NZ Vs SL 1st Test Match Review: New Zealand has won another close Test match. After they won against England last month, the Kiwis were brilliant again in the last innings of the 1st Test match against Sri Lanka which was played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Now because of this defeat, Sri Lanka has lost WTC Final 2023 spot to India.
Despite being in the contest for the majority of the time, the Lankan Tigers couldn’t force a win on the last day of the first Test match.
The visitors scored a competitive total of 355 runs in the first innings and 302 runs in their second.
But their bowlers allowed New Zealand to make a comeback when the hosts were reeling at 162/5 and that’s where Sri Lanka lost this match.
Ahead of the final match of this red ball series at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from Friday 17th March 2023 to Tuesday, 21st March 2023, today we shall see the five best performers of the first Test match.
Sri Lanka will look to draw the level after missing out from a win in the first encounter of this two-match series of the Test format.
The player of the match in the first Test between NZ Vs SL was an all-rounder from the Kiwi nation, Daryl Mitchell.
Daryl was superb in the first Test match at Christchurch and because of him, New Zealand won this match by two wickets. He scored 102 runs in the first innings which came at a critical time.
If Mitchell had not played that knock then the home side would have been in deeper trouble and possibly lost the first Test match because Sri Lanka was on top of the game in that situation.
Daryl even played well in the second innings of the 1st Test match. His 81 runs came in a critical time when the hosts were chasing a score of 285 runs to win the first Test match.
Mitchell couldn’t pick up any wickets in this encounter. But his contributions with the bat was huge for New Zealand.
The former skipper of the Black Caps side was out early in the first innings of this Test match encounter. But he stood up and delivered when the team needed him the most.
His unbeaten knock of 121 runs made the huge difference in the end and it also allowed the home side to go one nil up in this red-ball series.
The former skipper and a legendary player from the Sri Lankan side did well in the first Test match.
He had a handy contribution in the first innings and also slammed a century in the second innings.
Mathews scored 115 runs which allowed Sri Lanka to be in the game and even set a score of 285 runs for New Zealand.
The Lankans were in trouble on day three. But Angelo bailed the team out quite magnificently.
The classic Sri Lankan middle-order batter had set the tone in the first innings. Kusal Mendis was the highest scorer for Sri Lanka with 87 runs.
He came to the crease after Oshada Fernando fell early. He scored those 87 runs in quick time from just 83 balls and he even smashed 16 boundaries.
Mendis shared a partnership with skipper Karunaratne which proved vital in the context of this match.
The list ends with the all-around performance from Matt Henry. The pace bowler from the home side, New Zealand was awesome in this Test match.
He picked up seven wickets in the match, four scalps in the 1st innings and two wickets in the second innings.
With that, Henry scored 72 runs in the first innings with the bat as well and that too when the team needed it the most.
