Do-or-die battle to qualify for WTC final: Skipper Dimuth

Tuesday, 28 February 2023 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lanka cricket team to New Zealand

Sri Lanka team players (from left): Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Oshada Fernando and Nishan Madushka go through a religious ceremony prior to the team’s departure to New Zealand

Sri Lanka cricket team leaves for New Zealand

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne said that it will be a do-or-die battle to qualify for the final of the ICC World Test Championship as his team embarked on a month-long tour of New Zealand where they will play a series of two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.

Karunaratne who will be part of the Test squad said: “If you talk about the Test championship we are currently in third place. We have a do-or-die battle on our hands. We will try to win both Tests and somehow qualify for the final.”

Sri Lanka needs to win both Tests against New Zealand to qualify for the WTC final. It is something which they have not done in New Zealand where they have only once won a Test series dating back to 1995-96.

“We have prepared well for the tour. We had a good training session at Radella, along with that we have eight days before the first Test to get acclimatised to New Zealand conditions and pitches. I think in the past one month or so we have geared ourselves well for the tour. All the players are well prepared,” said Karunaratne shortly before his team’s departure on Sunday night.

“I am quite happy with the squad that I have got. It’s a good one with the majority of them having played Test cricket. We have a mixture of experienced and inexperienced players along with the newcomers. There is a lot of unity in the team and we are hopeful of performing well.”

TOUR ITINERARY

2-5 March: 2-day warm-up game at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

9-13 March: 1st Test Match at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

17-21 March: 2nd Test Match at Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington

25 March: 1st ODI at Eden Park, Auckland

28 March: 2nd ODI at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

31 March: 3rd ODI at Seddon Park, Hamilton

2 April: 1st T20I at Eden Park, Auckland

5 April: 2nd T20I at University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

8 April: 3rd T20I at Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown