Black Caps get chance to move on from that match

Two of those new faces, spinners Ajaz Patel and Will Somerville, are together again for the first time since their respective stunning debuts in the United Arab Emirates last November in a likely three-spin attack. That 2-1 series win was New Zealand’s first in 49 years against Pakistan away.

It’s been a while in the stifling humidity of Sri Lanka, too, New Zealand’s only test series win 35 years ago when the hosts were the newbies.

New Zealand arrive as test cricket’s second-ranked side after five successive series wins, four of those at home. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, were described by leading cricket writer Andrew Fidel Fernando of ESPNCricinfo as ‘‘an acid trip in cricketing form’’.

Last time at home they lost 3-0 to England, then, after a 2-0 hiding in Australia became the first subcontinent team to win a test series in South Africa, 2-0 under new captain Dimuth Karunaratne.

There’s inevitable off-field drama, too, with coach Chandika Hathurusingha essentially stood down by Sri Lanka’s cricket board post-World Cup, and his deputy Rumesh Ratnayake handed the reins.

Sri Lanka’s batting looks solid with two former skippers Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews returning, but their spin stocks aren’t as imposing in the post-Rangana Herath era. Offspinner Akila Dananjaya returns from a ban for a suspect action, joining two-test leftarmer Lasith Embuldeniya as the frontliners.

Galle is one of world cricket’s spin havens and produced a result in its past 10 tests. The last five were won by the side batting first, all by 200-plus runs, which puts major emphasis on the toss.

Samaraweera was sacked as Sri Lanka’s batting coach after their New Zealand tour, and coach Gary Stead smartly enlisted him for this series to provide insight on conditions and opponents.

Facing spin in the subcontinent is never a comfortable prospect for New Zealand batsmen and they got no warmup knocks last week after the Katunayake downpours. The skipper, as per usual now, will carry a hefty batting burden.

Both sides will fancy their chances at Galle and if New Zealand can conjure a win heading to the bouncier P Sara Oval, then that cup final – just maybe – will start becoming an increasingly distant memory.