Sri Lanka and New Zealand are preparing to face off in the first Test of their two-match series starting Wednesday at Galle International Stadium. 

Sri Lanka enter this series with a slightly disappointing recent record. They concluded a three-match Test series against England with a 1-2 series defeat. Despite putting up a strong fight, Sri Lanka struggled to overcome the host. Key players like Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva will need to step up their performances to turn the tide in favour of Sri Lanka. 

On the other hand, New Zealand have faced its own set of challenges. They were scheduled to play a One-Off Test against Afghanistan in India, but the poor weather conditions and wet outfield made it impossible for both teams to get some action under their belt.

The unexpected cancellation has left New Zealand with minimal recent Test cricket, which could influence their preparation and form going into this series against Sri Lanka. Nonetheless, New Zealand will be eager to make up for lost time and assert their dominance on the field. 

With both teams coming into this series with different recent experiences, the outcome could be highly unpredictable. Sri Lanka will aim to bounce back from their series loss to England, while New Zealand will look to capitalise on their strength and experience.

Head to Head

Matches - 38

NZ Won - 18

SL Won - 9

Drawn - 11

Sri Lanka Squad : Dhananjaya De Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake

New Zealand Squad : Tim Southee (c), Tom Latham (vc), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway (wk), Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, William O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson, Will Young