New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Day 3 - The Kiwis are in a commendable position

The second new ball was supposed to test both Dinesh Chandimal and Kithuruwan Vithanage on the first session of day 3. The weather at Dunedin was overcast and chilling and it aided the pace bowlers to move the ball at will. Within 15 minutes both the overnight batsmen were dismissed and Sri Lanka were lifted by the contributions of the tail-enders. I think, Milinda Siriwardana was needed to curb his attacking stroke-play and carry on as much as possible by spending enough time at the crease. Whereas, Rangana Herath exhibited the ideal temperament with the bat – cautious and focused.

But, New Zealand were able to take a handy lead in the first session and their batsmen scored runs without enough hassle, aided by some dropped catches, to stretch the lead. They are in a commendable position at the moment and the Lankans need to show a lot of character to save this Test match.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar