Second test: The issues and the imponderables
The Black Caps are chasing a historic fourth consecutive test series triumph when they take on Sri Lanka in a winner-takes-all Boxing Day clash in Christchurch, starting today. Brendon Egan looks at five key talking points.
Just metres from where he hit boundaries in Christchurch club cricket, Gary Stead will coach the Black Caps for the first time in his home city.
Stead has been in the job for only four months, but will experience an early highlight when he peers across Hagley Oval during the winner-takesall second test against Sri Lanka, starting today.
A proud Canterbury man, who regularly captained his province during a successful period in the 1990s and early 2000s and was a batting mainstay for the red-and-blacks, Stead might take a minute to reflect on his journey to the top job in New Zealand Cricket.
Stead was a vital cog in a dominant Riccarton club side in his playing days in Christchurch, who were based at South Hagley Park, just a cricket ball’s throw from the grass bank at the redeveloped Hagley Oval.
‘‘It’s special to come back here. I must admit I drove in [on Monday] and I thought, ‘this is great to come home again and feel like home for me’. We’re only 100 metres away from where I played a lot of my cricket. It is kind of cool.’’
Not one for the limelight, Stead doesn’t want this match to be about his first time in charge of the Black Caps in his hometown, but said it was a humbling moment.
He will have a solid contingent of family, friends, and no doubt former team-mates scattered around the venue for the test with noone prouder than wife Rachel, daughter Libby and
Swing kings
New Zealand pace attack leaders Trent Boult and Tim Southee have a phenomenal record in their five test matches at Hagley Oval. Southee has nabbed 27 wickets at an average of 20.9, much better than his career test bowling mark of 30.16.
Boult has snared 28 victims at 24.4, including seven in the match against Bangladesh and 6-176 in both innings against England in the two most recent tests at the venue.
Should New Zealand win the toss today, Sri Lanka’s top order will be in for a tricky time and will have major questions asked of both their technique and temperament by the experienced duo.
Raval ton up
When a cricket side is winning, players who are struggling for form don’t face the same scrutiny they do when their side is in a rut. Test opener Jeet Raval’s spot in the side isn’t under threat over the final four tests of the home summer, but he could allay any fears about his international future with a maiden test century or substantial score at Hagley.
Fifteen tests into his career, Raval is yet to bring up three figures and threw his wicket away in the first test after doing the hard yards to get to 43. In 10 test innings in 2018, Raval is yet to reach 50, scoring just 199 runs at 19.9.
Black Caps batting coach Craig McMillan gave Raval a vote of confidence ahead of the test, backing him to convert a start into a big score. ‘‘It’s been some of the best I’ve seen him bat,’’ McMillan said. ‘‘Unfortunately, he’s made some errors and errors can be very fatal at test match level. The key for him is to try and eliminate those.’’
Hagley haven for de Grandhomme?
son Alex, who are both keen cricketers.
‘‘I don’t know if it’s more special than other tests, but being here at home and in those familiar surroundings is really nice.’’
Since taking over from Mike Hesson on September 1, it has been a busy time for the 46-year-old Stead.
He made a pleasing start to his first tour of duty in charge with New Zealand, upsetting Pakistan 2-1 in the test series in the United Arab Emirates – their first away test series win over Pakistan in 49 years. The Black Caps drew the ODI series 1-1 with one Colin de Grandhomme hit a quickfire 49 from 53 balls in the first test in Wellington, but some detractors of the strapping allrounder argue he’s not doing enough with the ball. He took one wicket for the match in the first test from 26 overs and was a mixed bag in the United Arab Emirates on difficult pitches.
Hagley Oval has been kind to him in the past, capturing 7-64 for the match, including a six-for in the first innings in his test debut against Pakistan in November 2016. The right-arm seamer was also effective there against England in April, picking up four wickets in the second innings, to go along with 72 and 45 with the bat in the same outing.
Can Sri Lanka realistically take 20 wickets?
Sri Lanka battled with the ball in the first innings at the Basin and they’ll need to be far more accurate and energetic in Christchurch as a bowling group.
With Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls in New Zealand’s top five, Sri Lanka must strike early before they get set and hold onto their chances in the field.
Their new ball duo, including the experienced Suranga Lakmal (1-88) and three-test greenhorn Kasun Rajitha (0-144) had a rough time of it in the capital. If the Sri Lankan quicks don’t produce early breakthroughs it could be a long time tourists. in
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Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews were superb for Sri Lanka in their second dig in Wellington, both notching unbeaten centuries and combining for a whopping 274-run fourth wicket stand to help save the test.
Veteran paceman Southee described it as among the toughest days in the field in his long career for New Zealand with the Sri Lankan pair’s concentration never waning. Others will have to step up with the bat in Christchurch and opener Danushka Gunathilaka (1, 3) and No 3 Dhananjaya de Silva (1, 0) will need to step up after both resembled walking wickets against Boult and Southee.
Opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who was impressive with 79 in the first innings in Wellington, could be the man for Sri Lanka. He has fond memories of his last test at Hagley in 2014, scoring a maiden century and turned it into a big one, going on to make 152.