”Setting the tone is key in Test cricket, even with the ball. In Manchester also, if you remember, we had a really bad day starting with the bowling. Then we recovered really well. That’s the positive part of it, whether it comes to bowling or batting our recovery is really good. But setting the tone is really important, and all the players know that.”Both teams are also acutely aware of the areas in which they need to improve, primarily in pressing home hard-fought advantages. With five wickets in hand, 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s first innings total, and a set pair of Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips at the crease at the start of day three, New Zealand might have been eyeing a hefty first-innings lead – particularly taking into account the confidence with which they had approached their batting the previous day.As it turned out, they would lose their remaining five wickets for 86 runs on the third morning, and in the process relinquish the grip they had on the game. With 63 runs the final margin of defeat it’s pivotal passages such as these, that Stead knows proved the difference in the end.”I actually think we had a really good Test match and for the most part it was very evenly contested. I thought that it was just some small moments that we could have done better,” he explained. “We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in.”And then the second session, I think it was of the third day, where we didn’t take a wicket. [Dinesh] Chandimal and [Dimuth] Karunaratne batted very well, but we maybe were just a little bit slow to adjust and adapt to that situation.””We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in” – Stead•AFP/Getty Images

Kandamby had similar grievances with his own side. Sri Lanka lost five of their top six batters (including Angelo Mathews who retired hurt) inside the first 35 overs of day one, before a century from Kamindu Mendis and a Kusal Mendis fifty revived their innings. In the second innings, having got to 153 for the loss of just one wicket, Sri Lanka stumbled to 178 for 4. And then again went from 286 for 6 to 309 all out.”Mindset will be the same [going into the game], but we have discussed where we went wrong, especially in the batting,” revealed Kandamby. “We had a collapse in the third or fourth day, it had happened a couple of times earlier also. The senior players need to take the responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle. We all knew the wicket would be helpful for spinners.”When we see the stats, I think they swept more than us, which is a concern. We played some good sweep shots as well, but you can’t always trust the defence on a wicket like this. So you’re better always to be in a positive mindset to score runs.”One other area of concern has been the contribution from Sri Lanka’s tail. In terms of batting contributions from those batting at 9, 10 and 11, Sri Lanka know they could be doing better. Across both innings they contributed a total of 13 runs, while Ramesh Mendis batting at eight offered not much more.This has partly been reason for Sri Lanka bringing in Milan Rathnayake – following his impressive showing with the bat in England – in place of Lahiru Kumara, but Kandamby said it was nevertheless an area they were actively looking at improving on.”Yes we’re looking for runs from them [the tail], but more than that it’s about supporting the batter at the other end. It’s only after the recognised batter gets out that we start thinking about how to put the pressure back on the bowlers and get some runs. So honestly if they can get about 30-40 runs, that would be good. Because if you look at it compared the rest of the Test playing nations, our batters at 9, 10, 11, are quite low down.”Whenever we have practice, batting is compulsory for them. And when we’re not playing in a series, they will work the coaches at the HPC (high performance centre) to work on their technical errors.”